Issues in Quantitative Analysis of Ultraviolet Imager (UV) Data: Airglow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Germany, G. A.; Richards, P. G.; Spann, J. F.; Brittnacher, M. J.; Parks, G. K.

1999-01-01

The GGS Ultraviolet Imager (UVI) has proven to be especially valuable in correlative substorm, auroral morphology, and extended statistical studies of the auroral regions. Such studies are based on knowledge of the location, spatial, and temporal behavior of auroral emissions. More quantitative studies, based on absolute radiometric intensities from UVI images, require a more intimate knowledge of the instrument behavior and data processing requirements and are inherently more difficult than studies based on relative knowledge of the oval location. In this study, UVI airglow observations are analyzed and compared with model predictions to illustrate issues that arise in quantitative analysis of UVI images. These issues include instrument calibration, long term changes in sensitivity, and imager flat field response as well as proper background correction. Airglow emissions are chosen for this study because of their relatively straightforward modeling requirements and because of their implications for thermospheric compositional studies. The analysis issues discussed here, however, are identical to those faced in quantitative auroral studies.

Functional behavioral analysis and social scripting for the older patient with schizophrenia: a staff development program.

PubMed

Markwick, Laura; Smith, Charlene; Mick, Diane

2014-11-01

Executive functioning is the ability to plan, strategize, organize, and focus on details. Impaired executive functioning plays a significant role in behavior disturbances. Lack of inhibition, impaired abstract reasoning, thought perseverance, rigidity in routine, and lack of insight disrupt social skills and daily life. Autism and schizophrenia present some similar behaviors, including impaired executive functioning, often resulting in pharmacological management as many healthcare professionals receive limited training in executive functioning. Non-pharmacological tools used in autism for behavior management include functional behavioral analysis and social scripting, which help to identify causes of behavior and teach more appropriate behavioral responses. Described here is an educational program for healthcare workers in a long-term care skilled nursing facility, to help them understand the basis for behaviors in individuals with impaired executive function, to use these same tools for behavioral modification techniques, and to help patients learn more appropriate social skills. Program evaluation suggested the educational program was successful in increasing the staff's knowledge and comfort level in addressing the behavioral issues that arise with this population and staff also reported less use of medication as first-line treatment for behavioral issues.

Behavior analysts and cultural analysis: Troubles and issues

PubMed Central

Malagodi, E. F.; Jackson, Kevin

1989-01-01

Three strategic suggestions are offered to behavior analysts who are concerned with extending the interests of our discipline into domains traditionally assigned to the social sciences: (1) to expand our world-view perspectives beyond the boundaries commonly accepted by psychologists in general; (2) to build a cultural analytic framework upon the foundations we have developed for the study of individuals; and (3) to study the works of those social scientists whose views are generally compatible with, and complementary to, our own. Sociologist C. Wright Mills' distinction between troubles and issues and anthropologist Marvin Harris's principles of cultural materialism are related to topics raised by these three strategies. The pervasiveness of the “psychocentric” world view within psychology and the social sciences, and throughout our culture at large, is discussed from the points of view of Skinner, Mills, and Harris. It is suggested that a thorough commitment to radical behaviorism, and continuation of interaction between radical behaviorism and cultural materialism, are necessary for maintaining and extending an issues orientation within the discipline of behavior analysis and for guarding against dilutions and subversions of that orientation by “deviation-dampening” contingencies that exist in our profession and in our culture at large. PMID:22478014

Organization in memory and behavior1

PubMed Central

Shimp, Charles P.

1976-01-01

Some common reinforcement contingencies make the delivery of a reinforcer depend on the occurrence of behavior lacking significant temporal structure: a reinforcer may be contingent on nearly instantaneous responses such as a pigeon's key peck, a rat's lever press, a human's button press or brief verbal utterance, and so on. Such a reinforcement contingency conforms much more closely to the functionalist tradition in experimental psychology than to the structuralist tradition. Until recently, the functionalist tradition, in the form of a kind of associationism, typified most research on human learning and memory. Recently, however, research on human memory has focused more on structural issues: now the basic unit of analysis often involves an organized temporal pattern of behavior. A focus on the interrelations between the function and structure of behavior identifies a set of independent and dependent variables different from those identified by certain common kinds of “molar” behavioral analyses. In so doing, such a focus redefines some of the significant issues in the experimental analysis of behavior. PMID:16811925

The theory of planned behaviour: reactions and reflections.

