Culture and decision making

Cultural, demographic, and other non-demographic factors associated with cancer genetic counseling patients' appointment accompaniment preferences in the United States

Although the presence of companion(s) in a genetic counseling session can positively influence session dynamics, research has found that some patients prefer to attend their appointments alone. To date, no studies have examined patient accompaniment preferences across different cultural groups in the context of genetic counseling. This quantitative study aimed to identify factors associated with individual preferences in accompaniment at cancer genetic counseling appointments in a sample (N = 130) of Hispanic/Latine (n = 29) and non-Hispanic/Latine White (n = 101) participants at a large academic medical institution. Variables examined included demographics, horizontal and vertical collectivism, and Hispanic and American acculturation. A link to an online questionnaire was emailed to patients who met four criteria: (1) identified as either Hispanic/Latine or non-Hispanic/Latine White; (2) had attended a cancer genetic counseling appointment at UCLA Health to discuss genetic testing options between October 2020 and December 2022; (3) were at least 18 years of age at the time of their appointment; and (4) indicated they were comfortable reading in Spanish or English; responses were anonymous. Logistic regression analyses identified four significant variables in the model associated with accompaniment preferences: individuals with at least one parent born outside of the US, those who attended their appointment in-person, and those with a higher horizontal collectivism score were less likely to want to attend their cancer genetic counseling appointment alone, while the converse was true among those with a higher American acculturation score. These findings highlight cultural and demographic factors that are associated with patient accompaniment preferences unrelated to ethnicity, indicating genetic counselors should not make assumptions regarding accompaniment preferences based solely on cultural or racial/ethnic background. Genetic counselors should incorporate this understanding when assessing patients' accompaniment preferences.

Comparing experience- and description-based economic preferences across 11 countries

Recent evidence indicates that reward value encoding in humans is highly context dependent, leading to suboptimal decisions in some cases, but whether this computational constraint on valuation is a shared feature of human cognition remains unknown. Here we studied the behaviour of n = 561 individuals from 11 countries of markedly different socioeconomic and cultural makeup. Our findings show that context sensitivity was present in all 11 countries. Suboptimal decisions generated by context manipulation were not explained by risk aversion, as estimated through a separate description-based choice task (that is, lotteries) consisting of matched decision offers. Conversely, risk aversion significantly differed across countries. Overall, our findings suggest that context-dependent reward value encoding is a feature of human cognition that remains consistently present across different countries, as opposed to description-based decision-making, which is more permeable to cultural factors.

Translation and psychometric testing of the Persian Version of nurses' ethical decision-making in End-of-Life Care Scale

BACKGROUND

Ethical decision-making in end-of-life care is one of the most challenging aspects of healthcare: providing ethical care to the society is one of the most important responsibilities of healthcare professionals. In order to assess nurses' ethical decision-making in end-of-life care, researchers need a specialized and comprehensive instrument which is sufficiently valid and reliable. The present study was conducted to translate and test the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Nurses' Ethical Decision-Making in End-of-Life Care Scale (NEDM-EOLCS).

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional, multi-centric study with a methodological design The participants were selected via convenience sampling from five hospitals located in Iran. In total, 1320 nurses (660 for exploratory factor analysis and 660 for confirmatory factor analysis) participated in the study. The original NEDM-EOLCS was translated into Persian and subsequently the psychometric properties of the scale were assessed according to COSMIN criteria.

RESULTS

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) showed the factor loading of the 55 items to be between 0.62 and 0.88, all of which were significant. Also, exploratory factor analysis showed that 3 factors (perceived professional accountability, moral reasoning/moral agency and moral practice) explained 74.51% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) results verified the good fit of the data (a chi-square of 21.74, df = 7, P = 0.001) RMSEA = 0.01, CFI = 0.96, NFI = 0.95, and TLI = 0.97). The reliability of the scale was measured in terms of its internal consistency and the Cronbach's alpha of the whole instrument was found to be 0.98.

CONCLUSION

The Persian version of NEDM-EOLCS for nurses is sufficiently valid and reliable. Thus, this instrument can be used to measure nurses' ethical decision-making in end-of-life care and identify the most effective strategies, e.g. educational interventions, to improve ethical decision-making skills in end-of-life care in these healthcare professionals as necessary.

Profiles of intuitive eating in adults: the role of self-esteem, interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating

OBJECTIVE

Intuitive eating is an eating behavior that has recently come to use mainly in the young population. Knowing that the Lebanese cultural diet differs from other countries, the purpose of this study was to investigate if there is a relationship between self-esteem, interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating in a sample of Lebanese adults using a Latent Profile Analysis approach.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Lebanese governorates.

PARTICIPANTS

359 Lebanese participants enrolled in this study (mean age: 22.75 ± 7.04 years, 40.1% males), through convenience sampling in several Lebanese governorates. Participants were asked to fill anonymously the following scales: The Intuitive Eating Scale (IES-2), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness Scale (MAIA), and the Motivation for Healthy Eating Scale (MHES).

