Showing papers by "Thomas Hess published in 2006"

Attitudes toward Aging and Their Effects on Behavior

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter provides an understanding of the nature of attitudes about aging and the mechanisms through which they influence the behavior of older adults. Negative attitudes about aging are pervasive in the culture and are reflected in affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses of individuals and groups of all ages. Evidence shows that implicit attitudes may be even more strongly negative than explicit ones. People do not view old age as a homogeneous category. Stereotypes of old age contain several different subtypes of older adults, many of which are negative, but also some of which are positive. However, most of the positive subtypes of old age have a subtle, negative evaluative component. Individual and situational factors affect the nature of aging attitudes and the probability that they will influence behavior.

BRIEF REPORTS Age-Related Variation in the Influences of Aging Stereotypes on Memory in Adulthood

Abstract: Adults 24–86 years of age read positive or negative information about aging and memory prior to a memory test. The impact of this information on recall performance varied with age. Performance in the youngest and oldest participants was minimally affected by stereotype activation. Adults in their 60s exhibited weak effects consistent with the operation of stereotype threat, whereas middle-age adults exhibited a contrast effect in memory performance, suggestive of stereotype lift. Beliefs about aging and memory were also affected by stereotypic information, and older adults’ changed beliefs were more important in predicting performance than was exposure to stereotype-based information alone.

Age-related variation in the influences of aging stereotypes on memory in adulthood.

Abstract: Adults 24-86 years of age read positive or negative information about aging and memory prior to a memory test. The impact of this information on recall performance varied with age. Performance in the youngest and oldest participants was minimally affected by stereotype activation. Adults in their 60s exhibited weak effects consistent with the operation of stereotype threat, whereas middle-age adults exhibited a contrast effect in memory performance, suggestive of stereotype lift. Beliefs about aging and memory were also affected by stereotypic information, and older adults' changed beliefs were more important in predicting performance than was exposure to stereotype-based information alone.

Adaptive aspects of social cognitive functioning in adulthood: age-related goal and knowledge influences

Abstract: The study of development from the lifespan perspective focuses on the adaptive aspects of human behavior. It is argued that a social cognitive perspective may be useful in examining and understanding adaptive aspects of behavior in everyday contexts across adulthood. Research conducted by Hess and colleagues has provided support for this assertion, demonstrating that age in adulthood is associated with increased selectivity in engagement of cognitive resources and the development of expert social knowledge. Both of these processes can be viewed as adaptive outcomes associated with changing circumstances and experience associated with age. Implications of this research for both the study of aging and of social cognition are discussed. An important focus of social psychological research has been on examining processes associated with people’s understanding of social situations. These have been of particular interest to those taking a social cognitive perspective, where such processes have been examined in the context of research on, for example, attribution, person perception, impression formation, and attitude change. The importance of such research is based in the belief that understanding social reasoning and representational processes

Toward Content Intermediation: Shedding New Light on the Media Sector

Abstract: During the last 2 decades, the media sector has changed at an unusual speed. Actual concepts describing this industry such as the media value chain are heavily challenged to grasp all relevant evolutions. This article outlines a new perspective on the media sector by modeling institutions such as music labels and radio stations as intermediaries on content markets. The concept of content intermediation is established based on the economic theories of intermediation with their assumption of imperfect market conditions between supply and demand, which result in transaction costs and the need for help by intermediaries. A preliminary catalogue of functions is derived and the case of music content intermediation demonstrates the potential of the concept. ACCESS TO FULL TEXT

Success Factors of Communities for User Driven Content: the Case of Ciao.com

Abstract: Virtual communities that produce “user driven content” are a relatively new phenomenon. In this study we present the findings of an exploratory empirical study that focus on the success factors that stimulate content production from the perspective of community members. One main finding is that methods or tools that advance the transparency of what is going on in the community platform results in more content production. This accents the importance of new tools like RSS for example. Furthermore an ambiguous role of sociological motives was found. On the one hand there is statistical evidence that sociological motives and content production activities are closely linked. But on the other hand our descriptive data indicates only very weak sociological forces at work. We discuss some causes that may explain this result.