PubMed

Ajzen, Icek

2011-09-01

The seven articles in this issue, and the accompanying meta-analysis in Health Psychology Review [McEachan, R.R.C., Conner, M., Taylor, N., & Lawton, R.J. (2011). Prospective prediction of health-related behaviors with the theory of planned behavior: A meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review, 5, 97-144], illustrate the wide application of the theory of planned behaviour [Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211] in the health domain. In this editorial, Ajzen reflects on some of the issues raised by the different authors. Among the topics addressed are the nature of intentions and the limits of predictive validity; rationality, affect and emotions; past behaviour and habit; the prototype/willingness model; and the role of such background factors as the big five personality traits and social comparison tendency.

"Once when i was on call...," theory versus reality in training for professionalism.

PubMed

Eggly, Susan; Brennan, Simone; Wiese-Rometsch, Wilhelmine

2005-04-01

To identify the degree to which interns' reported experiences with professional and unprofessional behavior converge and/or diverge with ideal professional behavior proposed by the physician community. Interns at Wayne State University's residency programs in internal medicine, family medicine, and transitional medicine responded to essay questions about their experience with professional and unprofessional behavior as part of a curriculum on professionalism. Responses were coded for whether they reflected each of the principles and responsibilities outlined in a major publication on physician professionalism. Content analysis included the frequencies with which the interns' essays reflected each principle or responsibility. Additionally, a thematic analysis revealed themes of professional behavior that emerged from the essays. Interns' experiences with professional and unprofessional behavior most frequently converged with ideal behavior proposed by the physician community in categories involving interpersonal interactions with patients. Interns infrequently reported experiences involving behavior related to systems or sociopolitical issues. Interns' essays reflect their concern with interpersonal interactions with patients, but they are either less exposed to or less interested in describing behavior regarding systems or sociopolitical issues. This may be due to their stage of training or to the emphasis placed on interpersonal rather than systems or sociopolitical issues during training. The authors recommend future proposals of ideal professional behavior be revised periodically to reflect current experiences of practicing physicians, trainees, other health care providers and patients. Greater educational emphasis should be placed on the systems and sociopolitical environment in which trainees practice.

A Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective on Embodied Language for Human-Robot Cooperation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madden, Carol; Hoen, Michel; Dominey, Peter Ford

2010-01-01

This article addresses issues in embodied sentence processing from a "cognitive neural systems" approach that combines analysis of the behavior in question, analysis of the known neurophysiological bases of this behavior, and the synthesis of a neuro-computational model of embodied sentence processing that can be applied to and tested in the…

Multilevel models in the explanation of the relationship between safety climate and safe behavior.

PubMed

Cheyne, Alistair; Tomás, José M; Oliver, Amparo

2013-01-01

This study examines the relationships between components of organizational safety climate, including employee attitudes to organizational safety issues; perceptions of the physical working environment, and evaluations of worker engagement with safety issues; and relates these to self-reported levels of safety behavior. It attempts to explore the relationships between these variables in 1189 workers across 78 work groups in a large transportation organization. Evaluations of safety climate, the working environment and worker engagement, as well as safe behaviors, were collected using a self report questionnaire. The multilevel analysis showed that both levels of evaluation (the work group and the individual), and some cross-level interactions, were significant in explaining safe behaviors. Analyses revealed that a number of variables, at both levels, were associated with worker engagement and safe behaviors. The results suggest that, while individual evaluations of safety issues are important, there is also a role for the fostering of collective safety climates in encouraging safe behaviors and therefore reducing accidents.

The Scientific Image in Behavior Analysis.