RESULTS

Our findings revealed four profiles: profile 1 (n = 67; 18.66%) characterized by high SE and intermediate interoceptive awareness and motivation for healthy eating; profile 2 (n = 86; 23.97%) presented high SE, interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating; profile 3 (n = 86; 23.96%) characterized by high SE, interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating; class 4 (n = 108; 30.08) described by low SE, intermediate interoceptive awareness, and motivation for healthy eating One-way analysis of variance did not observe a significant difference between the four profiles based on intuitive eating (F = 1.810; p = 0.145; ɳp2 = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

Among a sample of Lebanese people, four profiles of interoceptive awareness, motivation for healthy eating, and self-esteem were observed, with no difference concerning intuitive eating.

The Impact of Big Data Analytics on Decision-Making Within the Government Sector

The government sector has started adopting big data analytics capability (BDAC) to enhance its service delivery. This study examines the relationship between BDAC and decision-making capability (DMC) in the government sector. It investigates the mediation role of the cognitive style of decision makers and organizational culture in the relationship between BDAC and DMC utilizing the resource-based view of the firm theory. It further investigates the impact of BDAC on organizational performance (OP). This study attempts to extend existing research through significant findings and recommendations to enhance decision-making processes for a successful utilization of BDAC in the government sector. A survey method was adopted to collect data from government organizations in the United Arab Emirates, and partial least-squares structural equation modeling was deployed to analyze the collected data. The results empirically validate the proposed theoretical framework and confirm that BDAC positively impacts DMC via cognitive style and organizational culture, and in turn further positively impacting OP overall.

A systematic review of migrant women's experiences of successful exclusive breastfeeding in high-income countries

The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months after childbirth. However, since breastfeeding is influenced by cultural practice, it differs between migrant mothers and nonmigrant mothers. This systematic review examined migrant mothers' perceptions and experiences impacting achievement of exclusive breastfeeding after immigration from a low-middle-income country to a high-income country. CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Emcare were searched for qualitative studies published from 2010 to August 2022. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria. We used meta-ethnographic synthesis to identify overarching themes, resulting in five themes: Migrant mothers (1) 'recognised the differences in breastfeeding practice between their home and host country'. During acculturation, mothers modify or stick to their breastfeeding practice in their host country based on their (2) 'breastfeeding knowledge' by combining their (3) 'original ethnic identity' with the (4) 'influence of family members, healthcare workers, infants, peers and workplace'. Although they face barriers, their (5) 'autonomy' motivated them to continue breastfeeding in a country where the breastfeeding norm differs from where they come from. Intrapersonal and interpersonal socio-ecological factors played a significant role in their breastfeeding practice in the host country. Findings indicate public health policy and practice to support breastfeeding for migrant women in high-income countries can be improved, particularly by emphasising the importance of providing affirmative, comprehensive and practical support from healthcare professionals.

Putting the individual in the context of the organization: A Carnegie perspective on decision-making

The majority of decision research portrays decision-makers as largely decontextualized, separate from the institutional and social factors that influence their choosing. On the occasions when context is considered, it is rarely organizational, despite the prominence of organizations in people's lives. By contrast, the Carnegie perspective on decision-making emphasizes context, particularly that of organizations, as a central concern. We develop this contrast by first reviewing the limited role of context in neoclassical economic and psychological depictions of choice. Next, we present key elements of the organizational decision context in the Carnegie perspective: decision premises, standard operating procedures and decision rules, organizational structures, learning environments, and identity-situation interaction. We then consider the importance of interpretation to decision-making in context. In particular, rather than being given and clear, the meaning of decision context is often ambiguous and must be interpreted or constructed. The Carnegie perspective underscores the importance of this interpretive process to both decision-making and everyday life. We conclude by considering aspects of context that merit greater examination, as well as the implications for behavioral theorizing of acknowledging the contextualized nature of action.

What Is Most Important to Family Caregivers When Helping Patients Make Treatment-Related Decisions: Findings from a National Survey

Prioritizing patient values-who/what matters most-is central to palliative care and critical to treatment decision making. Yet which factors are most important to family caregivers in these decisions remains understudied. Using data from a U.S. national survey of cancer caregivers (N = 1661), we examined differences in factors considered very important by caregivers when partnering with patients in cancer treatment decision making by cancer stage and caregiver sociodemographics. Fifteen factors were rated on a 4-point Likert-scale from 'very unimportant' to 'very important.' Descriptive statistics were used to characterize caregiver factors and tabulate proportions of importance for each. Generalized linear mixed effect modeling was used to examine the importance of factors by cancer stage, and chi-square analyses were performed to determine associations between caregiver sociodemographics and the five most commonly endorsed factors: quality of life (69%), physical well-being (68%), length of life (66%), emotional well-being (63%), and opinions/feelings of oncology team (59%). Significant associations (all p's < 0.05) of small magnitude were found between the most endorsed factors and caregiver age, race, gender, and ethnicity, most especially 'opinions/feelings of the oncology team'. Future work is needed to determine the best timing and approach for eliciting and effectively incorporating caregiver values and preferences into shared treatment decision making.

