Computers in human behavior reports最新文献

Adolescence is a critical developmental period of biological and social change during which 1 in 3 youth experience significant anxiety symptoms. The social-emotional lives of the majority of adolescents are largely conducted via digital media use (DMU; e.g., social media, text messaging). Yet the past decade of research on DMU and anxiety has yielded mixed results (e.g., Keles et al., 2020 review), leaving the complex role that DMU might play in the emergence and maintenance of anxiety poorly understood. A key step forward is to leverage psychophysiology to identify individual differences in cognitive and emotional processes that confer vulnerability to potential negative effects of DMU. Further, given the ubiquity of DMU, a greater focus is needed on measurements that move beyond sheer frequency to capture DMU in comparison to face-to-face (FTF) social interactions. This study examined attention bias (AB), characterized by selective and exaggerated attention toward or away from threat, as a moderator of the link between DMU and anxiety in adolescents (N = 75; 42 female) aged 12–14 years (M = 13.28, SD = 0.87). AB was indexed during a dot probe task using reaction time metrics (i.e., trial-level bias) and via ERPs capturing attentional selection and discrimination (N170) and cognitive control (N2) to threat compared to neutral faces. AB moderated associations between DMU and anxiety. A greater preference to use DMU vs FTF predicted greater anxiety among those with a greater behavioral bias away from threat, blunted N170, and blunted N2 in the presence of threat. Future research should examine potential causal and bidirectional links between DMU and anxiety and explore whether preferences for technology-mediated interactions and individual differences in threat processing increase risk.

The media's adherence to “if it bleeds, it leads” has resulted in global dominance of negative news (e.g., stories of corruption, fraud, shootings, terrorism, and war). The appetite for negative news is fueled by negativity bias, which compels people to prioritize negative over positive stories. This cross-cultural study, inspired by media effect theories such as Cultivation Theory, explored the links between problematic consumption of negative news (doomscrolling), existential anxiety, pessimistic views about human nature, and belief about a just world in two distinct cultures. Participants included convenience samples of Iranian (n = 620) and American (n = 180) university-student social media users. Doomscrolling was associated with elevated levels of existential anxiety in both samples. Additionally, misanthropy was positively associated with doomscrolling only in the Iranian sample. Aligned with the Media-induced PTSD Hypothesis and the Shattered Assumption Theory, our findings suggest that prolonged exposure to negative news can contribute to the development of existential anxiety. Current news framing with its overemphasis on negativity could fuel doomscrolling-inspired existential concerns.

Many organizations have turned to e-learning courses to train their employees, as a result of which the evaluation of the effectiveness of these courses has become an important issue in organizations. The study aims to design a construct that evaluates the effectiveness of e-learning courses in the industry. Effectiveness can be evaluated with measurable indicators specific to this type of training and it can investigate the results of organizational managers' investment in training programs. Data were collected in three consecutive stages; first, using a mixed methods systematic review, the effectiveness evaluation dimensions were identified; second, the effectiveness evaluation indicators were determined by using semi-structured interviews with three groups including trainees in the industry, instructors of e-learning courses in the industry, and university professors; third, the indicators were validated by using a quantitative method. Finally, 46 measurable indicators from 6 main dimensions including content, instructor, learner, organization, assessment, and technical system were identified as effective evaluation indicators of e-learning courses in the industry. In evaluating the effectiveness of e-learning courses, different aspects of different dimensions were identified that managers of organizational training can use in evaluating organizational e-learning courses. It is similar to a system that includes input, process, output, and all factors together affect the effectiveness of these courses.

This study aims to investigate the role of technological intelligence in enhancing the performance of start-ups in Algeria. It seeks to explore fundamental concepts such as performance and technological intelligence to bolster the efficiency of start-ups and foster economic development in the country. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study distributed questionnaires to a random sample of 213 start-up companies. Additionally, it utilized an experimental approach, employing neural network modelling and fuzzy logic to test hypotheses. The study reveals that the elements of technological intelligence collectively exhibit a weak impact on the performance improvement of start-ups in Algeria. Approximately 31% of the observed weak impact of technological intelligence elements on start-up performance is attributed to the underutilization of available market technology for product development. This study underscores the importance of integrating technological intelligence into various activities of Algerian start-ups to augment performance, development, and growth. Furthermore, it aims to advance the start-up sector, alleviate unemployment challenges, integrate youth into the business landscape, and generate value addition. Moreover, the study contributes to advancing scientific research and leveraging the role of universities and research centers in supporting economic sectors through research endeavors aimed at enhancing start-up performance.

Developing and implementing appraisal portal systems for students can be highly beneficial for evaluating tutors’ teaching performances and providing constructive feedback to university authorities, thereby enhancing students’ learning experiences and satisfaction. Therefore, identifying the determinants of students’ satisfaction towards an appraisal portal system is crucial in this regard. In light of this, the study adopted a quantitative research approach and was based on an exploratory survey design. A survey instrument was used to collect data from 470 respondents selected using a cluster probability sampling technique. The collected data were analysed using both descriptive and Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) techniques. The findings from the data analysis revealed three factors, namely, appraisal portal ease of use, system information display, and system performance positively predicted students’ appraisal portal use satisfaction. Furthermore, it was observed that both appraisal portal information display and portal ease of use were positive correlates and predictors of portal performance, while portal system information adequacy and information display, significantly predicted the portal system’s ease of use. Additionally, portal system information display determined portal system information adequacy. Finally, students’ satisfaction with the appraisal portal system determined their intention to continuously use the system. Based on the findings, recommendations have been made for policy and practice to manage the student appraisal portal system effectively, aiming to increase students’ participation and involvement in lecturer performance assessment.

