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• Nine novel AR interfaces for pedestrian-vehicle communication were evaluated using an online questionnaire study. • A total of 992 respondents from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom completed the study. • Interfaces that employed design elements from existing traffic, and head-up displays, received the highest ratings overall. • There were no statistically significant effects of country, age, and gender on interface acceptance. • The mean ratings of AR interfaces showed strong convergence for various facets of acceptance. Augmented Reality (AR) technology could be utilised to assist pedestrians in navigating safely through traffic. However, whether potential users would understand and use such AR solutions is currently unknown. Nine novel AR interfaces for pedestrian-vehicle communication, previously developed using an experience-based design method, were evaluated through an online questionnaire study completed by 992 respondents in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The AR indicated whether it was safe to cross the road in front of an approaching automated vehicle. Each interface was rated for its intuitiveness and convincingness, aesthetics, and usefulness. Moreover, comments were collected for qualitative analysis. The results indicated that interfaces that employed traditional design elements from existing traffic, and head-up displays, received the highest ratings overall. Statistical results also showed that there were no significant effects of country, age, and gender on interface acceptance. Thematic analysis of the textual comments offered detail on each interface design's stronger and weaker points, and revealed unintended effects of certain designs. In particular, some of the interfaces were commented on as being dangerous or scary, or were criticised that they could be misinterpreted in that they signal that something is wrong with the vehicle, or that they could occlude the view of the vehicle. The current findings highlight the limitations of experience-based design, and the importance of applying legacy design principles and involving target users in design and evaluation. Future research should be conducted in scenarios in which pedestrians actually interact with approaching vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Consumers were selected for a test based on screener responses and data quality. • Differences between screener-passing vs screener-failing consumers were explored. • Screener-passing consumers better differentiated concepts in the test. • A consumer-normalized b-measure was proposed. Product tests are often conducted to understand consumer opinions and perceptions. A screener is often used to determine which respondents are consumers. Our goal was to determine how filtering consumers who gave low-quality screener responses affects test results. Respondents in Finland (n = 343) and Turkey (n = 342) completed an online questionnaire. The questionnaire began with a screener. Respondents who consumed category products regularly were classified as consumers. Points were allocated to respondents who gave dubious answers to screener questions. Respondents with too many points "failed"; others "passed". Regardless, all respondents completed an online test of three product concepts and a short version of the portrait values questionnaire. Screener-passing consumers better discriminated the product concepts and had larger directional differences between the concepts than a conventional panel comprised of all consumers. Fixed-sized panels composed first of screener-passing consumers, then of all consumers, were simulated using the bootstrap procedure. Screener-passing simulated panels were more discriminating of the concepts and had larger between-concept differences than conventional simulated panels. These empirical results indicate the size of the benefit realized by incorporating data quality checks into screening. If consumers who give dubious screener responses are dropped, then other consumers can take their places or their places can be left unfilled, yielding either better differentiation or cost savings. Further study is needed to develop best practices in screening that can be used in different countries and cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Green mirids, Creontiades dilutus (Stål) (Hemiptera, Miridae), are primary pests of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) (Malvaceae) in eastern Australia. Severe infestations delay crop development and reduce yield through boll drop (fruit loss). Most cotton farmers employ crop consultants to monitor mirids and recommend pest management options. Effective pest management needs to account for both increased pest numbers within cotton (i.e. the production of mirid offspring), and the movement of mirids into crops (invasions). The objective of this study is to evaluate what is known about environmental processes that influence mirid invasions by assessing records on mirid infestations spanning the 1976/77 through 2015/16 cotton seasons. The primary records of mirid invasion are qualitative surveys conducted in 1993 and 2014 that asked consultants about their monitoring efforts. These qualitative surveys are supplemented by seasonal reports of pest pressures across eastern Australia, and sporadic field surveys that quantified mirid densities. Although each consultant monitored only a small portion of the overall agricultural landscape, there was agreement that the earliest seasonal mirid invasions were associated with squaring (flower bud forming) cotton, and were influenced by nearby vegetation. There was, however, substantial variation in the responses regarding local factors that may influence mirid invasions. The importance of distinguishing between mirid invasions and the production of offspring within cotton is discussed. Methods are proposed that would improve the spatial and temporal resolution of mirid monitoring efforts across the agricultural landscape. Highlights • Most cotton consultants identify nearby non-cotton hosts as sources of green mirids • In 2014, green mirid invasions of cotton perceived to be later than in 1993 • Consultants observed higher mirid pest pressure in northern cotton districts [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the occurrence and frequency of bipolar at-risk symptoms in a large sample of previously undiagnosed students using the new screening tool Bochumer Screeningbogen Bipolar (BSB). 