Current research trends on cognition, integrative complexity, and decision-making: a systematic literature review using activity theory and neuroscience

Introduction

This article presents a systematic literature review that follows the PRISMA and PICOS guidelines to analyze current research trends on cognition, integrative complexity (IC) (a cognitive feature focusing on information processing in a person's response rather than its quantity or quality), and decision-making from the perspectives of activity theory and neuroscience.

Methods

The study examines 31 papers published between 2012 and 2022 and 19 articles specifically related to neuroscience. We performed a content analysis using six categories within activity theory: subjects, objects, rules, community, division of labor, and outcomes.

Results

The study investigates the relationship between decision-making outcomes and IC as a cognitive feature in various contexts. Additionally, content analysis on neuroscience and IC revealed significant research gaps, including understanding the nature of IC, challenges related to its measurement, and differentiation from other cognitive features. We also identify opportunities for investigating the brain's activity during decision-making in relation to IC.

Discussion

We address the need for a more precise categorization of IC in studies of cognition, IC, and decision-making. We discuss the implications of our analysis for understanding the cognitive nature of IC and the potential of neuroscience methods for studying this attribute.

To be appreciated or to be despised: The role of leader selection and trust in leaders

To sustainably develop organisational goals, it is important to create conditions under which leaders are trusted and judged to be incorrupt. We proposed that and tested whether leader selection affects judgements of leader corruption. A correlational study with cross-national data and two experimental studies in China were conducted. Study 1 collected and analysed 20-year panel data on 93 countries/territories. To provide causal evidence for the results of Study 1 and account for this effect, Studies 2 and 3 manipulated leader selection and measured trust in leaders and perceptions of leader corruption. The three studies converged to show that election (vs. appointment) predicted decreased judgements of leader corruption. Furthermore, Studies 2 and 3 identified that trust in leaders is the underlying mechanism driving this leader selection effect. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of perceptions of leader corruption, the process of leader empowerment and the control of corruption.

Gene transcriptional expression of cortical thinning during childhood and adolescence

The cognitive and behavioral development of children and adolescents is closely related to the maturation of brain morphology. Although the trajectory of brain development has been depicted in detail, the underlying biological mechanism of normal cortical morphological development in childhood and adolescence remains unclear. By combining the Allen Human Brain Atlas dataset with two single-site magnetic resonance imaging data including 427 and 733 subjects from China and the United States, respectively, we performed partial least squares regression and enrichment analysis to explore the relationship between the gene transcriptional expression and the development of cortical thickness in childhood and adolescence. We found that the spatial model of normal cortical thinning during childhood and adolescence is associated with genes expressed predominantly in astrocytes, microglia, excitatory and inhibitory neurons. Top cortical development-related genes are enriched for energy-related and DNA-related terms and are associated with psychological and cognitive disorders. Interestingly, there is a great deal of similarity between the findings derived from the two single-site datasets. This fills the gap between early cortical development and transcriptomes, which promotes an integrative understanding of the potential biological neural mechanisms.

A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Model for Selecting a Maturity Model

This paper proposes a decision model for a maturity model choice problem via the multiple-criteria decision analysis method. The authors implemented the model in FITradeoff decision support system to select a project management maturity model for a Brazilian industry operating in the sector of distributing natural gas. FITradeoff is a flexible and interactive procedure of elicitation for multi-criteria additive models that requires only partial information from the decision maker (i.e., there is no need to elicit very detailed information from the decision maker, an approach that the decision maker can find laborious and tiring). The authors observed that the use of a multi-criteria approach imposes certain rigor and pattern on the decision process to select a maturity model in project management. Applying the model enabled comparison of information from the four maturity models and therefore selecting a project management maturity model based on the decision-maker preferences.

Cognitive decline, socioemotional change, or both? How the science of aging can inform future research on sacrificial moral dilemmas

Older adults comprise the fastest-growing population in the United States. By exercising their right to vote, guiding the value systems of future generations, and holding political office, they shape the moral context of society. It is therefore imperative that we understand older adults' capacity for moral decision-making. Although the vast majority of research on moral decision-making has either focused specifically on younger adults or has not considered age, recent work points to age-related differences in sacrificial moral decision-making, with cognitively healthy older adults making more deontological decisions relative to younger adults. Although only a small number of studies have to date examined age-related differences, there is a wealth of relevant literature on cognitive aging, as well as on sacrificial moral decision-making in younger adults, that point to possible mechanistic explanations for the observed age-related differences. The goal of this review is to situate these age-related differences in sacrificial moral decision-making in the context of these existing literatures in order to guide future, theory-informed, research in this area. We specifically highlight age-related decline in cognitive abilities purported to support utilitarian moral decision-making in younger adults, along with age-related changes to socioemotional information processing as potential mechanistic explanations for these age-related differences. The last section of this review discusses how age-related neural changes may contribute to both cognitive decline and motivational shifts, highlighting the importance for future research to understand brain-behavior relationships on the topic of sacrificial moral decision-making and aging.

