The Irish Elk, the Worlds Biggest Deer

The Irish Elk, the World's Biggest Deer Although Megaloceros is commonly known as the Irish Elk, its important to understand that this genus comprised nine separate species, only one of which (Megaloceros giganteus) reached true elk-like proportions. Also, the name Irish Elk is something of a double misnomer. First, Megaloceros had more in common with modern deer than American or European Elks, and, second, it didnt live exclusively in Ireland, enjoying a distribution across the expanse of Pleistocene Europe. (Other, smaller Megaloceros species ranged as far afield as China and Japan.)    The Irish Elk, M. giganteus, was far and away the largest deer that ever lived, measuring about eight feet long from head to tail and weighing in the neighborhood of 500 to 1,500 pounds. What really set this megafauna mammal apart from its fellow ungulates, though, were its enormous, ramifying, ornate antlers, which spanned almost 12 feet from tip to tip and weighed just short of 100 pounds. As with all such structures in the animal kingdom, these antlers were strictly a sexually selected characteristic; males with more ornate appendages were more successful in intra-herd combat, and thus more attractive to females during mating season. Why didnt these top-heavy antlers cause Irish Elk males to tip over? Presumably, they also had exceptionally strong necks, not to mention a finely tuned sense of balance. The Extinction of the Irish Elk Why did the Irish Elk go extinct shortly after the last Ice Age, on the cusp of the modern era, 10,000 years ago? Well, this may have been an object lesson in sexual selection run amok: Its possible that dominant Irish Elk males were so successful and so long-lived that they crowded other, less-well-endowed males out of the gene pool, the result being excessive inbreeding. An overly inbred Irish Elk population would be unusually susceptible to disease or environmental changesay, if an accustomed source of food disappearedand prone to sudden extinction. By the same token, if early human hunters targeted alpha males (perhaps wishing to use their horns as ornaments or magic totems), that, too, would have had a disastrous effect on the Irish Elks prospects for survival. Because it went extinct so recently, the Irish Elk is a candidate species for de-extinction. What this would mean, in practice, is harvesting remnants of Megaloceros DNA from preserved soft tissues, comparing these with the gene sequences of still-extant relatives (perhaps the much, much smaller Fallow Deer or Red Deer), and then breeding the Irish Elk back into existence via a combination of gene manipulation, in-vitro fertilization, and surrogate pregnancy. It all sounds easy when you read it, but each of these steps poses significant technical challengesso you shouldnt expect to see an Irish Elk at your local zoo anytime soon! Name: Irish Elk; also known as  Megaloceros giganteus  (Greek for giant horn); pronounced meg-ah-LAH-seh-russ Habitat: Plains of Eurasia Historical Epoch: Pleistocene-Modern (two million-10,000 years ago) Size and Weight: Up to eight feet long and 1,500 pounds Diet: Plants Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; large, ornate horns on head

Analysis of the Effect of the Recession on Hypermarket Retailing Essay

Analysis of the Effect of the Recession on Hypermarket Retailing Industry in Brazil - Essay Example The economic reviews of Brazil’s retail industry out that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rates are cumulatively increasing year by year. The practice of consolidation of the hypermarket retail industry has been continuing but in general, the hypermarket remains comparatively fragmented, representing substantial span for the big players to develop their market strength in future. The leading 3 market players are controlling the hypermarket retail industry in Brazil; they are Pao de Acucar, Carrefour, and Wal-Mart. Other players are leading through acquisition. The recession affects the revenue of sales and the decline of the profit in the retail industry, Recession is defined as "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real gross domestic product (GDP), real income, employment, industrial production and wholesale-retail sales" (What causes a recession? 2012). In this study, the recession affects the business of hypermarket retailing industry. Recession affects various aspects of business such as the purchasing power of consumers, buying behavior, and the income disposable level of people has increased significantly. There are many other factors that contribute to the fall in economy's into a recession, but inflation is the major reason for recession. â€Å"Inflation is defined as a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services† (All about Inflation 2012). Inflation indicates the general increase in the price of products and services over time period. The rate of inflation is higher; the consumers purchase lower percentage goods and services with the same price. The time of recession affects the hypermarket industry in Brazil; the major players of hypermarket industry in Brazil are Pao de Acucar, Carrefour and Wal-Mart. Recession mainly affects these companies because they are retail stores. â€Å"The ec onomic crisis makes low-price concepts particularly adapted, and all three international retailers can potentially benefit from this trend. Expansion in Brazil is still ongoing and a strategic focus for all three groups† (Carrefour, Casino and Wal-Mart’s Expansion Strategies in Latin America 2012). Hypermarkets provide durable and non-durable goods. The retail industry of Brazil is segmented in three parts, they are Grocery Retail Non-Grocery Retail Non-Store retail These three categories are the main drivers of Brazil’s retail industry. The retailing of grocery is at a constant growth, and has gained its sustainability to the growing people who belong to low income group. The hypermarkets and large retailers are focusing on grocery, and also investing on the non-grocery items such as foot wears, fashion clothing, and sundries. The retailer’s Wallmart and Carrefour focus on developing personal labels for their own clothing brands and footwear. The Recessio n Impact of Retail Industry: â€Å"A recession normally takes place when consumers lose confidence in the growth of the economy and spend less, this leads to a decreased demand for goods and services, which in turn leads to a decrease in production, lay-offs and a sharp rise in unemployment† (Malik & Pandit 2012). The impact of recession in retail industry will decrease the proper demand and also enforces stress on the prices, and leads to the absence of price-war in the retail market. To keep the consumers, the

