<p>Under graviditeten uppstår vanligen viss oro från lättare funderingar till uttalad rädsla inför förlossningen. Föreliggande studie är en randomiserad, kontrollerad pilotstudie i syfte att undersöka om en förberedelsemodell i gruppformat baserad på ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) kan påverka upplevelsen före förlossningen hos gravida kvinnor med viss förlossningsoro jämfört med en kontrollgrupp. Behandlingsgruppen bestod av 12 gravida kvinnor vilka uppdelade i tre grupper deltog i fyra gruppsamtal. Kontrollgruppen bestod av tio gravida kvinnor som vid ett tillfälle erhöll information och psykoedukation. För utvärdering av behandlingen mättes graden av självskattad oro och rädsla inför förlossningen, graden av självskattad ångest och depression, tendensen att undvika obehagliga upplevelser samt upplevelse av hälsa och livskvalitet. Resultaten visar att oron och rädslan inför förlossningen sjunkit signifikant i såväl behandlings- som kontrollgrupp. Studien ger emellertid inget stöd för att en acceptansbaserad intervention skulle vara att föredra inom denna grupp. Synpunkter på fortsatt forskning inom området diskuteras avslutningsvis.</p>

Electronic negotiation (e-negotiation) is a relatively new technology that has spawned as a result of the growth of electronic commerce (e-commerce). While researchers have dealt with a variety of topics in the area of e-negotiation the acceptance of e-negotiation technology is a subject that needs further exploration. This study contributes to the research in e-negotiation, by putting forward a conceptual model that explains the factors that affect technology acceptance of e-negotiation. We survey past works in the technology acceptance literature, and review three seminal theories ? the technology acceptance model (TAM), the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI). We develop a conceptual model by identifying various factors and interrelationships amongst them that are valid for the context of our study. To test our model, we develop a web interface for participants to experience e-negotiation, and incorporate a survey instrument, adapted from previous studies, to assess participants' attitudes and perceptions towards using e-negotiation. We also test whether the presence of learning agents has an effect on perceptions of negotiation outcomes. Regression and MANOVA tests indicate that attitude and associated attitudinal beliefs have a significant influence on acceptance of e-negotiation technology. We also find that perceptions of negotiation outcomes affect e-negotiation acceptance; however, learning agents were not found to have an influence on perceptions of negotiation outcomes.

Electronic negotiation (e-negotiation) is a relatively new technology that has spawned as a result of the growth of electronic commerce (e-commerce). While researchers have dealt with a variety of topics in the area of e-negotiation the acceptance of e-negotiation technology is a subject that needs further exploration. This study contributes to the research in e-negotiation, by putting forward a conceptual model that explains the factors that affect technology acceptance of e-negotiation. We survey past works in the technology acceptance literature, and review three seminal theories ? the technology acceptance model (TAM), the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI). We develop a conceptual model by identifying various factors and interrelationships amongst them that are valid for the context of our study. To test our model, we develop a web interface for participants to experience e-negotiation, and incorporate a survey instrument, adapted from previous studies, to assess participants' attitudes and perceptions towards using e-negotiation. We also test whether the presence of learning agents has an effect on perceptions of negotiation outcomes. Regression and MANOVA tests indicate that attitude and associated attitudinal beliefs have a significant influence on acceptance of e-negotiation technology. We also find that perceptions of negotiation outcomes affect e-negotiation acceptance; however, learning agents were not found to have an influence on perceptions of negotiation outcomes.

The author drew on sociometer theory to propose that self-esteem is attuned to traits that garner others’ acceptance, and the traits that garner acceptance depend on one’s social role. Attunement of self-esteem refers to the linkage, or connection, between self-esteem and specific traits, which may be observed most clearly in the association between self-esteem and specific self-evaluations. In most roles, appearance and popularity determine acceptance, so self-esteem is most attuned to those traits. At the same time, interdependent social roles emphasize the value of communal qualities, so occupants of those roles have self-esteem that is more attuned to communal qualities than is the general norm. To avoid the biases of people's personal theories, attunement of self-esteem to particular traits was assessed indirectly via the correlation between self-esteem and self-ratings (Study 2), with cognitive accessibility measures (Study 3), by observing the responsiveness of people’s self-concepts to social cues about the self (Study 4), and with an experiment involving social decision-making (Study 5). As hypothesized, self-esteem was generally more attuned to appearances than communal qualities, but interdependent social roles predicted heightened attunement of self-esteem to qualities like kindness and understanding.

