The shifting preference for contingent rewards in goal pursuit.

This research explored a dynamic self-control process and examined people's preference for contingent rewards during and after the completion of an active focal task. We found that during the completion of such a task, people tend to prefer choice options that undermine their chronic goals as postcompletion rewards. However, by the time that people have completed the focal task and obtained the rewards that they had desired, these options seem less attractive because the chronic goals, which were inhibited by the focal task when people craved the reward, have rebounded in priority. The choice of a chronic-goal-violating reward further provides motivation during people's focal task, and the later switch after the completion of the focal task helps people to get back on track in terms of their pursuit of the chronic goal. We then discuss the implications of the results for understanding time-inconsistent preferences, adaptive self-regulation, goal-based valuations, and the dynamic nature of temptations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

How winning changes motivation in multiphase competitions.

What drives motivation in multiphase competitions? Adopting a dynamic approach, this research examines how temporary standing-being ahead of (vs. behind) one's opponent-in a multiphase competition shapes subsequent motivation. Six competitions conducted in the lab and in the field demonstrate that the impact of being ahead on contestants' motivation depends on when (i.e., in which phase of the competition) contestants learn they are in the lead. In the early phase, contestants are concerned about whether they can win; being ahead increases motivation by making winning seem more attainable. In the later phase, however, contestants are instead driven by how much additional effort they believe they need to invest; being ahead decreases motivation by reducing contestants' estimate of the remaining effort needed to win. Temporary standing thus has divergent effects on motivation in multiphase competitions, driven by a shift in contestants' main concern from the early to the later phase and thus the meaning they derive from being ahead of their opponent. By leveraging insights gained from approaching individuals' self-regulation as a dynamic process, this research advances understanding of how motivation evolves in a unique interdependent self-regulatory context. (PsycINFO Database Record

Prospective study on the overuse of blood test-guided antibiotics on patients with acute diarrhea in primary hospitals of China.

BACKGROUND: Overuse with antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases has become a central focus of public health over the years. The aim of this study was to provide an up-to-date evaluation of the blood test-guided antibiotic use on patients with acute diarrhea in primary hospitals of China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 330 patients with acute diarrhea in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, from March 2013 to February 2016. These patients were treated with or without antibiotics based on the results of their blood tests, including examinations of C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells (WBC), and the percentage of neutrophils (Neu%). The infection types, which included bacterial, viral, and combination diarrhea, were determined by microbiological culture methods. Antibiotics used in non-bacterial diarrhea patients were considered misused and overused. RESULTS: There were significant overall differences in the clinical characteristics and blood tests between patients with diarrhea with a bacterial infection and patients with other types of infections. The patients were divided into four grading groups (0-3) according to the number of the positive results from three blood testes (CRP, WBC, and Neu%). The misuse rates of antibiotics in each group (0-3) were 81.3%, 71.1%, 72.4%, and 64.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this prospective study, the current diagnostic criteria (CRP, WBC, and Neu%) based on blood tests are not reliable in diagnosing bacterial diarrhea or guiding antibiotics use. To limit antibiotic overuse, a rapid and accurate differentiation of bacterial diarrhea from other types of diarrhea is pivotal.