The Case Concerning the Pellian Workers Party (PWP) Assignment

The Case Concerning the Pellian Workers Party (PWP) - Assignment Example All the members of PWP are residents of Pell and the group receives financial support from ordinary well wishers, who are Pellians. PWP’s actions are not relate with the state. As such, it is clear that the actions of PWP are not the same as armed attack as contained in the customary international law. Q2. In determining the legitimacy of NAIOS to initiate a joint self-defense against PWP as in Article 5 of NAIOS and Article 51, United Nations Charter, there must be ascertainment that the actions of PWP qualify for armed attack as provided by the two Articles. Looking the case, PWP are just insurgents whose actions are criminal in nature and the scope of their actions remains affairs internal to Pell and Aldor. Therefore, the NAIOS has no mandate to launch military revenge in group self-defense. However, NAIOS can provide Pell and Aldor with assistance to effectively deal with their internal

Performance pay at safelight Auto Glass Case Study

Performance pay at safelight Auto Glass - Case Study Example Because of this, Safelite created this incentive system to motivate their employees and decrease turnover. As additional motivation, they created a table to show their technicians how much more money they could make if they put in more effort. They were still guaranteed their hourly wage, but if they put more effort into their work and increased the numbers of installations, they effectively would be able to increase their wage by $3 per hour or more. In addition to the technicians, it was important that store managers were also able to partake in and understand this PPP schematic. Depending on the size of the store, the managers were also expected to install a certain number of glass pieces, as well as maintaining the motivation of their staff. Safelite understood that there may be instances where a manager spending time installing glass would be detrimental, so they categorized their stores based on size. They largest, busiest store managers were not expected to install glass, but still needed to understand the PPP. Whereas managers in the smaller, slower stores were expected to spend some time in installation. This, according to Bill Rapp, was an incentive for them to hire and maintain a small number of technicians. â€Å"We want them to think, ‘If I hire another tech, I’ll have less to install myself.’† ultimately reducing the manager’s overall pay. 1B. Does it introduce new problem? Yes, it does. A reduction in the technician’s guaranteed hourly wage may result in a huge turnover. If a technician was for some reason unable to install enough glass pieces to compensate himself to his satisfaction, he likely would move on to a competing company that would offer him the highest rate possible. There are also a number of extenuating circumstances that were not taken into account. These include: scheduling errors or miscommunications, operational problems and inclement weather. All of these could prevent the technician fro m installing enough glass to make the PPP rate. Also, in winter time, the PPP was nearly impossible to attain, and the technicians were essentially at the mercy of the CSR’s, warehouse drivers and the employees at the manufacturing facility, who were not a part of the PPP plan. The PPP plan also came across to the technicians as, â€Å"†¦We’re gonna cut your pay by 30% and you can make up the difference,† (Gassiot). This likely induced a fear in the Safelite technicians, encouraging them to move on to a company that did not gamble with their wages. 2A. What are the pros and cons of switching from wage rates to piece rate pay? The pros and cons are very similar to the answers to questions 1A and 1B. The introduction of the PPP was a great idea, in as much as it offered technicians and managers alike the opportunity to earn a higher wage. Based on their productivity and how motivated they were, they could potentially increase their salary by $3 or more per ho ur. Given that the average technician in this study only received between $10 and $12 per hour, the additional $3 per hour or more was very enticing and motivating. The PPP did not only cover glass installation, which was another incentive. It covered windshields, other glass pieces, repairs, wipers and other items used and sold in the shop, which increased the ability for an installer to increase their pay rate even more. This was good for the managers in the smaller,