PubMed

Keenan, Mickey

2016-05-01

Throughout the history of science, the scientific image has played a significant role in communication. With recent developments in computing technology, there has been an increase in the kinds of opportunities now available for scientists to communicate in more sophisticated ways. Within behavior analysis, though, we are only just beginning to appreciate the importance of going beyond the printing press to elucidate basic principles of behavior. The aim of this manuscript is to stimulate appreciation of both the role of the scientific image and the opportunities provided by a quick response code (QR code) for enhancing the functionality of the printed page. I discuss the limitations of imagery in behavior analysis ("Introduction"), and I show examples of what can be done with animations and multimedia for teaching philosophical issues that arise when teaching about private events ("Private Events 1 and 2"). Animations are also useful for bypassing ethical issues when showing examples of challenging behavior ("Challenging Behavior"). Each of these topics can be accessed only by scanning the QR code provided. This contingency has been arranged to help the reader embrace this new technology. In so doing, I hope to show its potential for going beyond the limitations of the printing press.

Specific responsible environmental behavior among boaters on the Chesapeake Bay: a predictive model part II

Treesearch

Stuart P. Cottrell; Alan R. Graefe

1995-01-01

This paper examines predictors of boater behavior in a specific behavior situation, namely the percentage of raw sewage discharged from recreational vessels in a sanitation pumpout facility on the Chesapeake Bay. Results of a multiple regression analysis show knowledge predicts behavior in specific issue situations. In addition, the more specific the...

Improving Generalization of Academic Skills: Commentary on the Special Issue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skinner, Christopher H.; Daly, Edward J., III

2010-01-01

Behavior analysts have long been interested in developing and promoting the use of effective generalization strategies for behavioral interventions. Perhaps because research on academic performance has lagged behind in the field of applied behavior analysis, far less research on this topic has been conducted for academic performance problems. The…

Some reflections on 25 years of the association for behavior analysis: Past, present, and future

PubMed Central

Morris, Edward K.; Baer, Donald M.; Favell, Judith E.; Glenn, Sigrid S.; Hineline, Philip N.; Malott, Maria E.; Michael, Jack

2001-01-01

This paper offers some reflections on the discipline and profession of behavior analysis, as well as on the Association for Behavior Analysis (ABA), on the occasion of the association's 25th anniversary. It is based on a panel session conducted at the 1999 convention that included six past presidents of ABA (Donald M. Baer, Judith E. Favell, Sigrid S. Glenn, Philip N. Hineline, Jack Michael, and Edward K. Morris) and its current Executive Director and Secretary-Treasurer (Maria E. Malott). Among the topics addressed were (a) the survival of behavior analysis in university and cultural contexts, (b) the training of behavior-analytic researchers and practitioners, (c) relations between basic and applied research, (d) convergences between behavior analysis and other disciplines, (e) the structure and function of ABA, and (f) the importance of students for the future of the association, the discipline, and the profession. Questions from the audience raised issues concerning the relevance of major behavior-analytic journals, advances in behavior analysis since the death of B. F. Skinner, and the availability of accessible, popular material on applied behavior analysis. PMID:22478359

Stochastic simulation and analysis of biomolecular reaction networks

PubMed Central

Frazier, John M; Chushak, Yaroslav; Foy, Brent

2009-01-01

Background In recent years, several stochastic simulation algorithms have been developed to generate Monte Carlo trajectories that describe the time evolution of the behavior of biomolecular reaction networks. However, the effects of various stochastic simulation and data analysis conditions on the observed dynamics of complex biomolecular reaction networks have not recieved much attention. In order to investigate these issues, we employed a a software package developed in out group, called Biomolecular Network Simulator (BNS), to simulate and analyze the behavior of such systems. The behavior of a hypothetical two gene in vitro transcription-translation reaction network is investigated using the Gillespie exact stochastic algorithm to illustrate some of the factors that influence the analysis and interpretation of these data. Results Specific issues affecting the analysis and interpretation of simulation data are investigated, including: (1) the effect of time interval on data presentation and time-weighted averaging of molecule numbers, (2) effect of time averaging interval on reaction rate analysis, (3) effect of number of simulations on precision of model predictions, and (4) implications of stochastic simulations on optimization procedures. Conclusion The two main factors affecting the analysis of stochastic simulations are: (1) the selection of time intervals to compute or average state variables and (2) the number of simulations generated to evaluate the system behavior. PMID:19534796

