Tag: Consumer Behavior

More operations are scheduled if doctor is well rested

Researchers at Linköping University have investigated how orthopaedic surgeons make decisions regarding surgery, and how the decisions are related to how much of their work shift they have completed. The results show that a patient who meets the surgeon at the end of his or her shift is less likely to be scheduled for surgery.

School savings accounts can dry up in ‘financial deserts’: College savings programs are less effective in neighborhoods lacking traditional banks, professor says

Children’s savings accounts (CSAs), offered by elementary schools throughout San Francisco and in schools across the nation, were introduced to boost college-going rates, limit student debt and foster equal opportunity for low-income children. However, San Francisco State University Assistant Professor of Management Ian Dunham finds that geography — particularly in neighborhoods that lack brick-and-mortar banks

How can you reliably spot a fake smile? Ask a computer

Real and fake smiles can be tricky to tell apart, but researchers at the University of Bradford have now developed computer software that can spot false facial expressions. By analysing the movement of the smile across a person’s face, the software can determine whether or not the expression is genuine. The most significant movements detected

Bystanders will intervene to help victims of aggressive public disputes: Third-party conflict resolution is a human universal; similar results across three different countries

Bystanders will intervene in nine-out-of-ten public fights to help victims of aggression and violence say researchers, in the largest ever study of real-life conflicts captured by CCTV. The findings overturn the impression of the “walk on by society” where victims are ignored by bystanders. Instead, the international research team of social scientists found that at

Tick tock: Commitment readiness predicts relationship success

Timing is everything, goes a popular phrase, and this is also true for relationships. As Valentine’s Day approaches, social psychologists from Purdue University offer new research showing that a person’s commitment readiness is a good predictor of relationship success. The results are published in Social Psychological and Personality Science. “Feeling ready leads to better relational

When the insurance company monitors your driving in real time does it help? New research finds that it helps on a number of levels, from safety to consumer cost

The traditional model for setting auto insurance premiums has been to base rates on the motorist’s driving history, age, gender and even marital status (in some states). Thanks to new technological options, insurance companies and motorists have started to work together to give the insurance companies access to better data on an individual driver’s risk

Physician-targeted marketing is associated with increase in opioid overdose deaths, study shows

Many individuals cite prescription opioids as their gateway to illicit opioid use. However, while prescription opioids are involved in more than one-third of all opioid overdose deaths in the U.S., examining any correlation between prescription opioid overdose deaths and pharmaceutical industry marketing has been limited — until now. New research from NYU School of Medicine

How a personality trait puts you at risk for cybercrime

Impulse online shopping, downloading music and compulsive email use are all signs of a certain personality trait that make you a target for malware attacks. New research from Michigan State University examines the behaviors — both obvious and subtle — that lead someone to fall victim to cybercrime involving Trojans, viruses, and malware. “People who

Trying to get people to agree? Skip the French restaurant and go out for Chinese food: Why sharing a plate leads to better negotiation outcomes

Here’s a new negotiating tactic: enjoy a family-style meal with your counterpart before making your opening bid. When people in a business negotiation share not just a meal but a plate, they collaborate better and reach deals faster, according to new research from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In the study, “Shared

Virtual reality motion sickness may be predicted and counteracted

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have made progress towards predicting who is likely to feel sick from virtual reality technology. In a recent study, the researchers found they could predict whether an individual will experience cybersickness (motion sickness caused by virtual reality) by how much they sway in response to a moving visual field.

Sunk cost fallacy in mice, rats and humans

The behavior of people who remain committed to a choice, even when it is clear that an alternate choice would be a better option, has been a perplexing phenomenon to psychologists and economists. For example, people will continue to wait in the slow line at a grocery store, stick out an unhealthy relationship, or refuse