Deciding to Live (or Not) With a Left Ventricular Assist Device-a Thematic Analysis Exploring Factors Influencing the Decision-Making Process in Advanced Heart Failure Patients in Singapore

Background: It is often difficult for patients with advanced heart failure (HF) to decide whether to live with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or not. Little is known about their decisional needs prior to LVAD implantation and if these needs were met in the Asian cultural setting. Aims: We aimed to explore the influences, concerns, and needs surrounding the decision-making process of the LVAD implantation among multi-ethnic Asian patients with HF. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with HF patients and caregivers were conducted, based upon the grounded theory approach. Participants were purposively recruited from the inpatient and outpatient setting of the National Heart Centre Singapore. Results: A total of 31 patients and 11 caregivers participated. Mindsets that shaped decision-making ranged from "having no choice," "being reflective," "taking a gamble," and "fighting on." Instead of making a sole decision, many patients reported that decisions were shared with the family or medical team. Current LVAD patients who acted as patient ambassadors were also strong influences. Spiritual support was pivotal to decision-making for some participants. Goals influencing decision-making including protecting the family and life prolongation improving quality of life. Values held close included sanctity of life, trusting in a higher power, believing in pre-destination or karma, and preserving family harmony. Participants had concerns about cost, employment, and health outcomes. Conclusions: Asian LVAD patients and caregivers had culturally specific mindsets, goals, and values and concerns around decision-making. Our findings have implications for the design of interventions and supportive care models.

Development of a Theory-Based, Culturally Appropriate Message Library for Use in Interventions to Promote COVID-19 Vaccination Among African Americans: Formative Research

Background

Disparities in COVID-19 incidence, hospitalization, and mortality rates among African Americans suggest the need for targeted interventions. Use of targeted, theory-driven messages in behavioral and communication interventions could empower African Americans to engage in behaviors that prevent COVID-19.

Objective

To address this need, we performed a formative study that aimed to develop and design a culturally appropriate, theory-based library of messages targeting concerns around COVID-19 vaccines that could be used in behavioral and communication interventions for African Americans.

Methods

Message development occurred between January 2021 and February 2022. Initial messages were designed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers, community leaders, and community members. Kreuter’s 5 strategies (ie, linguistic, peripheral, evidential, sociocultural, and constituent-involving strategies) were used to achieve cultural appropriateness. After forming a community-academic partnership, message development occurred in 4 phases: (1) adaptation of a message library using the literature, (2) review by 6 clinical and research experts for content validation, (3) input and review by a 6-member community advisory panel (CAP), and (4) message pretesting with African Americans via semistructured interviews in a qualitative study.

Results

Themes from the semistructured interviews among 30 African Americans were as follows: (1) community reactions to the messages, (2) community questions and information needs, (3) suggestions for additional content, and (4) suggestions to improve comprehension, relevance, and trustworthiness. Feedback from the CAP, community members, and scientific experts was used by members of the community-academic partnership to iteratively update message content to maximize cultural appropriateness. The final message library had 18 message subsets for adults and 17 message subsets for parents and caregivers of children. These subsets were placed into 3 categories: (1) vaccine development, (2) vaccine safety, and (3) vaccine effectiveness.

Conclusions

We used a 4-phase, systematic process using multiple community engagement approaches to create messages for African Americans to support interventions to improve COVID-19 vaccination rates among adults and children. The newly developed messages were deemed to be culturally appropriate according to experts and members of the African American community. Future research should evaluate the impact of these messages on COVID-19 vaccination rates among African Americans.

Culturally Relevant Frames Increase Individuals’ Motivation to Contribute to Carbon Emissions Offsets

We theorized that culturally-relevant frames—language that invokes valued cultural concepts without changing the communicated information—canincrease people’s willingness to engage in environmental action. Across eight experiments ( N = 10,294) in two national contexts, we adjusted the language of a carbon offset request that people received as part of a simulated flight purchase. We investigated the role of five constructs that are valued across cultures but vary in their importance: choice, economic growth, social change, moral responsibility, and sanctity. We found that the social change, moral responsibility, and sanctity frames did not differ from the control condition in either culture. Invoking the concept of economic development increased Indians’ willingness to contribute to a carbon offset compared to the control frame, whereas invoking the concept of choice increased US Americans’ willingness. If these simulated decisions translate into actual actions, the findings suggest that framing environmental requests using culturally-relevant frames have the potential to promote sustainable behavior. More generally, the findings highlight the importance of paying attention to culture to motivate environmental action.

