1,720,956 research outputs found
Il ruolo dell’Influenza normativa e dell’orientamento valoriale biosferico nella predizione dei comportamenti di mobilità sostenibile
Full text linkThe thesis is composed of three studies, which are part of a larger PhD research project concerning sustainable mobility behaviours and their psychological determinants. These studies are focused in particular on the role of the normative influence and biospheric values orientation on transport behaviours. The research’s main context is the hinterland of the city of Cagliari, and its public transport modality. One of the main focuses is on the changes caused by the extension of the light railway line (“Metro Cagliari”) which passes through the area. The main aims of the three studies are: exploring the effects of normative influence on behaviours concerning urban mobility; studying the influences of biospheric value orientation on transport behaviours; detecting and comparing the role of specific motivations and feedbacks (related either to personal, community or environmental consequences) in promoting these behaviours. 1. The focus group The first study presents a preliminary exploration of issues such as the motivations and perceptions of citizens on public transport and its usage. It also analyses the use of private cars and alternative means of transport, such as those shown in literature (Tertoolen, Van Kreveld, & Verstraten, 1998; Steg, 2005; Gardner & Abraham, 2007), through two focus groups, in which participants are assigned to based on their most frequent travel mode used (car drivers & alternative transport users). Data which emerged from the focus groups show the centrality of public transport in the representations of both groups: car users see public transport as insufficient for their needs, whereas the alternative transport users positively view (but at the same time critical) public transport, considering it a “step ahead in the future”. Car users also, however, stated that they would use public transport, but they avoid doing so because of the “logistical problems” related to transport mobility in Cagliari. Another interesting aspect emerged in both groups is related to the symbolic function of car ownership and car usage, with particular reference to the status that results from the latter. Results are thoroughly discussed within the thesis. 2. The survey study The correlational study has the general purpose of exploring and verifying relationships at various levels between different psychosocial constructs and proenvironmental behaviours. In particular, we detected the role of constructs such as those included in the TPB (Ajzen, 1991) and in the VBN (Stern et al., 1999), and the Social Norms (Cialdini, Kallgren, & Reno, 1991), in predicting the choices of sustainable modes of transport. The correlational study has the following objectives: - to analyse the motives underlying the individual choices of sustainable mobility; - to verify the relationship between type of concerns and beliefs orienting pro-sustainable mobility. In order to reach these goals, a questionnaire was developed and then submitted to 342 residents of the Cagliari metropolitan area. The questionnaire includes measures such as motivations/beliefs on mobility choices, (based both on the findings from the focus groups and on literature, i.e. altruistic, biospheric, egoistic, economic beliefs, etc.); concerns about the consequences of environmental issues (Environmental Motives Scale: Schultz, 2000); proenvironmental transport behaviours (adapted from Schultz & Zelezny, 1998); items of the scale of Universal Values (Schwartz, 1992); social norms (Fornara, Carrus, Passafaro, & Bonnes, 2011) and moral norms (Abrahamse & Steg, 2009). Structural Equation Modelling analysis with the R Stat package Lavaan (Rosseel, 2012) was performed in order to find a good-fit model which is consistent with the theoretical framework. We found a direct influence of moral norms (consistently with VBN Theory) and social norms on our target behaviours, i.e. use of public buses in the city, use of trains and buses for travelling in the metropolitan area, use of the light rail “Metro Cagliari”. In our model, different types of Awareness of Consequences influence different kinds of norms. Moreover, in line with other studies (Hopper & Nielson, 1991; Bratt, 1999; Hunecke, Blöbaum, Matthies, & Höger, 2001), the injunctive norm appears as an antecedent in the formation of moral norms. Another interesting finding, in line with literature, shows that different kinds of concerns, which spark from opposite points of view (environmental vs personal concern) have a correlation between them: this can be coherent with the idea that individuals can show kinds of concerns which may appear as opposite, because people can be concerned about consequences of an environmental issue both for themselves and for the environment. This can be due to the different degree of inclusion in the Self of the objects “myself”, “other people”, and “environment”. In line with the VBN Theory, Universal values influence general proenvironmental beliefs (here measured through the Environmental concern): we found a (positive) relationship between the Self-Transcendence values and the Egoistic dimension of the Environmental concern. This result is in line with a previous study (Stern & Dietz, 1994), which showed how different types of values can affect different attitudes (e.g., Self Transcendence values were positively related to Egoistic consequences). This is also consistent with the relationship between opposite concerns, as reported previously. Finally, the Self-Transcendence values directly influence both Biospheric/Moral and Egoistic awareness of consequences/motivations related to the use of public transport, in line with what found by Stern and Dietz (1994). 