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This study examines the cross-level effect of group-level managers on member firms’ problemistic search in hierarchical business groups. Using multilevel data from Korean business groups, we propose that the effects of failure to meet an aspiration level on R&D search intensity increase when member firm performance and R&D investments are more cognitively accessible to group-level managers. Specifically, we find, first, that when underperforming firms are widespread in a business group, a focal member firm intensifies R&D search in response to performance below an aspiration level because member firm performance, as a group-level problem, becomes cognitively accessible to group-level managers. Second, as member firms operating in R&D intensive industries are more prevalent in a business group, R&D investments, as a search solution, become more cognitively accessible to group-level managers. Thus, a focal member firm reinforces R&D search in response to the performance shortfall. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on the behavioral theory of the firm and performance feedback.

Cognitive accessibility aims to make content more accessible for people with cognitive impairments, such as the elderly and people with intellectual and learning disabilities. In this sense, it is possible to design an accessible user interface from a cognitive point of view. As a contribution, this article presents cognitive accessibility design patterns and their application in designing the Easier web system's user interface. The Easier web system provides a tool that assists in the understanding and readability of text content geared towards people with intellectual disabilities. It detects complex words and offers easier replacements and other resources such as a definition of the complex word. In addition to applying the design patterns, user tests with people with intellectual disabilities and older people have been carried out to evaluate the cognitive accessibility of the Easier system's interface. The results indicate that people with cognitive impairments know how to use the interfaces and have a satisfactory experience. In addition, a design proposal to provide a glossary mechanism to be used in web interfaces with simplified texts is presented and validated.

Digital services should be designed so that as many people as possible can use them. Designing digital services to be cognitively accessible brings value to the user if the user can use the digital service and understands its content. The benefits of cognitive accessibility, e.g., better customer experience or better usability in digital services, have been studied from the perspective of both users and organisations. Despite the benefits, there can be barriers to designing and implementing usable and understandable digital services. This paper aims to identify service providers’ perceptions of barriers to designing cognitively accessible digital services. When the barriers are understood, entrepreneurs can be supported to design digital services that generate value for customers. To better understand the barriers, qualitative research with semi-structured in-depth interviews was conducted with Finnish entrepreneurs. The results revealed different kinds of barriers to designing and implementing cognitively accessible digital services.

This is the first population-based study in South Korea to examine the comprehensive nature of gambling accessibility. While most previous studies have examined only the physical aspects of gambling accessibility, this study accepts that gambling accessibility is multi-dimensional comprising physical, social, and cognitive accessibility, and tests the predictive power of each dimension of gambling behavior. We measured gambling behaviors in three ways: problem gambling, time spent on gambling, and gambling expenditure. Using a proportional quota sampling method (based on gender, age, and region) to represent the general Korean population, we identified 8245 adults (aged 19–69 years), and 2044 participated in online survey from July 1 to July 9, 2021. Study findings revealed that, among the three accessibility dimensions, social accessibility was the strongest predictor of all three gambling behavior measures. Study findings provide insights for developing culturally sensitive gambling prevention programs and highlight the importance of a comprehensive examination of the relationship between gambling accessibility and gambling behavior.

Background People with cognitive disabilities (including developmental disabilities and dementia) face significant inequities in accessing palliative care information and services. Accessible communication plays a critical role in enabling meaningful participation in care, yet few national palliative care resources are evaluated with direct input from people with lived experience. Methods A qualitative descriptive study engaged eight individuals with lived experience of cognitive disabilities as cognitive accessibility experts. These individuals reviewed three palliative care resources (in English or French) and participated in semi structured virtual interviews. Data were analyzed to identify accessibility challenges, strengths of resources, and actionable recommendations. Results The analysis revealed challenges such as dense vocabulary, abstract phrasing, and inconsistent sequencing. At the same time, cognitive accessibility experts by experience identified strengths, including plain-language sections, clear segmentation, simple visual layouts, and useful questions to ask healthcare providers. In particular, their comments praised the organization, straightforwardness, and readability. Based on these insights, cognitive accessibility experts by experience recommended simplifying language, improving clarity and structure, adding concrete examples, and incorporating more direct communication prompts. Health Canada has already begun revising the resources in response to these recommendations, demonstrating real-world impact. Conclusions Cognitive accessibility depends on how the information is designed, not on the person reading it. Involving people with cognitive disabilities as research partners strengthens both the ethical foundation and practical utility of palliative care communication. Co-designed, cognitively accessible resources are essential to support autonomy, shared decision-making, and equitable palliative care access for all.