The spread of technological innovations: effects of psychology, culture and policy interventions

Technological innovations drive the evolution of human societies. The success of innovations depends not only on their actual benefits but also on how potential adopters perceive them and how their beliefs are affected by their social and cultural environment. To deepen our understanding of socio-psychological processes affecting the new technology spread, we model the joint dynamics of three interlinked processes: individual learning and mastering the new technology, changes in individual attitudes towards it, and changes in individual adoption decisions. We assume that the new technology can potentially lead to a higher benefit but achieving it requires learning. We posit that individual decision-making process as well as their attitudes are affected by cognitive dissonance and conformity with peers and an external authority. Individuals vary in different psychological characteristics and in their attitudes. We investigate both transient dynamics and long-term equilibria observed in our model. We show that early adopters are usually individuals who are characterized by low cognitive dissonance and low conformity with peers but are sensitive to the effort of an external authority promoting the innovation. We examine the effectiveness of five different intervention strategies aiming to promote the diffusion of a new technology: training individuals, providing subsidies for early adopters, increasing the visibility of peer actions, simplifying the exchange of opinions between people, and increasing the effort of an external authority. We also discuss the effects of culture on the spread of innovations. Finally, we demonstrate that neglecting the cognitive forces and the dynamic nature of individual attitudes can lead to wrong conclusions about adoption of innovations. Our results can be useful in developing more efficient policies aiming to promote the spread of new technologies in different societies, cultures and countries.

Childhood obesity within the lens of racism

Despite decades of research and a multitude of prevention and treatment efforts, childhood obesity in the United States continues to affect nearly 1 in 5 (19.3%) children, with significantly higher rates among Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour communities. This narrative review presents social foundations of structural racism that exacerbate inequity and disparity in the context of childhood obesity. The National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities' Research Framework guides the explication of structurally racist mechanisms that influence health disparities and contribute to childhood obesity: biologic and genetic, health behaviours, chronic toxic stress, the built environment, race and cultural identity, and the health care system. Strategies and interventions to combat structural racism and its effects on children and their families are reviewed along with strategies for research and implications for policy change. From our critical review and reflection, the subtle and overt effects of societal structures sustained from years of racism and the impact on the development and resistant nature of childhood obesity compel concerted action.

Attitudes towards cosmetic surgery among women in China and the Netherlands

Around the world, an increasing number of people, predominantly women, are choosing to undergo cosmetic surgery—despite the associated health risks. This study aimed to promote a better cross-cultural understanding of the correlates and predictors of favorable attitudes toward cosmetic surgery among women in China (an Eastern country where cosmetic surgery is increasing most rapidly) and the Netherlands (a Western country). Questionnaire data were obtained from 763 adult women; 245 were Chinese women in China (M_age = 29.71), 265 were Chinese women in the Netherlands (M_age = 25.81), and 253 were Dutch women (M_age = 29.22). Facial appearance concerns and materialistic belief were significant predictors of favorable attitudes towards cosmetic surgery for all three cultural groups. Body appreciation was a significant positive predictor among Chinese women in both China and the Netherlands, whereas age and beauty-ideal internalization were significant positive predictors only among Chinese women in China. The findings and their implications are discussed with respect to the characteristics of Chinese culture that could explain the identified differences between Chinese and Dutch women.

Offsite Sustainability—Disentangling the Rhetoric through Informed Mindset Change

The construction sector and concomitant supply chain has been acknowledged in the literature as a major contributor to environmental “stress”, from the design, sourcing and extraction of raw materials through to transportation, design, construction and demolition. Clear indicators/solutions have been showcased as vehicles for reducing this stress, ranging from lifecycle costing through to waste reduction strategies, carbon assessment and “green” environmental assessment tools to name but a few. However, this paper argues that whilst some of these (intervention strategies) may have had some positive effects, the main challenge rests with people—inter alia, the key decision-makers and leadership structures with the “position power” to effect change. Acknowledging this as a supposition, this paper uses three discreet construction organisations engaging in offsite construction as a micro-study (cf. cross-case study) to evaluate sustainability perceptions. In doing so, it focuses specifically on sustainability practices and business processes underpinning technology (adoption, absorption and diffusion), including the perceptions of different stakeholders involved in each of these three companies. In total, 30 respondents from three organisations (cases) participated in this study, representing three tiers of management (top, middle and first line). Priority areas are highlighted, along with the reasons supporting these perspectives. Findings from this work present a new technology diffusion sustainability model for offsite construction. This model identifies sustainability causal links, super catalysts, actuators, barriers, forces and facilitators. More importantly perhaps, this work presents a clear case for “conjoined thinking” in order to instill a collective mindset change and common purpose for those wishing to evidence offsite sustainability.

The effect of digital accounting systems on the decision-making quality in the banking industry sector: a mediated-moderated model

Purpose

Recently, the increasing development of digital accounting systems has raised their effects on the quality of decision-making. Consequently, this research aims to evaluate the effects of digital accounting systems success factors on the advancement of decision-making quality in Jordanian banks.

Design/methodology/approach

The questionnaires were sent to 187 decision-makers who are actual users of digital accounting systems in Jordanian banks. A quantitative research approach was adopted to test the proposed research model based on the partial least squares-structural equation modeling method.

Findings

The empirical results of the current research revealed that data and information quality had a significant impact on the overall decision-making quality with the digital accounting systems, whereas system quality had an insignificant impact on it. The results empirical also confirmed that information quality has mediated the relationship between data and system quality and decision-making quality. Eventually, analytical decision-making culture has moderated the relationship between information quality and decision-making quality.