Nomophobia, the fear of being without one's smartphone, is pervasive among students globally, yet its relationship with smartphone uses and academic achievement remains underexplored, particularly in countries like Vietnam. This cross-sectional study examined 950 students from six high schools in Central Vietnam. Results revealed that 60.1% of participants used smartphones for over three years, dedicating an average of 5.73 h daily. Nomophobia prevalence reached 99.9%, with 23.7% exhibiting severe levels. Females and older students displayed higher nomophobia levels than males and younger peers. A robust correlation emerged between nomophobia and daily phone-checking frequency. The study emphasizes the urgent need for further research to uncover contributing mechanisms to nomophobia and develop interventions promoting responsible smartphone use among students, providing valuable insights into an increasingly prevalent concern impacting the academic landscape.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) models can detect at-risk online gamblers by analyzing patterns in their betting behaviour, but their performance over time has not been assessed. Linking online gamblers’ self-reported gambling problems to their transactional gambling data, we investigated the temporal stability of online gambling behaviours at two timepoints (2019–2022). We then assessed the impacts of shifting gambling behaviours on the performance of two previously-validated AI harm detection models.

Adult users of a Canadian online gambling website (n₂₀₁₉ = 9,145, n₂₀₂₂ = 11,258) completed the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), a validated questionnaire examining past-year gambling problems. Population Stability Index assessed the temporal stability of 10 previously-validated indicators of problematic online gambling. Two AI models were then revalidated using overall and threshold-dependent performance metrics.

All measured indicators of problematic online gambling behaviour shifted significantly from 2019 to 2022 (all p < 0.001). Existing AI models showed significant changes in Area Under the Precision-Recall Curve (PGSI 5+ ΔAUPRC = +2.87%; t(20401) = 2.83, p = 0.004; PGSI 8+ ΔAUPRC = +7.06%; t(20401) = 7.21, p < 0.001). Adjusting these models’ decision thresholds realigned their classification performance with originally-validated levels. These results support the use of AI for online gambling harm detection.

In order to frame excessive smartphone use as an addiction, it is important to understand whether this behavior determines abstinence symptoms and which damaging effect it has on emotions and cognition. However, an appropriate tool to assess the presence of smartphone abstinence symptoms is still lacking. In the present study, we propose a scale that is specifically developed to assess the psychological state deriving from smartphone abstinence: The Abstinence from Smartphone Scale (ABSS-10). The aim of this work is to validate ABSS-10 and to investigate its relevance in the context of smartphone addiction. Two studies were conducted to explore ABSS-10 psychometric properties, focusing on discriminant validity, and its relationship with smartphone dependence and emotional attachment. In Study 1, university students were administered the ABSS-10 two times during a two and a half-hour long smartphone restriction period. In Study 2, the scale was administered three times during a five-hour long smartphone restriction period. General state anxiety and smartphone dependence scales were also administered. The findings reveal that ABSS-10 effectively differentiates smartphone abstinence symptoms from general state anxiety and dependence. Moreover, results show that the scale detects changes in abstinence symptoms scores during a five-hour restriction period. The scale's utility in both research and practical settings is discussed, highlighting its potential contributions to understanding the psychological dynamics of smartphone use and abstinence. The present work suggests that ABSS-10 is a robust tool for research on the psychological effects of smartphone usage.

Psychological science increasingly employs virtual reality (VR) as a therapeutic and experimental tool. When represented by an avatar, a user's self-perception is altered through a full-body perceptual illusion known as virtual embodiment. However, inconsistent measurement of this construct derives uncertainties about the efficacy of VR-driven behavioural, cognitive, and social-psychological changes. Accordingly, we sought to provide psychological scientists a valid and reliable measure to assess the virtual embodiment construct during experimental and therapeutic simulations. In a repeated-measures experimental paradigm, participants (N = 86) completed a series of visuo-motor tasks in-vivo and in VR. Our study had three objectives: 1) compare visuo-motor performance across in-vivo and VR tasks; 2) assess the psychometric properties of theoretically foundational body ownership, agency, and self-location dimensions from a virtual embodiment questionnaire widely used in the literature; 3) analyse the simplified 11-item questionnaire's underlying structure using principal component analysis (PCA). We found that VR embodiment does not directly align with physical embodiment when considering proprioception and kinaesthesia, and there is limited support for convergent and discriminant validity of body ownership, agency, and self-location as independent dimensions of the embodiment construct. However, there is strong support for criterion validity when these dimensions comprise the overall measurement of embodiment. The PCA revealed a straightforward and theoretically interpretable underlying structure with three components: embodiment, disembodiment, and agency. This study offers psychometric support for the exploration of the simplified 11-item questionnaire as a theoretically grounded measure for behavioural scientists who seek to investigate virtual embodiment as a psychological construct.

This study examines how the introduction of advanced technology such as artificial intelligence adversely affects employees and the tactics to mitigate these negative effects. We surveyed 5438 employees working for large companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in nine industries in Japan. The questionnaire considered the five drivers of employee attitudes (skill acquisition, fair wages, work/life balance, relationship with supervisor, and diversity of human resources) as well as the introduction of advanced technology in workplaces. Using structural equation modeling, we revealed that the introduction of advanced technology increases turnover intention. While the effect is not observed for sales and marketing, it is evident among back-office and software development personnel. Further, this effect is more pronounced among younger workers and those who change jobs more frequently. Managers should consider not only the positive effect of cutting-edge technology, but also its adverse impact on employees.