Dissemination of Content Reutilization Practices in the German and U.S. Book Publishing Industry

Abstract: According to researchers and managers in the media industry, content reutilization represents a promising management concept to reduce production costs and to generate additional revenue streams. The article compares content reutilization practices of German and U.S. book publishers and exploring potential sources of differences in the reutilization behaviour. Presently, almost two out of three publishing companies apply content reutilization as management instrument on a global level. In the near future, a trend to even higher diffusion rates (up to 75%) can be observed. Nevertheless, from a country-specific perspective, significant variances exist regarding the actual and future adoption level. The most significant explanatory factor for the difference in the level of dissemination between Germany and the U.S. represents top management involvement.

Shared-Content-Services in Medienunternehmen — Erfahrungen innovativer Print-Verlage

Abstract: Corporate-Shared-Services als alternative, vorrangig konzerninterne Organisationsform haben ihren Ursprung in den 80er Jahren, als multinational tatige und dezentralisiert aufgestellte Konzerne begannen, administrative Aktivitaten als Shared-Services zusammenzufassen, um sich bei der Leistungserstellung auf ihre wertschopfenden Kernaktivitaten konzentrieren zu konnen1. Im Vordergrund standen dabei insbesondere Finanzfunktionen wie zum Beispiel die Gehaltsabrechnung und Kreditorenbuchhaltung. Daneben gewannen auch weitere unterstutzende Funktionen an Bedeutung. So wurden unter anderem auch Personal- oder IT-Dienstleistungen immer haufiger zentralisiert, um diese mehreren Konzerneinheiten effektiv und effizient zuganglich zu machen. Die okonomische Grundlogik, die hinter Corporate-Shared-Services steht, ist die Schaffung von Transparenz durch Standardisierung und Reduktion von Schnittstellen, das Heben von Skaleneffekten sowie die Qualitatssteigerung der intern angebotenen Dienstleistungen durch Lerneffekte und Vermeidung von Redundanzen.

Semantic Web Technologies for content reutilization strategies in publishing companies

Abstract: In recent times content reutilization in different media channels (such as in Cross Media Publishing or Windowing) is a much discussed concept in the media industry. It promises decreasing production and coordination costs by exploiting and leveraging synergy effects. First theoretical investigations emphasized the importance of efficient metadata-enriched linking and modularity techniques for a successful implementation of this multi-usage concept. However, nearly all recent approaches stop at the level of theoretical suggestions and do not include novel technological potentials provided by Semantic Web languages and tools. On the basis of previous works, this paper attempts to fill these research gaps by presenting a "proof of concept" implementation and by highlighting the possibilities and the potential of Semantic Web technologies in the context of media content reutilization.

Architectural, Functional and Technical Foundations of Digital Rights Management Systems

Abstract: In this paper, the architectural, functional and technical foundations of DRMS are analysed and some classes of application where these technologies may be effective in counteracting the threat of digital piracy are considered. However, it should be cautioned that this analysis may soon become outdated, since technologies and market demand are undergoing rapid development. Nevertheless, the following conclusions may be offered.

Dissemination of Content Reutilization Practices in the German and US Book Publishing Industry

Abstract: Abstract According to researchers and managers in the media industry, content reutilization represents a promising management concept to reduce production costs and to generate additional revenue streams. The article compares content reutilization practices of German and U.S. book publishers and exploring potential sources of differences in the reutilization behaviour. Presently, almost two out of three publishing companies apply content reutilization as management instrument on a global level. In the near future, a trend to even higher diffusion rates (up to 75%) can be observed. Nevertheless, from a country-specific perspective, significant variances exist regarding the actual and future adoption level. The most significant explanatory factor for the difference in the level of dissemination between Germany and the U.S. represents top management involvement.

Integrationsmethoden für Unternehmensnetzwerke: eine fallstudienbasierte Suche nach Best Practices.

Abstract: Apparatus for guiding tape is disclosed wherein the tape is guided over a gaseous cushion at a guiding surface mounted relative to a reference surface with means urging the tape along the guiding surface against the reference surface. In one embodiment the urging means is the provision of the guiding surface and the reference surface positioned at a slight angle, in the range of from 5' to 30' and preferably 10' from normal so that the surfaces are positioned at an acute angle. The guide member can have the outside surface of an inverted frustum of a cone. In addition the guide member may include at least one sidewall of a vacuum column. Instead of the provision of a slight angle to urge the tape against the reference surface the apparatus can be constructed to provide a gaseous cushion between the guiding surface and the tape thicker at a location remote from the reference surface than adjacent to the reference surface. Means are provided for controlling the temperature of the gaseous stream to control the temperature of the tape. The guide member can comprise a pair of spaced apart cassette face members for guiding the tape loop pulled from a cassette to a tape head.