Social Norms about a Health Issue in Work Group Networks

PubMed Central

Frank, Lauren B.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to advance theorizing about how small groups understand health issues through the use of social network analysis. To achieve this goal, an adapted cognitive social structure examines group social norms around a specific health issue, H1N1 flu prevention. As predicted, individual’s attitudes, self-efficacy, and perceived social norms were each positively associated with behavioral intentions for at least one of the H1N1 health behaviors studied. Moreover, collective norms of the whole group were also associated with behavioral intentions, even after controlling for how individual group members perceive those norms. For members of work groups in which pairs were perceived to agree in their support for H1N1 vaccination, the effect of individually perceived group norms on behavioral intentions was stronger than for groups with less agreement. PMID:26389934

Genetic basis of male sexual behavior.

PubMed

Emmons, Scott W; Lipton, Jonathan

2003-01-01

Male sexual behavior is increasingly the focus of genetic study in a variety of animals. Genetic analysis in the soil roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has lead to identification of genes and circuits that govern behaviors ranging from motivation and mate-searching to courtship and copulation. Some worm and fly genes have counterparts with related functions in higher animals and many more such correspondences can be expected. Analysis of mutations in mammals can potentially lead to insights into such issues as monogamous versus promiscuous sexual behavior and sexual orientation. Genetic analysis of sexual behavior has implications for understanding how the nervous system generates and controls a complex behavior. It can also help us to gain an appreciation of how behavior is encoded by genes and their regulatory sequences. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analytical Problems and Suggestions in the Analysis of Behavioral Economic Demand Curves.

PubMed

Yu, Jihnhee; Liu, Liu; Collins, R Lorraine; Vincent, Paula C; Epstein, Leonard H

2014-01-01

Behavioral economic demand curves (Hursh, Raslear, Shurtleff, Bauman, & Simmons, 1988) are innovative approaches to characterize the relationships between consumption of a substance and its price. In this article, we investigate common analytical issues in the use of behavioral economic demand curves, which can cause inconsistent interpretations of demand curves, and then we provide methodological suggestions to address those analytical issues. We first demonstrate that log transformation with different added values for handling zeros changes model parameter estimates dramatically. Second, demand curves are often analyzed using an overparameterized model that results in an inefficient use of the available data and a lack of assessment of the variability among individuals. To address these issues, we apply a nonlinear mixed effects model based on multivariate error structures that has not been used previously to analyze behavioral economic demand curves in the literature. We also propose analytical formulas for the relevant standard errors of derived values such as P max, O max, and elasticity. The proposed model stabilizes the derived values regardless of using different added increments and provides substantially smaller standard errors. We illustrate the data analysis procedure using data from a relative reinforcement efficacy study of simulated marijuana purchasing.

A Reply to the Commentaries on "School-wide PBIS: An Example of Applied Behavior Analysis Implemented at a Scale of Social Importance" by Horner and Sugai (2015): PBIS is Function over Form: The Clear Behavioral Roots and Opportunities the PBIS Framework presents to the Field of Behavior Analysis Moving Forward.

PubMed

Putnam, Robert F; Knoster, Tim

2016-03-01

In the previous issue of Behavior Analysis in Practice (May 2015), a special section of the journal was devoted to positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS). Horner and Sugai (2015) published a manuscript providing an overview of school-wide PBIS describing how PBIS is an example of applied behavior analysis at a scale of social importance. A number of manuscripts providing commentary on the Horner and Sugai manuscript were also published in this special section of the journal. This paper will review this PBIS manuscript along with the associated commentaries published in the May 2015 special section.

Honoring the Past and Looking to the Future: Updates on Seminal Behavior Therapy Publications on Etiology and Mechanisms of Change.