The Lord of the Rings Essay Example for Free

The Lord of the Rings Essay The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings follows the story of Frodo as he and a group of friends set off on a quest to destroy the One Ring before its evil creator, the Dark Lord Savron, can get it and use it to obliterate Middle Earth. This film has a huge following of fans, which is probably something to do with how well such a wide variation of themes and genres are included in the storyline of the film. Although it is obviously a fantasy film this is clear from the opening sequence in which the different races of Middle Earth are each given a set of rings it has elements of other genres featured as well. The huge battle scene towards the beginning of the film hints towards an action/adventure aspect whilst the friendship between Frodo and Gandolf shows that the importance of trust and companionship will play a key part in how the plot evolves. The film begins with a womans voice telling the story of how the rings began life and goes onto explain who got the rings. Whilst she is talking, we see the action on screen mirroring her words as well as an ancient map, which points out where in Middle Earth the different races of life live. We are then taken to a panning shot of a huge battle scene in which the keeper of the last remaining ring is defeated. From then on filming follows this one ring as its new owner is ambushed in the forest and the ring drops to the riverbed, then as a creature known as Gollum finds it. This sequence of filming ends when Bilbo Baggins finds the ring. The next shot is in the Shire, sixty years later, and here we watch as Frodo meets up with Gandolf and the two friends take a trip through the village Frodo lives in. The locals are preparing for a party and for a while we are oblivious to who or why they are celebrating. This is until banner reading Happy Birthday Bilbo Baggins is raised between the trees. It is exceptionally important in this film that the setting is explained to the audience. This is because the entire world that the story is played out in is completely fictional. To gain such needed explanation of setting, extreme long shots and panning shots were used during the battle scene, which meant the audience could understand the enormous scale of the battle. During the opening voice over section, a map was shown on screen pointing out where each of the races live, this gave the film more authenticity and almost made the audience feel this was a real place, and these creatures were real creatures, which was essential if the film wanted to capture the audiences imagination.

Distortion in Brave New World Essay -- Brave New World Essays

Distortion in Brave New World    Distortion is an image of a thought or idea that appears to have a single affect on a society, but in actuality provides one that is totally different. Often times in order for readers to understand the realism of today's society and the point that the author tries to make in presenting its flaws, the writer must distort reality. In doing this he urges the reader to engage in a deep thought process that forces them to realize the reality of a situation, rather than perceiving it to be good or evil based on the dilutions of individuals. In his novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley uses tomorrow's dystopia and distorts it by creating a utopian visage. By distorting religion and science, Huxley allows readers to realize the happiness that the inhabitants feel is in actuality the unhappiness they are trying to avoid.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Huxley's brave new world loathes the pain and agony of religion, as well as the complications that it creates; but in reality the inhabitants have a rigorous... Distortion in Brave New World Essay -- Brave New World Essays Distortion in Brave New World    Distortion is an image of a thought or idea that appears to have a single affect on a society, but in actuality provides one that is totally different. Often times in order for readers to understand the realism of today's society and the point that the author tries to make in presenting its flaws, the writer must distort reality. In doing this he urges the reader to engage in a deep thought process that forces them to realize the reality of a situation, rather than perceiving it to be good or evil based on the dilutions of individuals. In his novel Brave New World, Aldous Huxley uses tomorrow's dystopia and distorts it by creating a utopian visage. By distorting religion and science, Huxley allows readers to realize the happiness that the inhabitants feel is in actuality the unhappiness they are trying to avoid.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Huxley's brave new world loathes the pain and agony of religion, as well as the complications that it creates; but in reality the inhabitants have a rigorous...

