Articles from:December 2018

• Tech gadgets aren’t just for youngsters on your gift list

  Thursday, December 13, 2018 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 13 December 2018 – R00219

  It’s not just teenagers who might have a new smartphone or tablet on their holiday wish list this year. Older adults want new tech, as well. But before you buy grandma a new iPad, you may want to think about how she’ll learn to use it.

  Older adults are often uncomfortable with new technology, but applied behaviour analysis could help overcome that discomfort, says Kimberley Zonneveld, Assistant Professor in Brock University’s Department of Applied Disability Studies.

  “But once you break down that barrier and teach older adults to use their new device to access YouTube, for example, their whole world opens up,” she says.

  For older adults, understanding how to use technology could improve their quality of life.

  “As behaviour analysts, that’s what we all want,” says Zonneveld.

  Exactly how best to teach those skills was at the heart of a recent study led by Zonneveld’s graduate student, Jacqueline Pachis. Study results showed that older adults benefitted equally from written instructions and video modelling.

  “Think about ways people learn how to do things,” says Zonneveld. “They get a written instruction manual or they go on YouTube and watch a video.”

  Study participants, all of whom lived in a local retirement residence, were taught to use an iPad to use the Internet, which was “a tipping point,” she says. “That’s what behaviour analysis is all about — making big, socially significant improvements in people’s lives.”

  So, Zonneveld says go ahead and buy grandma or grandpa the latest tech gadget, but keep in mind they’ll need to learn how to use it. Before you tie the ribbon, you may want to tuck detailed instructions into the box or make a personalized video they can watch to learn how to get the most out of their new device.

  Kimberley Zonneveld, Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Disability Studies, is available for interviews.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University [email protected], 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases

• Expert Advisory: Look at the label when choosing wine this holiday season

  Tuesday, December 11, 2018 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 11 December 2018 – R00218

  ‘Tis the season for gift giving, and if you’re looking to impress someone on your list, you may want to take a closer look at the label.

  Brock University research has shown that choosing a wine with a picture on the bottle or one with a difficult-to-pronounce name will likely make the recipient believe you spent more money.

  Antonia Mantonakis, an Associate Professor of Marketing in Brock University’s Goodman School of Business, studies how consumers perceive wines. She says wine labels can have a big impact on consumer choices.

  According to her research, consumers believe a wine is more expensive and better tasting when the winery has a complicated name. If the wine label has a picture on it, people are more likely to think the wine is award-winning.

  “It’s interesting how consumers perceive things,” Mantonakis said. “Something like the sound of a name can elicit a thought, and that thought can influence the perception of how something tastes.”

   

  Brock University Associate Professor Antonia Mantonakis is available for interviews about issues related to her research.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University [email protected], 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

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  Categories: Media releases