2329 students of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany completed online demographic data as well as various self-rating questionnaires (BSB; Hypomania Checklist 32; Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale; Beck Depression Inventory). Within the student cohort (64.4% female, mean age 24.3 years) every fifth student currently suffered from moderate to severe depressive symptoms; every sixth student had already thought about suicide and every other student reported a history of mood swings. The most frequently reported depressive symptoms included physical exhaustion, depressed mood, and tiredness. The most frequently reported (hypo)manic symptoms included physical agitation, feeling extremely energetic, and lack of concentration. The BSB showed good convergent validity with other established questionnaires capturing depressive or (hypo)manic symptoms, as well as a stable administration of underlying constructs. The BSB correlated significantly with the already established applied questionnaires. The predictive power of the BSB regarding the development of bipolar disorder cannot be correctly quantified at present. The further purpose of this exploratory web-based study should be to examine the validity of the presented measures in a longitudinal design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While self-administered web questionnaires are increasingly used in psychological and market research, the quality of collected data has to be continuously inspected. Two key questions were investigated in this paper: Does the overall completion speed in an online self-report questionnaire influence the reliability of personality scales? We assessed the Five-Factor Model of Personality (using NEO-FFI) and Impulsiveness (using BIS-11). Second, we asked if Impulsiveness predicts the overall completion speed. In total, 532 participants (436 females, 96 males; mean age = 25.57 years) engaged in an online study to answer these questions. Replicating previous findings, no difference in the reliabilities was found for fast or slow respondents. While underlining the effect of Age on the completion speed, our data indicated evidence against our hypothesis of an influence of Impulsiveness on completion time using a Bayesian approach. Similar results could be observed using classical inferential methods. Of note, no effect could be observed for the Five-Factor Model of Personality and completion time either. Therefore, personality traits are not associated with individual differences in completion time in our investigated sample. We discuss our findings in a broader context of survey research and give a perspective for future research opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Ice cream is an excellent product for incorporating different ingredients, allowing various innovations, including the addition of protein. This study explored the conceptions of Brazilian consumers towards ice cream, and their attitude toward the addition of protein to ice cream. 1074 consumers participated in an online study using word association. In addition, data were collected on participant sociodemographic information, questions about ice cream consumption habits, the type of tropical fruits that they considered best when formulating high-protein ice cream, and their preferred product form, i.e. cream or popsicle. The word association task identified 3978 different terms that were associated with ice cream. Word associations differed between consumers who were favorable versus unfavorable toward the addition of protein. The majority of participants (88%) felt that adding protein to ice cream was a good idea, and these consumers cited words related to the sensory attributes of ice cream, such as "refreshing" and "creamy," more often than participants who were indifferent and/or were unfavorable toward protein addition. These latter participants more frequently cited terms reflecting the negative caloric aspects of ice cream, such as "fat," "sugar," "calories," and "overweight." The data provide insights that can be used to develop ice cream that meets different consumer niches and that may foster greater ice cream consumption throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Different hearing setups in online questionnaires influence the AMW unit's effect on acoustic perception. • Laboratory and online questionnaire are equally useful tools for studying AMM based buildings' features according to human perception. • Online wireless headsets reduce the overall response tendency agreement with the laboratory one and are most sensitive to the background noise. • This online-based method contributes to a more holistic approach for the assessment of AMMs based building's features through human perception and a broader and more accessible sample for the investigation. Qualitative investigation of the sound environment from human perception has lately reached wider attention through psychophysical and Soundscape descriptors; However, laboratory or in situ questionnaire can only reach a limited amount of demographic backgrounds, as, in a limited variety of cultural and geographical variation in a medium-short time, risking to bias/influence the results of the analysis. Starting from a related paper, the authors illustrated how to include human perception and psychoacoustics in evaluating an acoustic metawindow (AMW) unit effectiveness. This paper investigates the robustness of the mixed laboratory and online methodology and proves the validity of the exclusively online-based soundscape questionnaire method according to a number of headset setups. For this reason, a first Laboratory experiment with a fixed and controlled setup was followed by an Online 1 experiment, where the same participants took the same questionnaire (with a three weeks' time difference). Finally, the Online 2 experiment was used to broaden the sample background (results concerned the online method only). The setups mostly influenced the participants' responses by neutralising it (in 48% of the cases) while reporting a rate with an acceptable error (45% of Δ rate = 0/5 and 39% of Δ rate = 1/5). Wired headphones based rates agreed with the laboratory one consistently (36% of Δ rate = 0 and overall CV = 2–25% through soundscape descriptors). Wired