Originality/value

The current research will provide attractive implications and recommendations for practitioners, accounting managers and decision-makers about evaluating the effect of digital accounting systems on improving the decision-making quality in Jordanian banks.

The Effect of Cultural Intelligence, Conflict, and Transformational Leadership on Decision-Making Processes in Virtual Teams

The rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) has resulted in several improvements in diverse aspects of the organizational structures, including the introduction of virtual teams (VTs). Organizations rely on VTs since they bring a lot of benefits, such as the enhancement of organizational performance. However, effective VTs cannot exist without the proper implementation of decision-making processes. There is a lack of scientific research that attempts to understand the factors affecting decision-making processes in VTs. Studies in this area have only been conducted in the United States and Europe. However, such research has not been conducted in the Middle East, where specific scientific solutions are still required to improve the performance of VTs. Therefore, this study is conducted in the Middle East to gain scientific knowledge on this region’s specificity. Thus, the objective of this study is to identify the factors that affect VT decision-making processes. An online survey was used to collect data (Google forms) from companies in the IT industry in UAE, which are engaged in VTs. A literature review, survey methods, and structural equation modeling were used. The results showed that culture intelligence (CQ), transformational leadership (TL), and task conflict have a positive effect on VT decision-making processes, and relationship conflict has a negative impact on VT decision-making processes, which provides the management teams with a guideline on what to concentrate on in the measuring and enhancement of the effectiveness of VT decision making.

A network analysis of adolescent mental well-being during the coronavirus pandemic: Evidence for cross-cultural differences in central features

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose unprecedented threat globally. Adolescents and youth may be especially susceptible to the long-term impact of these stressors, thus intervening early is an important priority. However, it is also crucial to understand how young people maintain psychological well-being in the face of adversity, particularly given that many nations are experiencing further waves of the pandemic. The understanding of such resilient outcomes could inform the development of programs to encourage positive mental health.We explored adolescents' resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic stress by examining core aspects of well-being across countries using network analysis. Using the short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, cross-sectional data was collected online from adolescents from India (N = 310; Males = 159, Females = 151, aged 12-18 years), Israel (N = 306; Males = 154, Females = 152, aged 12-18 years) and the United Kingdom (UK; N = 1666; Males = 598, Females = 1068, aged 12-25 years). Two highly similar network clusters were identified for UK and Israel, with three clusters emerging for India. UK and Israeli networks centred on "dealing with problems well" while the Indian network centred on "feeling useful". As central items highlight aspects of well-being that influence or are influenced by other aspects, these findings may inform interventions to safeguard adolescent mental health during future phases of the pandemic.

Culture as an effective frame of reference in clinical decision-making: A comparison of Iranian, American, and Canadian psychotherapists

The therapeutic communication between psychotherapist and client is highly dependent on their socio-cultural background. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of culture on decision-making style of psychotherapists in three dimensions of decision-making: expedience vs. realism, individualism vs. collectivism, and long-term orientation vs. short-term orientation. The sample of this study consisted of 144 psychotherapists (40 Iranians educated in Iran, 33 Iranians educated in the west, 36 Americans, and 35 Canadians). Each of the participants were presented with three scenario that involved clinical challenging situations. For each area of decision-making a statement was considered and the psychotherapist was requested to rate them based on importance in his/her clinical decision-making. Findings indicated that the groups differed significantly on all dimensions with few exceptions when American and Canadian psychotherapists were compared. The decision-making style of Iranian psychotherapists was more with expediency, collectivism and long-term orientation, while the decision-making style of American and Canadian psychotherapists was more with realism, individualism, and short-term orientation. According to the results of current study, socio-cultural background of psychotherapists, as a frame of reference, significantly influenced their clinical decision-making style.

Moderator role of old and new Y generation differences in the effect of perceptions of self-efficiency on decision-making strategies

Purpose

There has been a rapid generational change in the business world in Turkey recently, and X generation managers are rapidly leaving their place to Y generation managers. In countries with relatively young populations such as Turkey, management in family businesses passes into the hands of Generation Y. This study aims to examine the moderator role of the difference between old and new generation Y in the effect of self-efficacy perceptions on decision-making strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

This research, which was designed according to the quantitative research method, was designed according to the cross-sectional survey model, one of the general survey models. The research data were collected from a sample of 441 family business managers determined according to the simple random sampling technique. The data were analyzed and interpreted with various statistical techniques. Data analysis was done with AMOS. 20 and International Business Machines statistical package for the social sciences 22 data analysis programs.

Findings

According to the analysis findings, there is a significant relationship between the participants’ self-efficacy perceptions and decision-making strategies. Research findings old and new generation Y managers have different decision strategies. The research results showed that the dominant self-efficacy perceptions of the Y generation affect their decision-making strategies.

