Texas Christian University

About: Texas Christian University is a education organization based out in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 3245 authors who have published 8258 publications receiving 282216 citations. The organization is also known as: TCU & Texas Christian University, TCU.

The Cognitive Consequences of Envy: Attention, Memory, and Self-Regulatory Depletion

Abstract: In a series of 4 experiments, we provide evidence that--in addition to having an affective component--envy may also have important consequences for cognitive processing. Our first experiment (N = 69) demonstrated that individuals primed with envy better attended to and more accurately recalled information about fictitious peers than did a control group. Studies 2 (N = 187) and 3 (N = 65) conceptually replicated these results, demonstrating that envy elicited by targets predicts attention and later memory for information about them. We demonstrate that these effects cannot be accounted for by admiration or changes in negative affect or arousal elicited by the targets. Study 4 (N = 152) provides evidence that greater memory for envied--but not neutral--targets leads to diminished perseverance on a difficult anagram task. Findings demonstrate that envy may play an important role in attention and memory systems and deplete limited self-regulatory resources available for acts of volition.

Achieving Demand-Side Synergy from Strategic Diversification: How Combining Mundane Assets Can Leverage Consumer Utilities

Abstract: We explore the overlooked issue of how certain strategic-level, interindustry diversification options might increase consumer utility. Discussions of inter-industry diversification typically focus on producer synergies obtainable from economies of scope or from skill transfer across business units. Discussions of intra-industry product diversification—generally, the province of marketing—typically focus on synergies obtainable from product bundling, which lowers producer costs or provides convenience for consumers. We take a different tack by linking interindustry diversification and consumer utility. We first separately examine two possible consumer benefits of interindustry diversification: (1) facilitating consumers' accomplishment of two tasks simultaneously or (2) attracting diverse consumer groups to a common platform when intergroup externalities exist. We then assess a simple empirical context that shows potential for simultaneous consumer utilities and two-sided market utility together. We analyze this context and concurrently develop a mathematical model showing how these demand-side synergies can create unique business value. We next introduce asymmetric preferences among consumer subgroups, and we refine our arguments by comparing their conclusions with the empirical data. We learn that combinations of otherwise mundane (i.e., commonplace) assets can create consumer value—“superior” assets are not necessary. Moreover, common ownership is necessary for the pricing flexibility required to deliver (and capture) maximum value through interindustry diversification, especially when consumer groups' preferences may change; the negotiations and settling up required for cooperation through alliances will, without common ownership, increase costs and reduce responsiveness. We discuss the sustainability of demand-side advantages and the implications of these ideas for future research and practice.

Barriers to Implementing Effective Correctional Drug Treatment Programs

Abstract: During the past several years, a number of aggressive federal and state initiatives have been undertaken to expand substance abuse treatment within correctional settings. These efforts have been fueled by the high rates of substance involvement among offenders and the growing body of research literature suggesting that intensive, prison-based treatment efforts can significantly reduce postprison substance use and recidivism. However, the rapid expansion of these programs increases their vulnerability to common implementation problems that could lead to pessimistic, and erroneous, assumptions about their effectiveness. This article summarizes both the research literature and the experiences of the authors regarding six common barriers to developing effective correctional treatment programs and offers potential solutions for each.

A Comparative Study of How Experts and Novices Use a Decision Aid to Solve Problems in Complex Knowledge Domains

Abstract: This paper reports the results of a study that examined the way that professionals used a particular decision aid, spreadsheet software, to address a business-oriented task. The professionals were divided into four groups, depending on whether they were experts or novices in the functional area of business represented by the task and on whether they were experts or novices in the use of spreadsheet software. The physical interactions as well as the thought processes underlying these interactions were captured. Results of the study indicated that a lack of expertise in spreadsheet software usage inhibited the application of functional area knowledge. The behavior and outcomes of the functional area expert/spreadsheet novice group did not match those of the functional area expert/spreadsheet expert group. In fact, they paralleled more closely those of the other two groups that did not possess functional area knowledge. Results of the study also indicated that individuals need to obtain a level of expertise in using a decision aid before they are able to apply their functional area knowledge to the problem at hand.

Intraspecific inversions pose a challenge for the trnH-psbA plant DNA barcode.

Abstract: Background: The chloroplast trnH-psbA spacer region has been proposed as a prime candidate for use in DNA barcoding of plants because of its high substitution rate. However, frequent inversions associated with palindromic sequences within this region have been found in multiple lineages of Angiosperms and may complicate its use as a barcode, especially if they occur within species. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we evaluate the implications of intraspecific inversions in the trnH-psbA region for DNA barcoding efforts. We report polymorphic inversions within six species of Gentianaceae, all narrowly circumscribed morphologically: Gentiana algida, Gentiana fremontii, Gentianopsis crinita, Gentianopsis thermalis, Gentianopsis macrantha and Frasera speciosa. We analyze these sequences together with those from 15 other species of Gentianaceae and show that typical simple methods of sequence alignment can lead to misassignment of conspecifics and incorrect assessment of relationships. Conclusions/Significance: Frequent inversions in the trnH-psbA region, if not recognized and aligned appropriately, may lead to large overestimates of the number of substitution events separating closely related lineages and to uniting more distantly related taxa that share the same form of the inversion. Thus, alignment of the trnH-psbA spacer region will need careful attention if it is used as a marker for DNA barcoding.