PubMed

Newman, Michelle G

2016-09-01

This is the introduction to the first of two special issues in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. The goal of this issue is to pay tribute to prior seminal Behavior Therapy publications on etiology and mechanisms of change, to provide an updated review of important topics covered by these papers, and to make recommendations for the future. Each invited paper highlights a particular Behavior Therapy publication's contribution to our understanding and also provides an updated review or meta-analysis on the topic of the original paper. The topics covered here include mechanisms of etiology such as preparedness, reinforcement, and control. In terms of papers on mechanisms of change, we cover mechanisms related to extinction including fear activation, within- and between-session extinction, safety behaviors, and variables related to imagery. In addition, we examine principles related to generalization of learning and optimizing the impact of homework. With the two special issues of Behavior Therapy, we hope to inspire additional research and discussion. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Behavior analysis and public policy

PubMed Central

Fawcett, Stephen B.; Bernstein, Gail S.; Czyzewski, Mare J.; Greene, Brandon F.; Hannah, Gerald T.; Iwata, Brian A.; Jason, Leonard A.; Mathews, R. Mark; Morris, Edward K.; Otis-Wilborn, Amy; Seekins, Tom; Winett, Richard A.

1988-01-01

The Task Force on Public Policy was created to examine ways for behavior analysts to be more functional citizen scientists in the policymaking arena. This report informs readers about the contexts and processes of policymaking; and it outlines issues regarding the roles of behavior analysts in crating policy-relevant conceptual analyses, generating research data, and communicating policy-relevant information. We also discuss a possible role for the professional association in enhancing analysis, research, and advocacy on policies relevant to the public interest. PMID:22477991

Individual Differences, Intelligence, and Behavior Analysis

PubMed Central

Williams, Ben; Myerson, Joel; Hale, Sandra

2008-01-01

Despite its avowed goal of understanding individual behavior, the field of behavior analysis has largely ignored the determinants of consistent differences in level of performance among individuals. The present article discusses major findings in the study of individual differences in intelligence from the conceptual framework of a functional analysis of behavior. In addition to general intelligence, we discuss three other major aspects of behavior in which individuals differ: speed of processing, working memory, and the learning of three-term contingencies. Despite recent progress in our understanding of the relations among these aspects of behavior, numerous issues remain unresolved. Researchers need to determine which learning tasks predict individual differences in intelligence and which do not, and then identify the specific characteristics of these tasks that make such prediction possible. PMID:18831127

SupportNet for Frontline Behavioral Health Providers

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

and job burnout among military behavioral health providers and to provide a pilot support system for providers working at with military trauma...survivors. In the fourth year of the project, we completed the RCT and data analysis of behavioral health. Job burnout and secondary trauma are serious...issues for military behavioral health providers who are continually exposed to extensive traumatic material on an on-going basis. Job burnout and STS

When stereotypes become 'scientific' statements: dealing with gender issues.

PubMed

Madureira, Ana Flávia do Amaral

2009-06-01

The theoretical analysis by Watzlawik (Integrative Psychological & Behavioral Science 2009) demonstrates the scientific fragility of the constructs of masculinity and femininity based on the oversimplification and overlapping between three levels of analysis: group differences, inter-individual differences and intra-individual differences. Watzlawik presents fresh and relevant contributions in terms of methodological issues, especially about the construction of scientific generalizations. Here I focus on issues related to the transformation of stereotypes in statements about gender differences that claim to be 'scientific'--outlining the socio-political agendas of such statements.

Behavioral Intervention Plans: Pedagogical and Legal Analysis of Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Etscheidt, Susan

2006-01-01

Both law and pedagogy require that educators address behavior interfering with educational progress for students with disabilities. The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004) and its predecessor, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 1997a), require individualized education program (IEP)…

Perspectives on Functional (Behavioral) Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, Glen; Kern, Lee

2018-01-01

In the 25 years since the publication of the article reprinted in this issue of "Behavioral Disorders", a tremendous amount of research and opinion has been published on the topics of functional analysis, functional assessment, and assessment-based interventions. In this commentary, we reflect on the context in which our original work…

Adolescent Behavior and Health in Cross-Cultural Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demetrovics, Zsolt

2012-01-01

Specific behavioral problems appear during early adolescence, and they become more pronounced. Although these problems are universal in many aspects, cultural differences are also conspicuous. The author, in addition to analyzing the five studies in the Special Issue, addresses questions concerning the cross-cultural context. The analysis reveals…

