The researchers used generalizability theory to examine whether reputation judgments about corporations function in a manner consistent with contemporary theory in the corporate-reputation literature. University professors (n = 86) of finance, marketing, and human resources management made repeated judgments about the general reputations of highly visible American companies. Minimal variability in the judgments is explained by items, time, persons, and field of specialization. Moreover, experts from the different specializations reveal considerable agreement in how they weigh different aspects of corporate performance in arriving at their global reputation judgments. The results generally support the theory of the reputation construct and suggest that stable estimates of global reputation can be achieved with a small number of items and experts.

Children tend to eat more fruit and vegetables when more are available in the home. We proposed and tested a model that predicts the availability at home (hereinafter termed "home availability") of fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables, using new measures of frequency of food shopping, purchase, and comparative purchase outcome expectancies (ie, the perceived benefits and costs of purchasing fruit and vegetables), home food pantry management practices, family social support for purchasing fruit and vegetables, food shopping practices, and body mass index (BMI). Participants (N=98) were recruited in 2004 in front of grocery stores and completed two telephone interviews. Cross-sectional hierarchical regression was employed with backward deletion of nonsignificant variables. Despite many statistically significant bivariate correlations between the new variables and home fruit, 100% juice, and vegetable availability, social support was the primary predictor of home fruit availability in multivariate regression. BMI and home 100% juice pantry management were the primary predictors of home 100% juice availability. Social support, BMI, and shopping practices were the primary predictors of home vegetable availability. Social support for purchasing fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables was an important, consistent predictor of home availability. These findings need to be replicated in larger samples.Consuming fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables has many positive health outcomes (1). Children tend to eat more fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables when they are available in the home (2). Little is known, however, about factors influencing home availability of these foods. Enabling adult food shoppers (with children at home) to purchase more fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables should increase home availability, and thereby children's consumption. Qualitative research suggested a variety of factors may influence the purchase of fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables and thereby increase their availability in the home, including: frequency of food shopping (3); purchase and comparative purchase (eg, such as fresh vs other); fruit, 100% juice, and vegetable outcome expectancies (ie, the perceived benefits and costs of purchasing fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables) (4); home food pantry management practices (5); family social support for purchasing (6); and food shopping practices (7). The Figure provides a conceptual model of how these variables could logically be interrelated.Based on participant statements in qualitative interviews about home food practices, items were generated for corresponding scales. In subsequent quantitative research, the psychometric characteristics were assessed and validated against measures of home fruit, 100% juice, and vegetable availability (4-7). A relatively new psychometric procedure, Item Response Modeling, assessed how the items distributed across a latent variable and thereby covered the distribution of all participants. All scales correlated with home fruit, 100% juice, and vegetable availability, even...

Home fruit, 100% juice, and vegetables (FJV) availability is related to increased FJV consumption by children. While FJV must be purchased for use in the home, no scales have been reported on home FJV pantry management practices. A scale for home FJV pantry management practices was generated from focus group discussions with diverse 162 food shoppers. A commonly used scale of home FJV availability was also assessed. A grocery store intercept survey recruited 171 food shoppers with children in front of supermarkets and grocery stores. Survey instruments were administered twice, separated by 6 weeks. Single dimensionality was observed for each scale. Item Response Theory parameter estimates revealed easily interpreted patterns in the sequence of items by difficulty of response. These scales are available to help better understand influences on family FJV purchase decisions.

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Objective: To validate four scales -outcome expectancies for purchasing fruit and for purchasing vegetables, and comparative outcome expectancies for purchasing fresh fruit and for purchasing fresh vegetables versus other forms of fruit and vegetables (F&V). Design: Survey instruments were administered twice, separated by 6 weeks. Setting: Recruited in front of supermarkets and grocery stores; interviews conducted by telephone.