Research limitations/implications

This research only examines whether the old and new generation Y perceptions have a moderator function in the relationship between the participants’ self-efficacy perceptions and decision-making strategies. The research is quantitative research limited to family businesses. The results can be compared by repeating the research with other variables and in different samples, for example, by researching in public institutions. In addition, the way of reflecting the differences in perception to the management can be subjected to deeper analysis with mixed studies.

Practical implications

One of the important reasons for the difference in people’s approaches to events is their personality structure. Generational differences, which have been discussed primarily in recent years, make themselves felt in working life. The new working models arising from the different perspectives of the Y generation differ from the traditional business models. Today, in traditional business models, the manager profile is usually the X generation. However, the process is moving toward gaining essential positions in the management levels of the new Y generation. They put traditional managers in a difficult situation with their impatient behavior and desire to climb the career ladder quickly.

Social implications

In the studies conducted on the Y generation, it is understood that they do not favor the classical management approach based on the command-command relationship. The sense of loyalty of the Y generation is low compared to other generations and their organizational commitment levels are weak. There are determinations that they attach importance to flexible working style and want to do business using digital technologies. They are highly motivated in setting vision and participating in strategic decisions in organizations. These features differ significantly from the X-generation managers who adopt the traditional management approach.

Originality/value

Both emotional and cognitive characteristics influence decision-making behavior. The generation gap which shows common personality structures in a certain period is an important predictor of decision-making strategy. Research results and related studies significantly affect the decision strategies of the generation gap. No research has been found comparing the old and new Y generations. In this respect, it is thought that the research will contribute to theory, practice and method.

Decision-Making Model for Addressing Role Conflict for Psychology Trainees When Supporting Family and Community

As the field of psychology continues to make efforts to diversify the field, training programs must adapt to include the needs of diverse students. Universities in the United States mirror middle-class norms and values, which implies that students are expected to separate from familial roles and focus on their personal growth. This conflicts with core values and intentions of students from collectivist cultures. Although psychology trainees are obligated to adhere to professional ethical standards, a growing number of psychology trainees from collectivistic cultures need support to manage role conflict within potentially ambiguous standards regarding how to care for family and community members. This need is further complicated when training programs consider the lack of equitable access to mental health care resources in communities where their psychology trainees come from. In this paper, we engage in ethical decision making to address two scenarios representing role conflict between training program expectations and collectivist community and familial obligations. Through this exercise we develop and propose a Decision-Making Model for Addressing Role Conflict for Psychology Trainees. This conceptual model details a novel framework to assist psychology trainees when addressing the mental health of family and community while also providing guidance to help graduate training programs proactively equip their students with the skills and ethical framework they need to balance role conflicts such as when family and community members desire and need mental health support.

Culture, Thinking Styles and Investment Decision

Past research suggests that people with different thinking styles show different cognitive processes. Accordingly, we test how thinking style and advice jointly affect investment decision. We conduct three experiments with 530 participants. In Study 1, coin, card and stamp investors who had high levels of holistic thinking and made decisions on their own obtained the lowest returns. In Study 2, participants who used analytic thinking to make decisions on their own in the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) earned the most. In Study 3, Westerners who made decisions on their own using analytic thinking had the highest incomes, while Easterners using holistic thinking and listening to others also had positive returns. The results support the framing effect in investment decisions, and the two simulation paradigms are presented for future studies and to confirm the impacts of thinking styles.

Factor Analysis and Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Translation of the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale

This paper describes a Chinese translation and validation of the Acceptance of Cosmetic Surgery Scale (ACSS; Henderson-King & Henderson-King, 2005), a questionnaire for assessing attitudes towards cosmetic surgery. Chinese adults (335 women, 240 men; M_age = 33.65) completed the Chinese ACSS and - to investigate construct validity - measures of body appreciation, facial appearance concerns, sociocultural attitudes towards appearance (i.e., internalization of appearance ideals and appearance pressures), and demographics. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the Chinese ACSS comprised two factors, which were invariant across sex, mirroring results among other non-Western samples. The Chinese ACSS also demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas > .90) and convergent validity via its positive associations with facial appearance concerns and overall sociocultural attitudes toward appearance. Chinese ACSS scores were higher among women, and were positively correlated with age among men. Chinese ACSS scores were not associated with body appreciation or other demographic factors. The ACSS seems to be a valid instrument for use in Chinese adults, and could bring more insight into attitudes toward cosmetic surgery from a cross-cultural perspective.

Empowering Vulnerable Consumers to Join Renewable Energy Communities—Towards an Inclusive Design of the Clean Energy Package

The unequal distribution of costs and benefits of the energy transition is a challenge for energy justice and energy policy. Although the empowerment of consumers to participate in renewable energy communities (RECs) has great potential for a just energy transition, vulnerable consumers remain underrepresented in RE projects. The recast of the European renewable energy directive obliges the European Member States to facilitate the participation of vulnerable consumers and support their inclusion in its “enabling framework” for prosumership. However, the type and specific design of corresponding measures remains unclear. Against this background this article investigates consumer empowerment in a vulnerability context. In particular we stress the need to understand how vulnerability affects participation in RECs to inform both policy makers and practitioners on its specificities and restrictions for the “enabling framework”. To prevent the inclusion of vulnerable consumers in RECs from remaining an idea on paper lawmakers need to be made aware of the implications for a consistent “enabling framework”. We argue that both individual vulnerable consumers as well as RECs need incentives and support to boost RECs’ capacity to include groups that until now remain underrepresented.