This study examines the effects that individual personality traits have on technology acceptance. Previous research on technology acceptance focuses primarily on exogenous variables such as trustor’s perceptions, attitudes, computer anxiety, positive or negative affect, age, and experience. This research seeks to improve our understanding of technology acceptance by examining user interpersonal traits as the underpinnings of user perceptions of technology and disposition to trust. A general theory of personality, the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) model, is used here as a framework to explain IT-users’ computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, and perceptions about- and trust in technology. The interpersonal circumplex model is well established and provides a strong foundation for understanding interaction styles and interpersonal trust. Based on the interpersonal circumplex model, I develop predictions about how various personality types will interact with technology acceptance model (TAM) related variables: that is, I predict how individuals with different interpersonal traits will rate the following: their computer selfefficacy, computer anxiety, and perceptions of an information system’s performance; the system’s trustworthiness, ease of use, usefulness; as well as the user’s behavioral intention to use the system in the future. In general, I hypothesize that a computer user’s blend of the primary interpersonal dimensions of Control and Affiliation influences his or her responses to computer usage related questions. In this study, student-participants completed an on-line assessment of their interpersonal dispositions, using the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Values (CSIV; Locke, 2000); subsequently the studentparticipants reported their perceptions of- and trust in a computer-based learning system that they used as part of their class. In particular, this research suggests that the Communality (Affiliation) dimension of personality, as measured by the CSIV, indicates particular and significant correlations to user’s computer anxiety, perceived system performance, perceived usefulness (of the technology), and behavioral intent to use (IT) in the future. The Interpersonal Circumplex demonstrates improved acuity in detecting personality differences that may impact the way users respond to, perceive, and evaluate technology. As a new tool for information systems research, the IPC shows potential to provide further insight into IS theory by building a bridge between interpersonal theory and technology acceptance models.

The beauty of group-buying is that the price will go down as the value of accumulated orders is increasing. However, the beauty cannot be realized if many customers are waiting have a lower price. Therefore, it may affect the performance of the group-buying. How to design different incentives to induce customers to join the group-buying as early as possible is the purpose of this study. In the light of inducing buyers to join the group-buying as early as possible, three incentive mechanisms, time-based, quantity-based, and sequence-based, are proposed. In order to verify the performance of the three proposed new group-buying models compared with that of the traditional group-buying model, an experiment was implemented. According to the results of the experiment, we found that the time-based model can reduce customers¡¦ decision time before joining the group-buying. While the sequence-based model also can push customers to join the group-buying in the very beginning. As for the quantity-based model, it is in our expectation that the customers buy more than their original plan in order to get more discounts. We also observe that buyers' satisfaction is higher if the group-buying model can effectively reduce the price. Furthermore, the earlier customers join the group-buying, more satisfactions they will get. Besides, the buyers also agree with that the group-buying model can effectively reduce the price. Furthermore, we discover that the perceived value, perceived usefulness, and perceived easy of use can positively affect the buyers' attitude, and consequently, buyers are willing to join the group-buying in the future.

Abstract As the widespread use and company dependency on Intranet increase, so does the need to assess their value and to ensure implementation success. As a new technology, Intranet success may be affected by the general level of awareness and experience of IT networking in the user population. This study examines the factors which have been proposed in the literature to account for new IT systems and apply them to Intranet. This study identifies and empirically tests five major variables as determinants of Intranet success, in this case measured in terms of user satisfaction. This result clearly supports the hypothesized relationships and suggests the need for Intranet project managers and top management to pay special attention to these determinants of Intranet success. According to the result, Intranet success is directly positive to the quality of Intranet, degree of management support, degree of user participation in Intranet development, computer self-efficacy of users, service provided by the IT center, as each has been defined in this study. Among those five variables, the quality of Intranet and computer self-efficacy of users are the most critical factors affecting user satisfaction on Intranet. In addition, degree of user participation in Intranet development is also a moderating variable between degree of management support and user satisfaction. A set of those five factors is found to account for 61.4¢Mof the variance in user satisfaction on Intranet. As for users¡¦ attributes, such as age, seniority and computer experience influence the perception of Intranet as well. Based on the results, some recommendations are proposed for Intranet project managers and top management to enhance user satisfaction on Intranet and to shape an advantageous environment for Intranet development, including: improving the five factors mentioned above and increasing users¡¦ ability to use Intranet according to users¡¦ attributes, such as age, seniority and computer experience.

Today, many enterprises set up their offices globally to go with the stream of time. Globalization makes it difficult for enterprises to provide their employees on-site trainings. By developing Web and information technology, e-Learning becomes a new training tool for the enterprises to reduce time and cost, and solve the training problems caused by difference of locations. The users¡¦ acceptance becomes one of the key factors for the enterprises in implementing e-Learning program. As the e-Learning is a kind of information service system, the system quality plays an important part in the employees¡¦ adoption of e-Learning. The well-known Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is generally used in evaluating users¡¦ acceptance in many studies. To set up an integrated model, this paper applies the TAM as a framework to study the acceptance of employees on e-Learning and further introduces perceived factors of a sound information system as the external variables to evaluate employees¡¦ acceptance. Based on the experimental research on an e-Learning program of a large domestic company, this paper firstly indicates that, among the factors of a sound information system, only service quality and information quality have a significant influence on the employees¡¦ acceptance. Secondly, different education levels have a significant influence on the perceived service quality and information quality. This empirically integrated TAM would be useful for the researchers in developing e-Learning systems, as well as for the enterprises in implementing successful e-Learning systems.

Thesis (S.T.M.)--Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-142).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2009. / Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.