Exploring the consumer decision journey and online shoping experience through an emotional prespective

Traditional consumer decision-making models have long used quantitative research to address a link between emotional and rational behavior. However, little qualitative research has been conducted in the area of online shopping as an end-to-end experience. This study aims to provide a detailed phenomenological account of consumers’ online shopping experience and extend Mckinsey & Companys’s consumer decision journey model from an emotional perspective. Six semi-structured interviews and a focus group of nine people are analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenology Analysis and five superordinate themes emerged from the results: emotional experience, empathy and encouragement, in relation to brand preference, emotional encounters in relation to consumer satisfaction and emotional exchange and relationship with a company or brand. A model interrelating these themes is then introduced to visually represent the emotional essence of a large online purchase. This study promises to be applicable as a descriptive, and perhaps, better predictive report for understanding the complex consumer decision-making process as it relates to online consumer behavior. Future research topics are also identified.

Tube-jack and sonic testing for the evaluation of the state of stress in historical masonry

In the investigation and diagnosis of damages to historical masonry structures, the state of stress of the masonry is an important characteristic that must be determined with as much accuracy as possible. Flat-jack testing is a traditional method used to determine the state of stress in historical masonry structures. However, when irregular masonry is tested the method can cause damage to the masonry units and the accuracy of the method is reduced. An enhanced technique, called tube-jack testing, is being developed at the University of Minho to reduce the damage caused during testing and improve the accuracy when used on irregular masonry. This method uses multiple cylindrical jacks inserted in a line of holes drilled in the mortar joints of the masonry, avoiding damage to the masonry units. Concurrently with the development of tube-jack testing, the effect of stress state on sonic testing is being studied. Sonic testing is often used to determine locations of voids and damage in masonry. The focus of these studies was to determine if the state of stress is influencing the sonic test results. In this paper the results of tube-jack testing and sonic testing on masonry walls, built for the purpose of this study in the laboratory, loaded in compression is presented. The tube-jack testing is used to estimate the state of stress in the masonry and the sonic test results are evaluated based on the effect of the applied load on the wall. Future testing and study are suggested for continued development of these test methods.

Workplace ergonomics in lean production environments: A literature review

BACKGROUND: Lean Production Systems (LPS) have become very popular among manufacturing industries, services and large commercial areas. A LPS must develop and consider a set of work features to bring compatibility with workplace ergonomics, namely at a muscular, cognitive and emotional demands level. OBJECTIVE: Identify the most relevant impacts of the adoption of LPS from the ergonomics point of view and summarizes some possible drawbacks for workplace ergonomics due to a flawed application of the LPS. The impacts identified are focused in four dimensions: work pace, intensity and load; worker motivation, satisfaction and stress; autonomy and participation; and health outcome. This paper also discusses the influence that the work organization model has on workplace ergonomics and on the waste elimination previewed by LPS. METHODS: Literature review focused LPS and its impact on occupational ergonomics conditions, as well as on the Health and Safety of workers. The main focus of this research is on LPS implementations in industrial environments and mainly in manufacturing industry workplaces. This is followed by a discussion including the authors’ experience (and previous research). RESULTS: From the reviewed literature it seems that there is no consensus on how Lean principles affect the workplace ergonomics since most authors found positive (advantages) and negative (disadvantages) impacts. CONCLUSIONS: The negative impacts or disadvantages of LPS implementations reviewed may result from the misunderstanding of the Lean principles. Possibly, they also happen due to partial Lean implementations (when only one or two tools were implemented) that may be effective in a specific work context but not suitable to all possible situations as the principles of LPS should not lead, by definition, to any of the reported drawbacks in terms of workplace ergonomics.

Evidence for a stress hypothesis: hemiparasitism effect on the colonization of Alchornea castaneaefolia A. Juss.uphorbiaceae) by Galling Insects

Stressed plants are generally more attacked by galling insects. In this study we investigated the relationship between population abundance and species richness of galling insects on the tree Alchornea castaneaefolia A. JUSS. (Euphorbiaceae), submited to stress induced by the hemiparasite Psittacanthus sp. (Loranthaceae) in the Amazon, Brazil. Branches of A. castaneaefolia attacked by the hemiparasite were more heavily infested by galling insects than non-attacked branches. The field observations partially corroborate the hypothesis that there would be an optimal level of host-plant stress for galling insect establishment.

Effects of clove oil on the stress response of matrinxã (Brycon cephalus) subjected to transport

Fish transport is one of the most stressful procedures in aquaculture facilities. The present work evaluated the stress response of matrinxã to transportation procedures, and the use of clove oil as an alternative to reduce the stress response to transport in matrinxã (Brycon cephalus). Clove oil solutions were tested in concentrations of 0, 1, 5 and 10 mg/L during matrinxã transportation in plastic bags, supplied with water and oxygen as the usual field procedures in Brazil. Clove oil reduced some of the physiological stress responses (plasma cortisol, glucose and ions) that we measured. The high energetic cost to matrinxã cope with the transport stress was clear by the decrease of liver glycogen after transport. Our results suggest that clove oil (5 mg/l) can mitigate the stress response in matrinxã subjected to transport.