3. The experiment The experiment is based on the same theoretical framework of the survey study. The main purposes of the experimental study are: • to verify the influences of scenario conditions based on different feedbacks about transportation behaviours (i.e., personal consequences, consequences for the biosphere, the behaviour of other people and about how much other people positively evaluate the use of public transport); • to verify if there is a congruence between the pre-existing value orientation (e.g., Self-Transcendence) and concern (i.e., Biospheric or Egoistic) of participants with their response to the different feedbacks (e.g., Self-Transcendence congruent to Biospheric concern and Biospheric feedback), and if such congruence correlate the behavioural intention oriented towards public transport; Hypotheses will be discussed in depth within the thesis. The experimental design was implemented by means of a questionnaire including the manipulation of the experimental variable (i.e., the framing of the scenario, including the five different modalities summarized below) and the measure of the other variables. Participants are 100 students from the University of Cagliari, who were randomly assigned to the five different scenario conditions. Each experimental condition conferred a different message describing the consequences of choosing a public/alternative. The messages were: a) Biospheric message about consequences for the environment, b) Egoistic message about consequences for the individual, c) Descriptive normative message about how many people use public transport, d) Injunctive normative message about how other people value the use of public transport, and e) a control condition represented by a blank page. The questionnaire includes also a different version (i.e., with a different number of items) of the measures used in the survey study. The results don’t show an effect of the manipulation of the independent variable. This is probably due to the characteristics of the message (e.g. with a video message or a brochure it can result more efficient) or to the small number of subjects for every condition (since the study is a sort of pilot study). However, using the proxy measured variables of the manipulated variables (i.e. the two Concerns and the Social Norms), Biospheric Concern shows an influence toward the intention in behaving proenvironmental (such behaviours as using bike, public transport). At the same time the injunctive norm shows its effect in promoting the intention to avoid the usage of a private car. Interaction effects between the Biospheric Concern and Egoistic Concern (both measured variables) show an interesting dynamic: individuals who are highly concerned about the consequences on themselves show no significant difference in behavioural intention both when they are much or little concerned for the environment. At the same time those who are little concerned about consequences on themselves show a significant difference between who is much or little concerned for the environment. The latter result questions Environmental Concern’s structure, connected to the Self’s structure (i.e. Arnocky et al., 2007). The interaction between Injunctive Norm and Biospheric Concern has an “additive effect “on behavioural intentions in the high Injunctive Norm condition. This gives a hint on how situational influence works on individuals who are already concerned for the environment, and at the same time it can be related to the Environmental Concern formation, as happens to Values (Andersson & Von Borgstede, 2010; Bamberg et al., 2007; Hopper & Nielsen, 1991; Minton & Rose, 1997; Tronu et al., 2012). Further discussion about results of each study, first separately and then in an organic perspective, together with their possible applications, will be discussed in the thesis
Psychosocial antecedents of intentions to use renewable energy devices at household level
No full textPredicting intention to improve household energy efficiency: the role of value-belief-norm theory, normative and informational influence, and specific attitude
No full textThe study tested a model on the intention to use renewable energy sources at the household level. The model focuses on the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and includes different kinds of social influence (normative and informational) and attitude towards the target behaviour.Participants (N = 432) were homeowners who filled in a self-report questionnaire, which measured the intention to use "green" energy devices and a set of social-psychological dimensions included in the model.Results of structural equation modelling showed the adequacy of the VBN theory in predicting the target efficiency behavioural intention. Moreover, moral norms and informational influence (i.e., trust in friends/relatives and neighbours) emerged as the most powerful predictors of the intention to use renewable energy devices. These variables also mediated the effects of social norms, both injunctive and descriptive, which showed only an indirect influence on the intention
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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