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Although vanity sizing has often been conceptualized as “smaller is better” in apparel sizing, this perspective is limited in that many products would be more negatively perceived if viewed as smaller in size. In such scenarios, “larger is better” would be a more appropriate heuristic. Thus, vanity sizing should be redefined as a practice in achieving social desirability in size labeling. Namely, vanity sizing actually seeks to induce feelings of either smallness or largeness depending on the context. The purpose of this paper is to address this redefinition.

The current research provides initial empirical support of this redefinition with two studies that utilize a blended qualitative/quantitative approach and a hypothetical product scenario in which “larger is better” (bras).

Study 1 indicates that consumers seek to feel smaller and larger across different bodily areas. Further, study 2 found that compared to consumers of larger cup sizes, consumers of smaller cup sizes react more favorably to larger-than-typical cup sizes, forming more positive cognitive/affective reactions. Further, these cognitive/affective reactions influence purchase intentions, confirming findings of prior literature concerning attitudes and purchase intentions. Overall, the findings support the need to redefine vanity sizing.

The present conceptualization of vanity sizing is too narrow and limits understanding of the implications of vanity sizing across all sizing situations. Thus, this paper redefines vanity sizing and furnishes empirical evidence that such redefinition is warranted.

Identifying negative attitudes toward mental illness among students on nursing undergraduate degrees can help to design teaching strategies able to reduce the stigma attached to this condition. This study aims to assess attitudes toward mental health and intentions regarding future behavior in university nursing students initiating their training in the treatment of mental health problems (MHPs).

A descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study was designed. A sample of 162 nursing students completed scales to assess their attitudes toward mental health, stigma, predicted behavior and social desirability. Simple and a multiple linear regression was performed adjusted for the social desirability scale result.

Nursing students with previous experience of MHPs presented positive attitudes and behavioral intentions toward mental illness. Those who had no such experience before their training in mental health nursing presented certain stigmatizing attitudes. Attitudes toward MHPs may be affected by stigma and also by social desirability bias. The training in mental health care given to nursing students should aim to reduce its influence to help them carry out their future duties efficiently and compassionately.

This study demonstrates the relevance of university teaching plans, which should place special emphasis on promoting knowledge and developing skills and attitudes in nursing students undergoing training in mental health care to ensure optimal levels of performance in their future careers.

Many consumer-focused corporate social responsibility (CSR) studies suggest a positive link between the responsibility demonstrated by a company and consumers’ intention to favor the company in their purchases. Yet an analogous causal effect between corporate social and financial performances is not evident. This chapter conceptualizes how social desirability and cynicism contribute to the discrepancy between consumers’ attitudes and their actual purchase behavior, and analyzes why consumer choices indicated in surveys do not consistently convert into actions.

We develop a conceptual framework based on hybrid choice modeling to estimate the impact of two new variables, Corporate Social Desirability and Corporate Social Cynicism, on CSR research. The model presented synthesizes research findings from the fields of CSR and psychology with a discrete choice methodology that allows inclusion of psychological aspects as latent variables.

The goal of the framework is to bridge the gap between choices stated by consumers in CSR surveys and their actual choices by quantifying and extracting the effects of biases that otherwise threaten the validity of such survey results. As the next step, the practical value of the model must be evaluated through empirical research combining a CSR choice study with social desirability and cynicism measurement.

The framework proposes a novel way of controlling CSR surveys for potential biases created by social desirability and cynicism and enables quantification of this impact, with potential application to other fields where psychological aspects may distort research results. Future empirical evidence based on the framework may also offer new insights into the mechanisms by which the two biases distort findings.

This paper aims to deal with the optimization of engine operational parameters such as load, compression ratio and blend percentage of fuel using a combined approach of particle swarm optimization (PSO) with Derringer’s desirability.

The performance parameters such as brake thermal efficiency (BTHE), brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), CO, HC, NO_x and smoke are considered as objectives with compression ratio, blend percentage and load as input factors. Optimization is carried out by using PSO coupled with the desirability approach.

From results, the optimum operating conditions are found to be at compression ratio of 18.5 per cent of fuel blend and 11 kg of load. At this input’s parameters of the engine, outputs performance parameters are found to be 34.84 per cent of BTHE, 0.29 kg/kWh of BSFC, 2.86 per cent of CO, 13 ppm of HC, 490 ppm of NO_x and 26.25 per cent of smoke.

The present study explores the abilities of both particle swarm algorithm and desirability approach when used together. The combined approach resulted in faster convergence and better prediction capability. The present approach predicted performance characteristics of the variable compression ratio engine with less than 10 per cent error.

This paper aims to examine the impact of the three institutional environment dimensions: regulatory, cognitive and normative on the development of social entrepreneurial intentions of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

This paper follows the mixed-method methodology. Semistructured interviews were first conducted to collect primary data from 17 respondents from the Palestinian refugee community. The qualitative study was followed by a cross-sectional survey of 160 refugees administered at three Palestinian camps in Lebanon. A structural equation modeling technique using SmartPLS software was used to analyze the survey data.

This paper found that with the absence of an impact of the regulatory dimension, the roles of the cognitive and normative dimensions are more prominent in the context of the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

This paper provides policymakers in Lebanon with a better understanding of the context of the Palestinian camps and contributes to the social entrepreneurship (SE) knowledge as it establishes the effectiveness of the Country’s Institutional Profile in this under-researched population. Furthermore, this research proposes some recommendations that would enhance the level of SE in camps and provide suggestions for future research. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research may be the first study of SE in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.

This paper discusses multi‐response robust parameter design problems based on response surface method. Most research effort on multi‐response parameter design problem focuses much on finding out optimal parameters based on certain criteria or objectives. Research shows that optimal solution in terms of some criteria may not be robust. To achieve robust solution we should consider how sensitive the solution is when the factors change around it. A comparative study of methods for multi‐response robust parameter design is conducted. Solution with consideration of robustness and optimality is proposed with applications of the example.