Greek Pre-Service Teachers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Environmental Behavior toward Marine Pollution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boubonari, Theodora; Markos, Angelos; Kevrekidis, Theodoros

2013-01-01

A structured questionnaire was administered to assess Greek pre-service primary teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behavior toward marine pollution issues. Exploratory factor analysis revealed several factors, all demonstrating adequate internal consistency, and showed that pre-service teachers demonstrated a moderate level of…

Behavioral analysis of malicious code through network traffic and system call monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grégio, André R. A.; Fernandes Filho, Dario S.; Afonso, Vitor M.; Santos, Rafael D. C.; Jino, Mario; de Geus, Paulo L.

2011-06-01

Malicious code (malware) that spreads through the Internet-such as viruses, worms and trojans-is a major threat to information security nowadays and a profitable business for criminals. There are several approaches to analyze malware by monitoring its actions while it is running in a controlled environment, which helps to identify malicious behaviors. In this article we propose a tool to analyze malware behavior in a non-intrusive and effective way, extending the analysis possibilities to cover malware samples that bypass current approaches and also fixes some issues with these approaches.

Comments on Skinner's grammar

PubMed Central

Mabry, John H.

1993-01-01

The strong tradition of “school room” grammars may have had a negative influence on the reception given a functional analysis of verbal behavior, both within and without the field of behavior analysis. Some of the failings of those traditional grammars, and their largely prescriptive nature were outlined through reference to other critics, and conflicting views. Skinner's own treatment of grammatical issues was presented, emphasizing his view of a functional unit and his use of the autoclitic and intraverbal functions to describe alternatives to a formal or structural analysis. Finally, the relevance of stimulus control variables to some recurring questions about verbal behavior and, specifically grammar, were mentioned. PMID:22477082

Gender differences in ethical perceptions of business practices: a social role theory perspective.

PubMed

Franke, G R; Crown, D F; Spake, D F

1997-12-01

This study presents a meta-analysis of research on gender differences in perceptions of ethical decision making. Data from more than 20,000 respondents in 66 samples show that women are more likely than men to perceive specific hypothetical business practices as unethical. As suggested by social role theory (A. H. Eagly, 1987), the gender difference observed in precareer (student) samples declines as the work experience of samples increases. Social role theory also accounts for greater gender differences in nonmonetary issues than in monetary issues. T. M. Jones's (1991) issue-contingent model of moral intensity helps explain why gender differences vary across types of behavior. Contrary to expectations, differences are not influenced by the sex of the actor or the target of the behavior and do not depend on whether the behavior involves personal relationships or action vs. inaction.

Ethical issues recognized by critical care nurses in the intensive care units of a tertiary hospital during two separate periods.

PubMed

Park, Dong Won; Moon, Jae Young; Ku, Eun Yong; Kim, Sun Jong; Koo, Young-Mo; Kim, Ock-Joo; Lee, Soon Haeng; Jo, Min-Woo; Lim, Chae-Man; Armstrong, John David; Koh, Younsuck

2015-04-01

This research aimed to investigate the changes in ethical issues in everyday clinical practice recognized by critical care nurses during two observation periods. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data obtained by prospective questionnaire surveys of nurses in the intensive care units (ICU) of a tertiary university-affiliated hospital in Seoul, Korea. Data were collected prospectively during two different periods, February 2002-January 2003 (Period 1) and August 2011-July 2012 (Period 2). Significantly fewer cases with ethical issues were reported in Period 2 than in Period 1 (89 cases [2.1%] of 4,291 ICU admissions vs. 51 [0.5%] of 9,302 ICU admissions, respectively; P < 0.001). The highest incidence of cases with identified ethical issues in both Periods occurred in MICU. The major source of ethical issues in Periods 1 and 2 was behavior-related. Among behaviorrelated issues, inappropriate healthcare professional behavior was predominant in both periods and mainly involved resident physicians. Ethical issue numbers regarding end-oflife (EOL) care significantly decreased in the proportion with respect to ethical issues during Period 2 (P = 0.044). In conclusion, the decreased incidence of cases with identified ethical issues in Period 2 might be associated with ethical enhancement related with EOL and improvements in the ICU care environment of the studied hospital. However, behaviorrelated issues involving resident physicians represent a considerable proportion of ethical issues encountered by critical care nurses. A systemic approach to solve behavior-related issues of resident physicians seems to be required to enhance an ethical environment in the studied ICU.