Project Management Plan for Restaurant Essay

A factor analytic approach revealed that there were different consumer segments based on identified attitudes in the hospitality industry, developing their hospitality selection on different attributes of hospitality services. This requires specific marketing segment and management strategies. A repeated measure some six years later demonstrated the robustness of the identified consumer attitudes. The impact of the attitudes on consumer behaviour is demonstrated and areas of research are identified in which this hospitality monitor may better inform theory development and best practice. Keywords: Consumer behavior, Marketing, Attribute-value theory, Service quality ** Vera Toepoel is an assistant professor at Leisure Studies, Tilburg University, Netherlands. E-mail : V. Toepoel@uvt. nl 76 Vera Toepoel Introduction Consumer trends come and go, affecting the extent to which individuals appreciate certain aspects of hospitality services, and over time this can have significant implications for businesses in the hospitality industry. It is important for the sector to understand what the current trends in consumer behavior are, which consumer segments exist, and how consumer ehavior will develop in the future. Verma, Plaschka, and Louvriere (2002) argue that it is imperative that businesses take into account consumer preferences when making decisions regarding product and service attributes. Understanding consumer choices is the key to successful management of hospitality services. According to attribute-value theory (Mowen and Minor, 1998), consumers base their choice o n different attributes. Consumers may be attracted by price, by quality, by location etc. Consumers weigh up the overall value in terms of the presence and weight of each attribute. A favorable overall attitude is expected to result in repeat business. Over the last decades, several studies on market segmentation in the hospitality sector have demonstrated that consumers’ requirements of hospitality services differ between market segments. Market segmentation divides a market into distinct groups of buyers who might require different products or services. Understanding what various segments require and developing focused management strategies to fulfill these specific requirements are crucial to penetrating new markets and maintaining repeat business (Yuksel and Yuksel, 2002). The benefits of monitoring consumer attitudes seem evident. Incorporation of these attitudes into market segmentation and management is limited, however. In addition, although many segmentation studies have been performed in the hospitality sector (see John and Pine, 2002), research on stability over time is scarce. This study investigates which consumer segments exist in the hospitality sector in the Netherlands. A segmentation analysis based on consumer attitudes in the hospitality industry is used. This study demonstrates differences in personal characteristics and behavior of the identified consumer segments. The measure is repeated to demonstrate the robustness of results. In addition, the repetition of the measure demonstrates how segmentation studies can serve to monitor consumer trends over time. This research can be used to map consumer attitudes and assist hospitality organizations in designing effective market strategies to attract, satisfy, and retain consumers. Monitoring Consumer Attitudes in Hospitality Services: a Market Segmentation 77 Literature Reviews Since the 1970s a coherent theoretical structure has emerged to underpin consumer research. One of the main theories on consumer behavior believes that consumers base their choices on different attributes. These experiences may best be described by multi-attribute models (Mowen and Minor, 1998). These models identify how consumers combine their beliefs about product attributes to form attitudes. Consumers are considered to assess hotels, restaurants, cafes etc. through sets of attributes (Pizam and Ellis, 1999). Multiattribute models assume that consumers are using the standard hierarchy-ofeffects approach in which beliefs lead to attitude formation, which, in turn, leads to actual behavior. One of the most frequently used multi-attribute models is the attitude-towards-the-object model. Mowen and Minor (1998) describe this model in detail. It identifies three major factors that predict attitudes; the saliency of an attribute, the strength of the belief that a product or service has the attribute in question, and the evaluation of each of the salient attributes. Consumers weigh up the overall value in terms of the degree to which each attribute and its relevant weight is present (attribute-value theory). A favorable overall attitude is expected to result in repeat business. For a review of papers which have analyzed the attributes that are valued in the hospitality industry, see Johns and Pine (2002). The importance of the different attributes may differ per market segment. For example, one market segment may be attracted by a restaurant’s low price, another by its food quality, another by its location, and so on. Consumers assess certain attributes of the products, but the key factor is that this assessment is conditioned by the segment to which they belong. Consumers do not value attributes in the same way but in general terms. If they belong to the same segment they usually have similar attribute weighting coefficients. Hence there is a need to properly identify segments, so that managers can identify which attributes of specific services are valued by consumers in each segment. For this reason it is interesting to connect these attributes with the valuation of the different segments. The Dutch