Sure, doing some crossword and Sudoku puzzles daily may keep your mind sharp, but recent research shows that it’s the learning of a new, mentally challenging skill is what really improves cognitive function.

Researcher Jennifer Lodi-Smith, PhD, from Canisius College in New York and Denise Park from the University of Texas at Dallas’ Center for Vital Longevity randomly assigned 221 adults, ages 60-90, to participate in a specific activity for 15 hours a week over a three-month time period. Some of the adults had to learn a new skill, such as digital photography or quilting.

“At the end of three months, we found that only the group who learned digital photography grew in their memory skills,” Lodi-Smith said.

The adults were not computer savvy and had to remember a series of steps, learn Photoshop, and mount their photos. The key, Lodi-Smith said, is that the group was productively engaged and consistently challenged during their activity.

Other adults in the study filled out crossword puzzles, watched documentaries, and listened to classical music.

“So when we see all these media reports that tell people that they should get involved socially, or do crossword puzzles or Sudoku, they are just not as beneficial as learning something new where you really have to put that effort in,” Lodi-Smith said. “You have to want to change and work hard to see real benefits.”

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Success depends a lot on your attitude. According to a joint study from the University of Missouri and Lehigh University, job seekers with “learning” attitudes find more success landing their dream jobs.

“Attitude means a lot,” said Daniel Turban, a professor of management at the MU Trulaske College of Business. “In our study, we found that job seekers who have a ‘learning goal orientation’ or a natural disposition to learn from every situation in life, tend to be more successful in achieving their career goals. We also found that this disposition is not just influenced by genetics; it can be acquired.”

Turban and the study’s lead author, Serge da Motta Veiga, surveyed approximately 120 college seniors during different times while in the midst of seeking jobs. They found that those who displayed a strong learning goal orientation (LGO) reacted to failures by putting more effort into the search process, compared to those who had low LGO.

“It’s not that people with a high LGO have less stress, but they deal with the stress better than others,” Turban said. “With the right amount of stress, individuals with a high LGO increased their intensity, and as a result, were more successful with reaching their goals. We always think stress is bad, but that’s not the case. Feeling a moderate amount of stress can be very motivating.”

Turban and da Motta Veiga suggest that people with low LGO can learn behaviors to help them improve their LGO.

“Job seekers can be trained to improve their LGO,” da Motta Veiga said. “Such training could help them realize that the stress and failure they experience while searching for a job is not a bad thing, but instead represents an opportunity to learn from the process and determine how they can be successful at it.”

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The IAVM community wishes to express its deepest sympathy to the family, friends, and colleagues affected by the loss of David Swain at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

“We’re deeply saddened and shaken by the tragic accident that happened yesterday,” said Dave Holscher, North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center general manager. “David Swain has been a cherished member of our Coliseum family for many years. Our thoughts and prayers go out to David’s family, friends and co-workers.” (via WISTV.com)

The way to keeping lower-level employees happy is to keep middle managers happy, according to a new Vanderbilt University study.

“Middle managers’ treatment of employees reflects how bosses treat them,” said Ray Friedman, Brownlee O. Currey Professor of Management at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management.

The researchers studied 1,527 full-time employees at 94 hotels in the U.S. and Canada and found that middle managers’ satisfaction with their supervisors was related in line to workers’ satisfaction with middle managers.

“If an organization wishes to address issues related to line employees’ work attitudes, it should address behavior and work attitudes from the top down.” Friedman said. “The focus should not just be on employees and their managers, but also on the signals being sent by senior managers every day as they interact with their middle-level manager subordinates.”

It’s imperative that middle managers have a good working relationship with their supervisors, because the effects trickle down to the lower-level employees.

“Despite the lack of direct contact between senior managers and line employees, senior managers can have a significant influence on those line employees,” Friedman said.

Friedman talks more about the study’s findings in the above video.

There’s a difference in expectations between a loyal sports fan and a first-time attendee, according to a recent Cornell University study.

More than 7,000 fans of a major U.S. sport were surveyed, and the researchers found that loyal fans took into account core services (e.g., the game itself, food and beverage) and supplementary services (e.g., parking, entrance gates) when they considered buying another ticket. First-time customer, though, focused on the core services mostly.

“This particular sport has a notably loyal fan base,” said Matthew Walsman, a doctoral student at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. “So, we wanted to know what aspects of the event services are most influential when the fans buy their next ticket. It turns out that all the services, both core services and supplementary services are important. They go for the full experience, starting from the moment they arrive and walk through the gates.”

Approximately 250 people where first-time customers in the survey.

“We found out that first-time customers are most interested in the core service—primarily the sporting contest itself and the services immediately connected with that event,” said Rohit Verma, a Singapore Tourism Board Distinguished Professor at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. “We also found out that these first-timers make something of a snap decision on repeated ticket purchase—either they enjoy all the services and buy another ticket or else the service package doesn’t meet their needs.”

The researchers suggest that an implication of the study is that organizations should focus on their fans’ full experience, but core services are critical for loyal and first-time fans.

“Most service businesses have control over their core experience, but this is not always true in sporting events,” Walsman said. “Sometimes the event includes dramatic moments and sometimes not. This is where the related services come in. If the venue managers provide a full event package, the customers will still have an enjoyable time even if their team or contestant had a tough day.”

The study, “It’s More Than Just a Game: The Effect of Core and Supplementary Services on Customer Loyalty,” is free to download.

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