earphones had a similar Δ rate percentage but with an overall more neutralised soundscape perception (overall CV = 1–40% compared with Laboratory rates). Wireless earphones caused the extremer Δ rate (54% of Δ rate = 3). Finally, natural and human noises are more detectable spontaneously, while traffic or other artificial noise are mostly recognised when directly addressed to the participants. This additional analysis gives more precise information about how efficient is the online method compared to the laboratory one. If accounted accordingly, an online-based soundscape questionnaire setup could also be viewed as a solid alternative to grasp a wider range of human perception points of view according to a broader cultural and geographical background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The use of online questionnaires is rapidly increasing. Contrary to manifold advantages, not much is known about user behavior that can be measured outside the boundaries set by standard web technologies like HTML form elements. To show how the lack of knowledge about the user setting in web studies can be accounted for, we present a tool called UserActionTracer, with which it is possible to collect more behavior information than with any other paradata gathering tool, in order to (1) gather additional data unobtrusively from the process of answering questions and (2) to visualize individual user behavior on web pages. In an empirical study on a large web sample (N =1046) we observed and analysed online behaviors (e.g., clicking through). We found that only 10.5% of participants showed more than five single behaviors with highly negative influence on data quality in the whole online questionnaire (out of 132 possible single behavior judgments). Furthermore, results were validated by comparison with data from online address books. With the UserActionTracer it is possible to gain further insight into the process of answering online questionnaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Parents of children in the autism spectrum wrote an open-ended answer via an online questionnaire to the question, “How has your child in the autism spectrum affected your life and your family''s life?” (N =493). Using a qualitative content analysis, 15 negative themes and 9 positive themes were identified. Themes are subsumed into five clusters: Stress; Child''s behavior; Parents’ personal well being, work, and marital relationship; Impact on the whole family; and Social isolation. The mix of negative and positive themes is interpreted as a dialectical viewpoint of finding positive meaning to life even while acknowledging the stress and difficulties of having a child with autism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of the present work was to determine the public perception of radioactive contamination of wild mushrooms, to confront this perception with an expert opinion, and to determine those factors that are perceived differently by specialists and lay people.The Internet appeared to be a useful tool in attaining these goals by finding the appropriate people across the world. The statistically significant differences in the perception of various aspects of mushroom pollution were revealed between respondents from three world regions, which were differently affected by the Chernobyl accident. Moreover, the majority of people have demonstrated a considerable difference in the perception of the global contamination of the environment versus the pollution of their local counties. The socio-psychological explanations of data are given.In general, there is a steady consistency in the perception of factors, which may control the radioactive contamination of edible fungi, by the majority of respondents. However, experts (radioecologists) rank the factor of fungal species as an extremely important parameter, while other people perceive the factors of the distance from the source of the pollution and the time thereafter as the most important parameters. Such discrepancies between professional and unprofessional opinions are discussed and some recommendations for risk communications are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Indoor air quality (IAQ) of schools with/without reported IAQ complaints were studied. • Indoor climate questionnaires were used to verify the categorisation of schools. • More cultivable airborne microbes were found in schools with reported IAQ complaints. • Trichoderma was found only in the schools with reported IAQ complaints. • Other IAQ-related measurements were unable to uncover reasons for IAQ complaints. Reported indoor air quality (IAQ) complaints are common even in relatively new or renovated school buildings in Finland. However, detecting the causes for complaints with commonly used indoor air measurements is difficult. This study presents data on perceived and measured IAQ in six comprehensive school buildings in Finland. The aim of this study was to discover the possible differences of perceived and measured IAQ between schools with reported IAQ complaints and schools without reported IAQ complaints. The initial categorisation of schools with ('problematic schools') and without ('comparison schools') complaints was ensured via a validated indoor climate survey and a recently developed online questionnaire, which were completed by 186 teachers and 1268 students from the six schools. IAQ measurements of physical parameters, gaseous pollutants, particulate matter and bioaerosols were conducted in four problematic school buildings (26 classrooms) and two comparison school buildings (12 classrooms). Using air sampling as well as exhaust air filters and classroom settled dust to detect the presence of elevated concentrations of airborne cultivable microbes and pathogenic, toxigenic and mycoparasitic Trichoderma strains were the most indicative methods in distinguishing problematic schools from comparison schools. Other IAQ-related measurements did not detect clear differences between problematic and comparison schools, as the concentration levels were very low. The results indicate that the complaints reported by occupants could have been related to excess moisture or mould problems that had not been found or repaired. Ventilation pressure condition investigations and simultaneous exhaust and supply air filter dust culture should be addressed precisely in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]