Research Institute for Recreation and Tourism (NRIT) claims in their report on trends in tourism, recreation, and leisure (2009) that due to the focus on the economic crisis focused marketing segmentation is an absolute must. Most studies on market segmentation focus on a three-step process of segmentation (who will come), targeting (what do they want), and positioning 78 Vera Toepoel (what can we offer). There are many studies dealing with consumer segmentation in the hospitality industry. For an exhaustive overview of different segmentation approaches and their pros and cons, see e. g. Bowen (1998) and Johns and Pine (2002). Traditionally, segmentation was based on demographic characteristics, later on other variables were used, e. g. geographic, psychographic, and behavioristic variables (Bowen, 1998). For example, Legoherel (1998) focuses on expenditure-levels in terms of consumers’ estimation of travel expenditures; Grazin and Olsen (1997) identify groups depending on their frequency of use with regard to fast food restaurants; Nayga and Capps (1994) relate demand for different types of restaurants to different socio-economic segments; and Binckley (1998) shows that population density has a powerful effect on demand. Victorino, Karniouchina, and Verma (2009) use segmentation based on consumers’ comfort with technology to tailor communication service to guests’ computing and connectivity needs. Oh and Jeong (1996) base their segmentation on characteristics of the organization: product, service, amenity, appearance, and convenience. Lewis (1981) finds that segments in restaurants differ in their opinions about the importance of several service attributes, while Bahn and Granzin (1985) find that nutritional concerns affected restaurant selection. As hospitality organizations provide a number of services, it seems appropriate to consider the benefits in terms of the attributes of the total service product provided (Bahn and Granzin, 1985). Much hospitality research reflects the broad theoretical structure of attribute-value theory. Thus a number of authors have studied hospitality attributes, but the authors disagree about the relative importance of the attributes (Johns and Pine, 2002). Clark and Wood (1996) attribute the differences in importance of attributes to different styles of hospitality services, e. g. types of restaurants. Differences could also come from different trends or cultures and even different types of survey questions, however. It is difficult to develop standardized questions to measure generalized attributes that are considered relevant to all hospitality services. Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry (1988) made a major contribution to the service industry by developing the SERVQUAL instrument. They demonstrated that service quality depends on five dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. The applicability of SERVQUAL in the hospitality industry is demonstrated by several studies (e. g. Bojanic and Rosen, 1994; Lee and Hing, 1995; Stevens, Knutson, and Patton, 1995). Although SERVQUAL summarizes service attributes in a theoretically satisfying way, it takes little account of differences in consumer’s wishes regarding service quality over time. In Monitoring Consumer Attitudes in Hospitality Services: a Market Segmentation 79 addition, each study on market segmentation in the hospitality industry reveals distinct consumer groups, but it is often unknown, however, whether the segmentation holds over time or in different settings. Research on stability in market segments over time is scarce (Dolnicar, 2006). Stability is essential as every segmentation solution is different. Only if a segmentation solution can repeatedly be found, does it give a secure basis to postulate existence of segments. In her study on market-segmentation in tourism over the recent decades, including papers in academic journals from 1981 until 2005, Dolnicar reports less than 14% of all studies reporting on any form of stability in market segmentation. Stability over time is claimed to be one of the most important potential developments in hospitality segmentation. The hospitality sector is always moving and all kinds of trends and developments influence the sector locally, nationally, and internationally. Therefore, it is important to monitor what hospitality consumers want. The Dutch Tourism Knowledge Centre, the Dutch umbrella organization for the hospitality sector, acknowledges in its report on consumer behavior (2000) that consumers found that hospitality businesses did not know what their consumers wanted. In 2002, the Dutch Tourism Knowledge Centre adapted the SERVQUAL instrument of Parasuraman et al. (1988) to five consumer attitudes in the hospitality sector , in order to better keep up with consumers’ wishes. The Moment Consumer (SERVQUAL: tangibles) chooses what is convenient at a certain place and time. Physical facilities, equipment, and appearance are found to be important attributes of hospitality services. This consumer is unpredictable and consumer loyalty is low. This consumer feels more and more the need for efficiency. Price is not an object of concern. Moment Consumers are sensitive for trends and tire of concepts relatively quickly. The Conscious Consumer (SERVQUAL: reliability) appreciates the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. The Conscious Consumer emphasizes nutrition, origins of products and security. Conscious consumers are concerned about the negative consequences of their behavior for the environment and their health. For the Assured Consumer (SERVQUAL: assurance), health and a good and safe environment are important. Under the influence of food scandals the emphasis