Implicit Maternal Intuition Confidence Is Associated With Maternal Well-Being Across Cultures

The transition to motherhood involves the experience of each individual mother and child, as well as the burden of cultural expectations. Social desirability demands may impede self reports of difficulties during the transition to motherhood when using traditional explicit measures. One core component of maternal role attainment is a mother's confidence in her own intuitive knowledge of her child. This brief report presents two studies that examine a "low technology" implicit measure of maternal intuition confidence that is based within a more general decision confidence paradigm. Study 1 examined the association of both implicit and explicit maternal intuition confidence with depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, and maternal identity satisfaction in a United States sample of mothers. The implicit measure contributed to variance in each of the outcome measures, above and beyond an explicit measure. Study 2 explored the association of implicit maternal intuition confidence with life satisfaction and maternal identity satisfaction in Brazil, China, India, the United States and the United Kingdom. Across all samples, implicit maternal intuition confidence was significantly associated with satisfaction with life. However, it was significantly associated with maternal identity satisfaction only in the two individualistic countries (the United States and the United Kingdom), but not in the three collectivist countries.

Cultural Variation and Similarities in Cognitive Thinking Styles Versus Judgment Biases: A Review of Environmental Factors and Evolutionary Forces

Cultural psychological research has compellingly demonstrated that reliable East-West differences exist in basic cognitive styles: in contrast to the analytic, focal, linear thinking prevalent in the West, East Asians prefer to engage in more holistic, contextual, and intuitive thinking. However, despite the consensus on these cultural differences in thinking style, the literature on cross-cultural variation in actual cognitive biases is far more equivocal. The Fundamental Attribution Error (and by extension the Ultimate Attribution Error) has received the most attention among cognitive biases in the cultural arena; multiple studies have shown both evidence for cultural differences and evidence for universality. Similarly equivocal findings have emerged for other cognitive biases like the hindsight bias, positive illusions, and social exchange. Error Management Theory offers to reconcile this paradox of why consistent variation in thinking style do not necessarily lead to similarly consistent differences in cognitive biases; different mechanisms drive preferences (i.e., for how to think) versus actual behaviors (i.e., involving judgments/decisions). While different features of the physical environment likely gave rise to differences in preferences, pressures from the social environment likely pushed cognitive processing in common judgment tasks (like inferring another person’s mind or one’s own) in similar directions.

Understanding the Intention and Behavior of Renting Houses among the Young Generation: Evidence from Jinan, China

In the last decade, the rapid growth of China’s economy and population has generated a large demand for housing. Increasingly high prices have become the main obstacle for homeownership, especially for the young generation. In this study, we investigate the determinants of rental housing among the young generation in Chinese cities. A theoretical model and hypotheses were proposed by extending the theory of planned behavior (TPB). An empirical analysis was conducted via the structural equation model validation to reveal the following conclusions. (1) Attitude towards behavior (perceived usefulness and perceived usability) are the most important factors influencing renting behavior. (2) Mandatory policies and regulatory pressures promote renting behavior. (3) The government’s economic incentives have a significant impact on perceptual behavior control and indirectly affect behavioral intentions through perceptual behavior control. Based on the above conclusions, this study proposed recommendations for the government and businesses. This study contributed to existing theory and practice by providing useful insights into the influences on the young generation’s renting intentions. Furthermore, these findings provide the government with implications for facilitating the sustainability of the housing market.

Culture and Decision Making: Influence of Analytic Versus Holistic Thinking Style on Resource Allocation in a Fort Game

People have to make different decisions every day, in which culture affects their strategies. This research examined the role of analytic versus holistic thinking style on resource allocation across cultures. We expected that, analytic thinking style, which refers to a linear view about the world where objects’ properties remain stable and separate, would make people concentrate their resource allocation corresponding to the current demand, whereas holistic thinking style, which refers to a nonlinear view that people perceive change to be a constant phenomenon and the universe to be full of interconnected elements, would encourage people to spread out their resource allocation. In Study 1, Hong Kong Chinese, a representative group of holistic cultures, and European Canadians, a representative group of analytic cultures, completed a resource allocation task (i.e., fort game). The results showed that the allocation pattern of European Canadians was more concentrated than that of Hong Kong Chinese and holistic thoughts predicted a less concentrated allocation pattern. To test causality, thinking styles were manipulated in Study 2, in which mainland Chinese were primed with either holistic thinking style or analytic thinking style. The results showed that the allocation pattern was more concentrated in the analytic condition than that in the holistic condition, which was explained by greater perceived predictability in the analytic condition. Implications of these findings on cross-cultural decision-making research and applied research were discussed.