Should I believe this? Reality monitoring of accounts of self-experienced and invented recent and distant autobiographical events

To examine personal and interpersonal reality monitoring, 240 participants wrote accounts of invented or self-experienced autobiographical events. Half the participants wrote about a distant event that happened before the age of 15 and half wrote about a recent event that happened after the age of 15. Using a yoked design, participants rated the qualitative details of their own accounts and the details of other participants’ accounts. Consistent with previous research, we found that self-experienced accounts contained more qualitative details than invented accounts, and that accounts of recent events contained more qualitative details than accounts of distant events. Participants rated their own accounts as more qualitatively detailed than other participants’ accounts, which suggests that they did not base their self-ratings solely on the written details. We discuss the practical and theoretical importance of our findings. Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Race-day carbohydrate intakes of elite triathletes contesting olympic-distance triathlon events

The aim of this study was to investigate the prerace and during-race carbohydrate intakes of elite-level triathletes contesting draft-legal Olympic-distance triathlon (ODT) events. Self-reported prerace and during-race nutrition data were collected at 3 separate ODT events from 51 elite senior and under-23 triathletes. One hundred twenty-nine observations of food and fluid intake representing actual prerace (n = 62) and during-race (n = 67) nutrition practices from 36 male and 15 female triathletes were used in the final analysis of this study. Female triathletes consumed significantly more carbohydrate on the morning before race start when corrected for body mass and race start time than their male counterparts (p < .05). Male and female triathletes consumed 26% more energy (kJ/kg) and 24% more carbohydrate (g/kg) when commencing a race after midday (1:00-1:30 p.m.) than for a late morning (11:00-11:15 a.m.) race start. During the race, triathletes consumed less than 60 g of carbohydrate on 66% of occasions, with average total race intakes of 48 ± 25 and 49 ± 25 g carbohydrate for men and women, respectively. Given average race times of 1:57:07 hr and 2:08:12 hr, hourly carbohydrate intakes were ∼25 g and ∼23 g for men and women, respectively. Although most elite ODT triathletes consume sufficient carbohydrate to meet recommended prerace carbohydrate intake guidelines, during-race carbohydrate intakes varied considerably, with many failing to meet recommended levels.

Factors impacting story-grammar production in children's narrative accounts of events

This thesis examined factors associated with increased story-grammar production in police interviews with children who allege abuse. These factors included the child's age, the type of question asked and the nature of the event experienced by the child. Recommendation for improving story-grammar, which in turn enhances witness credibility, were discussed. The portfolio explored how an awareness of specific responsivity factors can inform treatment recommendations and execution in rehabilitation of offenders with substance use issues. Four case studies are presented in illustration.

The projected impact of population and high-risk strategies for risk-factor control on coronary heart disease and stroke events

Objective: To model the impact of both population and high-risk strategies on cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes.

Design, setting and participants: A CVD risk-factor survey was carried out in rural south-eastern Australia from 2004 to 2006. Using a stratified random sample, data for 1116 participants aged 35–74 years were analysed. Applying the Framingham risk equations to risk-factor data, 5-year probabilities of a coronary heart disease event, stroke and cardiovascular event were calculated. The effect of different changes in risk factors were modelled to assess the extent to which cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by changing the risk factors at a population level (population strategy), among the high-risk individuals (high-risk strategy) or both.

Results: Among men, a population strategy could reduce cardiovascular events by 19.3% (193 per 1000 per 5 years), the high-risk strategy by 12.6% (126 per 1000) and a combined strategy by 24.1% (241 per 1000); and among women, by 21.9% (219 per 1000), 19.0% (190 per 1000) and 28.7% (287 per 1000), respectively.

Conclusions: For prevention of CVD in Australia, it is important both to treat high-risk individuals and to reduce the mean risk-factor levels in the population. We show how risk-factor survey data can be used to set targets for prevention and to monitor progress in line with the recommendations of the National Preventative Health Taskforce.

Marketing communications for special events : analysing managerial practice, consumer perceptions and preferences

Purpose – Relatively little is known about marketing communications within the context of special events. The aim of this paper is to begin to address this gap in knowledge by analysing managerial practice, consumer perceptions and preferences in relation to marketing communications for this market offering.
Design/methodology/approach – A case study analysis of Festival Melbourne 2006 was undertaken using marketing communications collateral, ethnographic (participant observations) and interview (in-depth and focus group) data.
Findings – A centralised approach to marketing communications was adopted for this event, but was difficult to implement. In addition, it was found that the marketing communications in situ did not assist attendees to make the most of their event experiences. It was also found that research participants prefer to receive information about special events passively.
Practical implications – With the increasing levels of globalisation and standardisation in the event sector there is a need to attain a balance between centralisation and adaptation in relation to marketing communications strategies and their implementation. Furthermore, it is imperative that marketing communications are integrated across all stages of consumption.
Originality/value – This study adds to the body of knowledge about marketing communications, and more generally within events. It also adds to the debate surrounding the integration of marketing communications.