is on natural and biological products. Consumers are driven to find alternatives if there are indications of potential risks. Information on the whereabouts of a product, the methods used for preparation, and â€Å"pure† products, are important attributes for this consumer. Violence and aggression have to be tackled by the hospitality business openly. The Healthy Consumer (SERVQUAL: responsiveness) values 80 Vera Toepoel â€Å"healthy† food. Colour, taste, form, structure, odor, and appearance are important attributes for a healthy lifestyle. The origins printed on products are also criteria for purchase. The Healthy Consumer buys at responsive businesses. The Experience Consumer (SERVQUAL: empathy) wants more than food or accommodation. Eating, drinking, and sleeping have to be experiences, where the consumer is able to participate in the business process and above all is surprised by the experience. The Experience Consumer wants individual attention and empathy from hospitality businesses. All of the identified groups value different attributes in the hospitality sector. Attitudes towards different attributes are found be related to demographics. Lea and Worsley (2005) find a significant effect of sex on hospitality beliefs. Bittencourt, Teratanavat, and Chern (2007) discuss household income, family size and composition, residential location, and age as important influencing factors on food and hospitality consumption. For example, age effects are associated with changes in nutritional requirements, tastes, and preferences due to aging and life cycle (Mori et al. , 2000). Cook (1994) discusses that spending on dairy products generally decreases with age, while spending on vegetables and fruits are higher in older age groups. Nayga and Capps (1993) give an overview of studies on food away from home and the socio-demographic factors considered. They find gender, urbanization, household composition, age, education, and income as most important factors influencing consumer behavior. Demographic factors can be used to predict differences in attitudes because the structure of demographic characteristics follows a specific pattern (Bittencourt et al. , 2007). It is important to take into account demographic characteristics to see how they influence consumers’ attitudes towards certain attributes. National policies can also influence consumer behavior and attitudes. At the time of this research, smoking policies were a hot topic in the hospitality sector. Although many businesses feared for their turnovers and some faced major losses due to the introduction of a smoking ban (Frumkin, 2004), other businesses did not notice any differences in consumer behavior before and after the introduction of the prohibition (Kramer, 1995), or even saw a business opportunity in it (Pratten, 2003). It is interesting to see how policy measures such as a smoking ban can have different effects on consumer segments. When hospitality businesses monitor which consumer segments they attract, it becomes more feasible to understand and react to national policies. In the remainder of this paper the five consumer attitudes are presented in a research instrument based on consumer segmentation, the Hospitality Monitor, together Monitoring Consumer Attitudes in Hospitality Services: a Market Segmentation 81 ith information attesting the reliability and validity of the scale and evidence that the construct is meaningful in analyzing consumer behavior. Methodology Design and implementation A research instrument was developed to distinguish different consumer segments in the hospitality industry based on the five consumer attitudes identified by the Dutch Tourism Knowledge Centre (2002). Since the boundaries between different attitudes are often blurred, the consumer attitudes were classified i nto the five main consumer service attributes of the SERVQUAL instrument (Parasuraman et al. 1988). These attitudes are clear and can be manipulated. The attitudes are useful for all sectors in the hospitality industry, from drinking, eating, to accommodation. About ten items per attitude were constructed to differentiate between attitudes. The research instrument consisted of 50 items measured on a five-point Likert scale. Items are presented in Appendix A. The score on each attitude indicates the respondent’s attitude towards the topic. Questions on gender, urbanization, household composition, age, education, income, and the smoking ban were also taken into account. Longitudinal measurements reveal the augmentation or weakening of certain attitudes. To demonstrate, the exact same measure was repeated some six years later. The questionnaires were fielded in the CentERpanel, an online household panel consisting of more than 2,000 households administered by CentERdata. The panel aims to be representative of the Dutch-speaking population in the Netherlands, including those without Internet access. The CentERpanel is based on a household probability sample selected by Statistics Netherlands, the national statistical agency. Households with no Internet access when recruited were provided with a so-called Net. Box, enabling a connection via a telephone line and a television set. If the household did not have a television, CentERdata provided that, too (see Appendix B for details about the panel). Data collection for Wave 1 took place in August 2003; 1644 panel members were selected and 1410 responded (response percentage 85. 7%). Data collection for Wave 2 took place in March 2009; 2446 panel members were selected and 1677 responded (response percentage 68. 6%). The demographics in both samples are roughly the same, as can be seen in Appendix C. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. 82