Effect of attribution on the emotions and behavioral intentions of third-party observers toward intergroup discriminators during the COVID-19 pandemic

The global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 has caused intergroup discrimination associated with the disease to become increasingly prominent. Research demonstrates that the attitudes and behaviors of third-party observers significantly impact the progression of discrimination incidents. This study tested a parallel mediating model in which the attribution tendencies of observers influence their behavioral intentions through the mediating effect of the emotions of anger and contempt. The first two studies confirmed the proposed model with discrimination incidents reported against “returnees from Wuhan” and “returning workers from Hubei.” Study 3 further manipulated the attribution tendencies of observers, providing empirical evidence for the causality from attribution tendencies to emotions, confirming the validity of the model. These findings enrich the cognitive (attribution)–emotion–action model, further enhancing our understanding of the role of third parties in intergroup conflicts, with implications for the management of people’s emotions and behaviors in social crises.

An informed approach to the development of primary care pediatric firearm safety messages

Background Firearm ownership is prevalent in the US and many children spend time in areas where firearms are not stored safely. The AAP recommends firearm safety counseling at pediatric well-visits. Methods We developed and tested six contextual messages to promote safe firearm storage based on: absence of harm, collective appeal to understanding child behavior, pediatrician’s authority, evidence-based, fear appeal, and general safety considerations. One hundred four parents who keep firearms at home were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk Prime and viewed video messages and reported behavioral intentions and emotional reactions following each message. Results All six contextual messages were perceived as important and believable and increased parents’ intentions to follow safety advice provided, but also elicited negative emotions. The authority message elicited more negative emotions and resulted in lower intentions to follow safe storage advice. Conclusions Including firearm messages with other child safety advice merits further evaluation. Authority messages should be avoided.

Establishing the Influences of Cardinal Virtues on Employees’ Cyber Security Ethical Behavior in the Banking Sector in Uganda

Purpose: Cyber security threats emanating from employees’ incorrect behavior have escalated in the banking sector. Yet formal policies and technical solutions have failed to solve the problem. Virtue ethics may be a method that can handle this concern. This research aimed at enhancing Cyber security by confirming through statistical analysis the applicability of cardinal virtues related to cyber security ethical behavior. Methodology: The quantitative survey method utilizing an online questionnaire was used. Confirmatory factor analysis determined causal patterns in the variables and assessed them for validity and reliability. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was then used to test casual relations between the study’s constructs. Findings: The results reveal that there is a positive but an insignificant effect of prudence Beta 0.094. p = 0.277 on cyber security ethical behavioral Intentions; there is a positive and significant influence of Temperance; Beta 0.255, p = .000; a positive and significant influence of courage; Beta 0.247, p = .001; on cyber security ethical behavior, that there is a positive and significant influence of Justice; Beta 0.452, p = .000; on cyber security ethical behavioral Intentions. The results further showed that a positive change in ethical behavior intentions leads to a positive change in cyber security ethical behavior. Unique contribution to theory and practice: This research makes a theoretical contribution to Cyber security ethics by promoting virtue ethics as a framework for moral investigations into Cyber security. Results can be utilized to improve methods, instruments, and tools to assess the employees’ cyber security ethical behavior. Policy makers can develop virtue ethical based training programs with dedicated, continuous learning and teaching undertakings geared towards monitoring and enhancing the overall ethical behavior towards cyber security in the banks. The results are a platform to the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of ICT in generating appropriate national policies related to Cyber security ethics as a strategy aimed at improving Cyber security in the banking sector.

Fighting Violent Extremism With Narrative Intervention: Evidence From a Field Experiment in West Africa

Violent extremism is one of the major challenges of our time. A cluster-randomized controlled trial with two arms (treatment vs. control) conducted in 132 villages in the Sahel region of Burkina Faso ( N = 2,904 participants) examined whether a narrative intervention in the format of a radio drama can shift behavioral intentions, beliefs, and attitudes in contexts of violent extremism. Individuals in intervention villages participated in weekly listening sessions to the radio drama (6 months’ content) over 12 weeks. Compared with the control condition, the narrative intervention reduced justification of violence, increased behavioral intentions to collaborate with the police, and increased prioritization of addressing violent extremism. The intervention did not influence beliefs about or attitudes toward the police (e.g., trust, fairness) or beliefs about police–community collaboration. Content analysis of the narrative intervention and participants’ reception and discussion of the intervention provide insights on the processes driving the intervention’s influence.

Moderating Effects of Financial Cognitive Abilities and Considerations on the Attitude–Intentions Nexus of Stock Market Participation

This study aims to examine the determinants of investors’ behavioral intentions to participate in the stock market. In this attempt, this research investigated the direct and moderating effects of the financial cognitive abilities and the financial considerations on the nexus of attitudes and behavioral intentions of investors. Data for this study were collected from active and potential investors in the Dhaka Stock Exchange of Bangladesh using a structured questionnaire. The partial least squares method was used to examine the nature and extent of the relationships of investors’ behavioral intentions with their attitude, financial cognitive abilities, and financial considerations in making stock market investment-related decisions. The findings of this study suggest that investors’ attitudes, financial planning ability, and perceptions of financial risks and benefits are important factors that influence their decisions in stock market participation. Moreover, financial planning, financial satisfaction, and perceived financial risk moderate the nexus of attitude and behavioral intentions to participate in the stock market. This study, therefore, has significant implications for policymakers, stock market regulators, and financial service providers.

Determinants of the Acceptance of Mobile Payment Systems by E-Merchants

To be effectively deployed, a mobile payment (m-payment) system must be provided by e-merchants and accepted by e-consumers. Although the problem of acceptance of m-payment systems by e-consumers has been widely researched, there are few studies about what actually motivates e-merchants to adopt and deploy these systems in their businesses in the first place. The goal of this research was to discover the behavioral intentions of e-merchants to adopt and deploy an m-payment system. The interviews approach was applied to 347 e-merchants randomly selected from among the whole population of 47,457 independent business units selling goods on-line in Poland. The PLS-SEM method was applied to determine the relationship between variables. Unexpectedly, perceived risk was not a significant factor influencing e-merchants' intention to adopt an m-payment system. The e-merchants’ behavioral intention was significantly impacted by the expected usefulness, perceived ease of deployment and use, perceived cost and price, and hedonic motivation.