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This study examined the relationship between postsecondary students' emotional-social intelligence and attitudes toward computer-based instructional materials. Research indicated that emotions and emotional intelligence directly impact motivation, while instructional design has been shown to impact student attitudes and subsequent engagement with content. Computer-based technology is widely used in teaching; however, inappropriate application of this technology is likely to result in less than acceptable outcome. In this study, the emotional intelligence of 92 students was assessed using Bar-On's EQ-i:S. Subsequently, students were directed to specific computer-based instructional methods; then their attitudes toward their respective method were assessed using Keller's Instructional Material Motivation Survey (IMMS). In general, students expressed a preference towards the interactive, non-linear, unstructured form of computer-based instruction; however, attitudes associated negatively with emotional-social intelligence for students identified as possessing low-average emotional-social intelligence. The findings and implications are discussed and recommendations for future practice and research are offered. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

Previous research regarding menu writing focused on the customers' perspective, rather than the current practices approach of this study. With the purpose of quantifying and categorizing the word choices most commonly used by restaurant operators, this research used text-mining techniques to develop a database of words used in menu descriptions from a broad cross-section of American casual dining restaurants. The words were categorized and sorted by frequency in order to determine the most common words and categories used. Results showed that categorically, culinary words were used the most in menus while sensory and adjective words were used the least. Within the categories of ingredients, vegetables were most frequently observed while fruits appeared the least in menus. Empirically, the major menu word categories identified in this study can help to update restaurateurs with the current menu word classification. In addition, the words within each category reflect current industry practices, which may be useful to operators in describing menu dishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travelers' engagement with local food at a foreign destination could be overwhelming and affect their overall travel experience. This study investigates the role travelers' psychological comfort with local food plays in influencing the development of their place attachment to a destination. The study utilized survey data sampled from Korean and American travelers who had visited China and found that travelers' place attachment is positively and significantly influenced by their psychological comfort with food, interaction with service providers, and atmospherics. The findings also reveal that Korean and American travelers differ in the degree to which comfort affects their place attachment. These and other findings of the study bring attention to the comfort factor of travelers' food experience, thus complementing previous research that tended to emphasize the novelty value of local cuisines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers sometimes travel to a destination for the main purpose of enjoying the food and services a restaurant can offer. These restaurants are termed destination Restaurants. This study explores what constitutes such an experience at destination restaurants and how such experience influences visitors' sense of place development for the destination they travel to and their revisit intention for the place. Data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire distributed to tourists dining in destination restaurants in Hwayang-Dong in Chungbuk province, South Korea. Based on a convenience sample of 244 participants, the results suggest that a destination restaurant experience compromises seven components including 'Food quality', 'Locale image', 'Restaurant atmosphere', 'Price Fairness', 'Ingroup socialization', 'Ease of conversation', and 'Immersion'. The research showed that locale image, atmosphere, ease of conversation, and immersion significantly affect overall restaurant experience satisfaction. The findings also demonstrated that the destination restaurant experience positively affects tourist place attachment and destination revisit intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of basil, bacon, and hickory-smoked beef aromas on customers’ emotions, perceptions of food quality, and the restaurant environment, as well as entrée selection was investigated. Following an experiment, a survey with 196 responses showed that food aromas had a positive influence on some emotions (pleasure, but not arousal), as well as customers’ impressions of the general food quality and restaurant environment; however, the hypotheses that food aromas influenced congruent entrée choices (e.g., the basil aroma increased purchase of basil containing entrees) were not supported. The findings have direct applications for the restaurant industry and offer suggestions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]