Regret associated with past and future messes under a maximizing mind-set

Promotions can make you happy if you get the “best” deal or miserable if you miss it. Previous research on this topic has shown that people favor products associated with a past miss to products associated with a future miss, and people in a maximizing mind-set, i.e. people who search for the best in different domains, feel more regret in a consumption domain. This research confirms that consumers prefer purchasing a product associated with a past miss (Experiments 1 and 2) and that regret levels are higher when participants come across the future miss, under the maximizing mind-set (Experiment 2). These studies add to the notion that information on regret might prompt people to make decisions towards a more optimistic outcome.

Choosing between past and future regret

Sometimes decisions imply trade-offs that force people to accept missing an opportunity in the past or in the future. It has not yet been clarified whether a past miss or a future miss elicits more regret. In a direct comparison, Shani, Danziger, and Zeelenberg found support for the greater impact of future misses. In an experimental design with 216 students, we replicated their study and tested the strength of the future miss in a separate evaluation and with different periods. The results show that future misses cause less regret than past misses do when evaluated separately. However, future misses made participants change their feelings of regret more than past misses did. Feelings of regret did not decrease when future misses were further away. Our findings support the strength of future misses on regret but also show contrasting effects when evaluated separately. This indicates the further need for research in this topic.

Resolução de conflitos internacionais: estudo com militares em missões de paz

Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia na área de especialidade em Psicologia Comunitária

A Method of Preparing Future Hourly Weather Data for the Study of Global Warming Impact on the Built Environment

The dynamic interaction between building systems and external climate is extremely complex, involving a large number of difficult-to-predict variables. In order to study the impact of global warming on the built environment, the use of building simulation techniques together with forecast weather data are often necessary. Since all building simulation programs require hourly meteorological input data for their thermal comfort and energy evaluation, the provision of suitable weather data becomes critical. Based on a review of the existing weather data generation models, this paper presents an effective method to generate approximate future hourly weather data suitable for the study of the impact of global warming. Depending on the level of information available for the prediction of future weather condition, it is shown that either the method of retaining to current level, constant offset method or diurnal modelling method may be used to generate the future hourly variation of an individual weather parameter. An example of the application of this method to the different global warming scenarios in Australia is presented. Since there is no reliable projection of possible change in air humidity, solar radiation or wind characters, as a first approximation, these parameters have been assumed to remain at the current level. A sensitivity test of their impact on the building energy performance shows that there is generally a good linear relationship between building cooling load and the changes of weather variables of solar radiation, relative humidity or wind speed.

The future of office property

The following paper considers the question, where to office property? In doing so, it focuses, in the first instance, on identifying and describing a selection of key forces for change present within the contemporary operating environment in which office property functions. Given the increasingly complex, dynamic and multi-faceted character of this environment, the paper seeks to identify only the primary forces for change, within the context of the future of office property. These core drivers of change have, for the purposes of this discussion, been characterised as including a range of economic, demographic and socio-cultural factors, together with developments in information and communication technology. Having established this foundation, the paper proceeds to consider the manner in which these forces may, in the future, be manifested within the office property market. Comment is offered regarding the potential future implications of these forces for change together with their likely influence on the nature and management of the physical asset itself. Whilst no explicit time horizon has been envisioned in the preparation of this paper particular attention has been accorded short to medium term trends, that is, those likely to emerge in the office property marketplace over the coming two decades. Further, the paper considers the question posed, in respect of the future of office property, in the context of developed western nations. The degree of commonality seen in these mature markets is such that generalisations may more appropriately and robustly be applied. Whilst some of the comments offered with respect to the target market may find application in other arenas, it is beyond the scope of this paper to explicitly consider highly heterogeneous markets. Given also the wide scope of this paper key drivers for change and their likely implications for the commercial office property market are identified at a global level (within the above established parameters). Accordingly, the focus is necessarily such that it serves to reflect overarching directions at a universal level (with the effect being that direct applicability to individual markets - when viewed in isolation on a geographic or property type specific basis – may not be fitting in all instances)