Donald A. Hantula

The medium matters: Mining the long-promised merit of group interaction in creative idea generation tasks in a meta-analysis of the electronic group brainstorming literature

This meta-analysis examines the influence of electronic communication media on group idea generation tasks. Data from the following three areas of the brainstorming literature are synthesized to assess differences across performance variables and group member satisfaction: (1) electronic brainstorming (EBS) groups versus traditional face-to-face (FTF) interacting groups, (2) EBS groups versus nominal groups, and (3) EBS versus electronic nominal (e-nominal) groups. The results of this integration show that EBS groups are more productive and more satisfied with the interaction process than FTF groups. Additionally, large EBS groups outperformed nominal groups, whereas small nominal groups outperformed EBS groups. These findings have important implications for electronic collaboration and teamwork in both academic and organizational settings, especially given the recent proliferation of virtual teamwork.

Methodological considerations in the study of delay discounting in intertemporal choice: A comparison of tasks and modes.

An experimental comparison of two commonly used delay-discounting procedures (binary choice and fill in the blank) and modes of administration (paper and pencil and computer based) was conducted. Statistically significant main effects were found for task type—steeper discounting was observed in the binary-choice task— but not for mode of administration. As simple evidence of validity, hyperbolic curves consistently provided a better fit to the data than did exponential curves for both tasks. Further, magnitude effects were also observed across conditions. Correlational results varied largely as a function of the discounting index (either k or area under the curve) under consideration. Across the two tasks, discounting indices showed modest levels of reliability [r(AUC)=.33; r(k)=.75]. The findings pointed to refinements for both the methodology and criteria that are used to study delay discounting and raised questions about the commonly assumed relationship between discounting and the construct of impulsivity.

Microworlds for experimental research: Having your (control and collection) cake, and realism too

Microworlds (MWs) are dynamic computer-generated environments that subjects interact with in the laboratory and that simulate conditions encountered in the field. Precise levels of experimental control and improved accuracy and efficiency of data collection procedures are characteristic of MWs. It is proposed that these benefits are achieved with concomitant gains in internal validity (afforded by high levels of experimental realism) and external validity (afforded by the replication of the temporal-interactive nature of most field phenomena). To illustrate these ideas, three sets of MW studies are described that investigated rumor and behavior in the stock market (Broker), escalation behavior (Inve

When Success Breeds Failure: History, Hysteresis, and Delayed Exit Decisions

tment Choice

Applied behavioral economics and consumer choice

), and the application of foraging theory to internet shopping (Cybershopper).

Pricing effects on foraging in a simulated Internet shopping mall

The effects of feedback equivocality, information availability, and prior decision-making history on escalation and persistence were investigated. Replicating the findings of J.L. Bragger, D.H. Bragger, D.A. Hantula, and J.P. Kirnan (1998), this study found that participants receiving equivocal feedback on their decisions invested more money and invested across more opportunities; those who could purchase information invested fewer resources than did participants who did not have the opportunity to purchase information. There was an inverse linear relationship between the percentage of opportunities in which participants purchased information and the delay to exit decisions and total resources invested. Six weeks earlier, some participants took part in a more profitable investment scenario, and prior experience led to later increased investing when participants were faced with failure, even above that invested in a preceding, succeeding scenario. These results are consistent with an equivocality theory account of escalation.

A Systematic Review of Tablet Computers and Portable Media Players as Speech Generating Devices for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Abstract This paper provides a review of the applied behavioral literature in consumer choice. Beginning with Watson and Lindsley’s initial forays into consumer behavior from their respective bases as basic behavioral researchers, the role of behavior analytic theory and application in consumer behavior is appraised. The applied behavior analysis movement brought operant-based applications into the consumer field, largely focusing on pro-soical and social marketing applications. Increased interest in behavioral theory sparked continuing research in classical conditioning of consumer attitudes and behaviors. Recent theoretical work in the Behavioral Perspective Model and in the Behavioral Ecology of Consumption both harken back to some of Watson’s early influences as well as forge new ground for a comprehensive behavioral account of consumption.

A Job with a Future? Delay Discounting, Magnitude Effects, and Domain Independence of Utility for Career Decisions.

Abstract Consumers shopped for compact disks in a simulated Internet mall in a successive-choice procedure over 10 sessions. The procedure extended that of two previous consumer behavior experiments [DiClemente & Hantula, Psychol. Market. (in press); Rajala & Hantula, Managerial Decis. Econom. 21 (2000) 145] by assessing the influence of pricing on consumer preferences. Across five virtual stores, mean CD prices were

Online Shopping as Foraging: The Effects of Increasing Delays on Purchasing and Patch Residence

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The Effects of Download Delay on Performance and End-User Satisfaction in an Internet Tutorial

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