Studying conformally flat spacetimes with an elastic stress energy tensor using 1+3 formalism

Conformally flat spacetimes with an elastic stress energy tensor having diagonal trace-free anisotropic pressure are investigated using 1+3 formalism. The 1+3 Bianchi and Jacobi identities and Einstein field equations are written for a particular case with a conformal factor dependent on only one spatial coordinate. Solutions with non null anisotropic pressure are obtained.

Stress, personalidade, coping e bem-estar: relação com o sucesso e excelência em contextos de realização desportiva

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia

Autocontrolo, coping e controlo atencional em situações de stress e pressão competitiva: estudo exploratório no basquetebol

Dissertação de mestrado em Psicologia Aplicada

The relationship between sexual and emotional promiscuity and infidelity

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia

Emotional aspects of childhood career development: importance and future agenda

Childhood is a central period for career and social-emotional development. However, the literature covering childhood career development and the role of emotions in careers is scarce. In this article, we advocate for the consideration of emotions in childhood career development. Emotional aspects of children’s career exploration, key-figures and interests, as well as of childhood antecedents of lifelong career processes are presented. Relations between childhood emotion, behavior, functioning and learning are also presented. Conclusions center on a call for focused study of the role of emotion in childhood career development and how such an agenda will advance the literature.

Mothers' beliefs concerning severity and need for intervention in child maltreatment

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde

Maternal attachment representations in relation to emotional availability and discipline behaviour

"Published online: 15 Sep 2015."

Physiological responses of pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) to acute handling stress

Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) is an obligatory air-breathing fish from the Amazon basin. Previous study showed that pirarucu juveniles present a latency period in their response to moderate stress (transportation). Therefore the objective of this study was to verify the effects of a prolonged air exposure stress in lactate, glucose, cortisol, haematocrit, haemoglobin, and liver glycogen in pirarucu. Thirty-six fish were handled by netting and subjected to air exposure for 75-min. Six fish were sampled before handling and at 0, 6, 24, 48, and 96h after handling. Fish cortisol, lactate and haematocrit rose after handling, returning to previous unstressed values on the following sampling (6h after handling). Glucose increased significantly after handling and that was maintained for 24 h. There were no changes in haemoglobin and liver glycogen as a consequence of handling. The results demonstrate a quick response when exposed to an acute stressor and a fast recovery, suggesting that pirarucu does not use their glycogen reserves during an acute stress. The results suggest that pirarucu exhibit physiological stress responses to handling similar in magnitude to those previously documented for many teleostean fishes, including salmonids.

Physiological stress responses in the warm-water fish matrinxã (Brycon amazonicus ) subjected to a sudden cold shock

The present work evaluated several aspects of the generalized stress response [endocrine (cortisol), metabolic (glucose), hematologic (hematocrit and hemoglobin) and cellular (HSP70)] in the Amazonian warm-water fish matrinxã (Brycon amazonicus ) subjected to an acute cold shock. This species farming has been done in South America, and growth and feed conversion rates have been interesting. However, in subtropical areas of Brazil, where the water temperature can rapidly change, high rates of matrinxã mortality have been associated with abrupt decrease in the water temperature. Thus, we subjected matrinxã to a sudden cold shock by transferring the fish directly to tanks in which the water temperature was 10ºC below the initial conditions (cold shock from 28ºC to 18ºC). After 1h the fish were returned to the original tanks (28ºC). The handling associated with tank transfer was also imposed on control groups (not exposed to cold shock). While exposure to cold shock did not alter the measured physiological conditions within 1h, fish returned to the ambient condition (water at 28º C) significantly increased plasma cortisol and glucose levels. Exposure to cold shock and return to the warm water did not affect HSP70 levels. The increased plasma cortisol and glucose levels after returning the fish to warm water suggest that matrinxã requires cortisol and glucose for adaptation to increased temperature.

Qualidade de vida, morbilidade psicológica e stress familiar em idosos residentes na comunidade

Este estudo procurou investigar as relações existentes entre morbilidade psicológica, stress familiar e qualidade de vida (QV) da pessoa idosa. A amostra foi constituída por 126 idosos. Os instrumentos utilizados foram: The Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Bref), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GSI), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS); e Index of Family Relations (IFR). Os resultados revelaram a importância da idade, estado civil, escolaridade e número de patologias assim como o género na capacidade funcional, morbilidade, stress familiar e QV. Ao nível dos preditores, a depressão foi a variável que mais contribuiu para a QV. Não foram encontradas variáveis moderadoras no modelo. A discussão e implicações dos resultados são abordadas bem como a intervenção psicológica nesta população.