The popularity of eHealth services has surged significantly, underscoring the importance of ensuring their usability and accessibility for users with diverse needs, characteristics, and capabilities. These services can pose cognitive demands, especially for individuals who are unwell, fatigued, or experiencing distress. Additionally, numerous potentially vulnerable groups, including older adults, are susceptible to digital exclusion and may encounter cognitive limitations related to perception, attention, memory, and language comprehension. Regrettably, many studies overlook the preferences and needs of user groups likely to encounter challenges associated with these cognitive aspects. This study primarily aims to gain a deeper understanding of cognitive accessibility in the practical context of eHealth services. Additionally, we aimed to identify the specific challenges that vulnerable groups encounter when using eHealth services and determine key considerations for testing these services with such groups. As a case study of eHealth services, we conducted qualitative usability testing on 2 online symptom checkers used in Finnish public primary care. A total of 13 participants from 3 distinct groups participated in the study: older adults, individuals with mild intellectual disabilities, and nonnative Finnish speakers. The primary research methods used were the thinking-aloud method, questionnaires, and semistructured interviews. We found that potentially vulnerable groups encountered numerous issues with the tested services, with similar problems observed across all 3 groups. Specifically, clarity and the use of terminology posed significant challenges. The services overwhelmed users with excessive information and choices, while the terminology consisted of numerous complex medical terms that were difficult to understand. When conducting tests with vulnerable groups, it is crucial to carefully plan the sessions to avoid being overly lengthy, as these users often require more time to complete tasks. Additionally, testing with vulnerable groups proved to be quite efficient, with results likely to benefit a wider audience as well. Based on the findings of this study, it is evident that older adults, individuals with mild intellectual disability, and nonnative speakers may encounter cognitive challenges when using eHealth services, which can impede or slow down their use and make the services more difficult to navigate. In the worst-case scenario, these challenges may lead to errors in using the services. We recommend expanding the scope of testing to include a broader range of eHealth services with vulnerable groups, incorporating users with diverse characteristics and capabilities who are likely to encounter difficulties in cognitive accessibility.

The application of the easy-to-read (E2R) methodology is one of the ways to achieve cognitive accessibility and specifically, it is a path that guarantees the right of access to information of people with reading comprehension difficulties and thus improves their daily life. This methodology includes a set of guidelines and recommendations whose goal is to present clear and easily understood documents. Such guidelines are used in the manual processes of (a) adapting existing documents and (b) producing new materials. These processes are very time and human-resource consuming, due to the need of involving E2R experts as well as people with cognitive disabilities. In order to alleviate such manual processes, we are currently investigating the development of methods, based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, to support the E2R adaptation of documents in a (semi)-automatic fashion. The main goal of this research is to help E2R experts in their daily tasks of (a) assessing a particular document with respect to the E2R guidelines and (b) transforming such a document according to the E2R methodology. In this paper we present our initial efforts toward the development of an AI-based application for supporting the E2R adaptation of documents. These efforts are the elicitation of E2R needs and informal requirements and the design of an application called FACILE.

Understanding the factors that make college students more likely to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes is key to developing effective interventions in order to reduce these behaviors. This study sought to understand entering college students’intentions to engage in smoking and drinking behavior by examining the cognitive accessibility (ease of retrieval from memory) of attitudes and norms for drinking. A sample of 413 first-year college students living in on-campus residence halls participated in the study in the first 2 weeks of their first semester of college. Reaction time measures of attitudes and norms assessed the cognitive accessibility of these constructs. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted. Results indicated that the cognitive accessibility of both attitudes and peer injunctive norms predicted behavioral intentions to drink and smoke. Our findings indicate that when injunctive peer norms are accessible from memory, they are better predictors of drinking and smoking intentions than descriptive norms or injunctive family norms. Our work provides important guidance for interventions to reduce risky behavior in college students and suggests that emphasizing social costs of these behaviors may be a promising strategy.

The long-lost Ibero-Roman citadel of Castŭlō, or Castulo as it is known today, has been revealed to be one of the most important centers of the southern Iberian Peninsula due to its size and its geographical position. The ancient walled holdfast occupies an area of about 50 hectares, with overlapping vestiges from different historical stages. During the last intervention in the northwest city walls, a set of important findings was revealed, notably a Roman high-quality relief depicting a lion which holds a human head between its paws. This article, in addition to contextualizing and presenting the archaeological site, focuses on the latest work carried out in the northern area of the city’s Punic wall. Based on the data obtained, an urban interpretation is also provided on the use and function of this walled city area and how it was attuned to the surroundings to configure a new kind of landscape project. Relevant endeavours have been undertaken by the authors in order to render the restoration feasible, and prominently to introduce a more innovative issue of cognitive accessibility for the visitors who are allowed to enjoy this significant piece of heritage despite the hindrances of the terrain. This is the fundamental objective of a former research project by the authors, and it was extended to offer a key to sustainable archaeology, establishing design criteria for the planning of spaces that fulfil the experience of visiting heritage for groups of people with cognitive problems: among them, those with Alzheimer’s disease. By addressing these pending requirements, the sustainable qualities of the archaeological sites would be significantly enhanced.

The acquisition of school readiness skills upon kindergarten entry predicts children’s success later in life. Yet many parents, especially in under-resourced communities, lack confidence in their role as their child’s first educator. Public media-based interventions offer a scalable way to bring assistance into these communities, and likely effect change not only by teaching content but by influencing social norms and attitudes that support the target behaviors. This study utilized the reasoned action approach, based in social cognition, to evaluate a community intervention program designed to equip parents with skills they can use to support their children’s school readiness. Parents ( n  = 43) participated in the 4-week intervention program and completed assessments before and after participation. We hypothesized that program participation would positively affect parents’ attitudes and norms toward school readiness support behaviors, making those positive attitudes and norms more accessible from memory. Analyses utilized reaction time measures of attitude and norm accessibility. Findings suggest the program had measurable effects on the accessibility of injunctive norms about parenting. Additionally, open-ended data showed that parents felt they gained skills and confidence as a result of the program. Together, these findings suggest that bolstering social norms about positive parenting behaviors might be an effective area of focus for school readiness intervention programs, and they demonstrate that media psychology-based methods can be useful for demonstrating educational program effectiveness. Highlights Parents of at-risk young children participated in a school readiness training program. Reasoned action approach was used to evaluate the cognitive effects of program participation. Participation had a significant effect on the accessibility of injunctive norms, measured by reaction time. Participants reported a greater sense of community belonging after participation.