Preference for imperfect produce: The influence of political ideology and openness to experience.

Food waste is a critical global issue, posing substantial environmental, social, and financial challenges, even as millions continue to face uncertainty regarding their next meal source. The seriousness of this problem necessitates a closer look into ways to reduce food waste. In this investigation, we identify a key factor which contributes to food waste-imperfect fruits and vegetables (FaVs), defined as foods that are non-uniform in shape, color, or texture. Because of their unusual and sometimes ugly appearance, people are often averse to buying them, making it important to understand factors that influence people's acceptance or rejection of imperfect FaVs. Across four online studies (including an exploratory study) with nearly 1400 U.S. respondents and using varied designs, we test political ideology as a moderator of this aversion to imperfect FaVs. Our findings indicate that politically conservative people are less likely to purchase imperfect FaVs (vs. perfect FaVs) compared to politically liberal people. The last study also uncovers the psychological mechanism underlying this greater aversion to FaVs by conservatives: lower openness to experience explains why this segment of population may be less willing to purchase imperfect FaVs. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Identification of neurotoxic compounds in cyanobacteria exudate mixtures.

Release of toxic cyanobacterial secondary metabolites threatens biosecurity, foodwebs and public health. Microcystis aeruginosa (Ma), the dominant species in global freshwater cyanobacterial blooms, produces exudates (MaE) that cause adverse outcomes including nerve damage. Previously, we identified > 300 chemicals in MaE. It is critical to investigate neurotoxicity mechanisms of active substances among this suite of Ma compounds. Here, we screened 103 neurotoxicity assays from the ToxCast database to reveal targets of action of MaE using machine learning. We then built a potential Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) to identify neurotoxicity mechanisms of MaE as well as key targets. Finally, we selected potential neurotoxins matched with those targets using molecular docking. We found 38 targets that were inhibited and eight targets that were activated, collectively mainly related to neurotransmission (i.e. cholinergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter systems). The potential AOP of MaE neurotoxicity could be caused by blocking calcium voltage-gated channel (CACNA1A), because of antagonizing neurotransmitter receptors, or because of inhibiting solute carrier transporters. We identified nine neurotoxic MaE compounds with high affinity to those targets, including LysoPC(16:0), 2-acetyl-1-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, egonol glucoside, polyoxyethylene (600) monoricinoleate, and phytosphingosine. Our study enhances understanding of neurotoxicity mechanisms and identifies neurotoxins in cyanobacterial bloom exudates, which may help identify priority compounds for cyanobacteria management.

Deriving happiness through extraordinary or ordinary brand experiences in times of COVID-19 threat.

The authors examined how the joint effect of brand experience type (ordinary vs. extraordinary) and COVID-19 threat on consumer happiness changed at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings from five studies, with the COVID-19 threat and lockdown status measured as well as manipulated, suggest that COVID-19 threat exerts converse moderating influences on the extraordinariness-happiness relationship under no lockdown and lockdown. Under lockdown, threat attenuates the effect of brand extraordinariness on happiness; extraordinary brand experiences bring more happiness than ordinary brand experiences when the perceived threat of COVID-19 is low, but consumers derive comparable happiness from extraordinary and ordinary experiences when perceived threat is high. Under no lockdown, threat amplifies the positive effect of extraordinariness on happiness. Consumers rarely experience a large-scale lockdown due to a pandemic, and this research advances understanding of how consumer happiness from a brand experience changes with the trajectory of a pandemic.

Relative Effects of Forward and Backward Planning on Goal Pursuit.

Considerable research has shown that planning plays an important role in goal pursuit. But how does the way people plan affect goal pursuit? Research on this question is scarce. In the current research, we examined how planning the steps required for goal attainment in chronological order (i.e., forward planning) and reverse chronological order (i.e., backward planning) influences individuals' motivation for and perceptions of goal pursuit. Compared with forward planning, backward planning not only led to greater motivation, higher goal expectancy, and less time pressure but also resulted in better goal-relevant performance. We further demonstrated that this motivational effect occurred because backward planning allowed people to think of tasks required to reach their goals more clearly, especially when goals were complex to plan. These findings suggest that the way people plan matters just as much as whether or not they plan.