Normative Emotional Responses to Behavior Analysis Jargon or How Not to Use Words to Win Friends and Influence People.

PubMed

Critchfield, Thomas S; Doepke, Karla J; Kimberly Epting, L; Becirevic, Amel; Reed, Derek D; Fienup, Daniel M; Kremsreiter, Jamie L; Ecott, Cheryl L

2017-06-01

It has been suggested that non-experts regard the jargon of behavior analysis as abrasive, harsh, and unpleasant. If this is true, excessive reliance on jargon could interfere with the dissemination of effective services. To address this often discussed but rarely studied issue, we consulted a large, public domain list of English words that have been rated by members of the general public for the emotional reactions they evoke. Selected words that behavior analysts use as technical terms were compared to selected words that are commonly used to discuss general science, general clinical work, and behavioral assessment. There was a tendency for behavior analysis terms to register as more unpleasant than other kinds of professional terms and also as more unpleasant than English words generally. We suggest possible reasons for this finding, discuss its relevance to the challenge of deciding how to communicate with consumers who do not yet understand or value behavior analysis, and advocate for systematic research to guide the marketing of behavior analysis.

To Succeed or Not to Succeed: A Critical Review of Issues in Learned Helplessness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mark, Sandra Fay

1983-01-01

A critical analysis of theoretical and methodological issues in research on learned helplessness is presented. As studied in achievement settings using achievement tasks, learned helplessness is perceived as maladaptive behavior. It has not been studied as an adaptive response to situational demands. New directions and educational implications are…

Exact reconstruction analysis/synthesis filter banks with time-varying filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arrowood, J. L., Jr.; Smith, M. J. T.

1993-01-01

This paper examines some of the analysis/synthesis issues associated with FIR time-varying filter banks where the filter bank coefficients are allowed to change in response to the input signal. Several issues are identified as being important in order to realize performance gains from time-varying filter banks in image coding applications. These issues relate to the behavior of the filters as transition from one set of filter banks to another occurs. Lattice structure formulations for the time varying filter bank problem are introduced and discussed in terms of their properties and transition characteristics.

A philosophy of science perspective on the quantitative analysis of behavior.

PubMed

Smith, Terry L

2015-05-01

B.F. Skinner argued that the science of behavior would progress more rapidly without appealing to theories of learning. He also suggested that theories in a quite different sense were possible, but that the science of behavior as of 1950 was not ready for them. The following analysis distinguishes between Skinner's two concepts of theory. It argues that theory in the second sense has arisen in the quantitative analysis of behavior. The attempt to give a dynamic account of the static regularities of this theory, however, has produced a theory in the first sense. Within its limited domain, this theory offers a rigorous alternative to cognitive accounts of behavior. Rather than distracting attention from actual behavior, it has now led to novel predictions about it. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'SQAB 2014'. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Attention problems and pathological gaming: resolving the 'chicken and egg' in a prospective analysis.

PubMed

Ferguson, Christopher J; Ceranoglu, T Atilla

2014-03-01

Pathological gaming (PG) behaviors are behaviors which interfere with other life responsibilities. Continued debate exists regarding whether symptoms of PG behaviors are a unique phenomenon or arise from other mental health problems, including attention problems. Development of attention problems and occurrence of pathological gaming in 144 adolescents were followed during a 1-year prospective analysis. Teens and their parents reported on pathological gaming behaviors, attention problems, and current grade point average, as well as several social variables. Results were analyzed using regression and path analysis. Attention problems tended to precede pathological gaming behaviors, but the inverse was not true. Attention problems but not pathological gaming predicted lower GPA 1 year later. Current results suggest that pathological gaming arises from attention problems, but not the inverse. These results suggest that pathological gaming behaviors are symptomatic of underlying attention related mental health issues, rather than a unique phenomenon.

Contingency Contracting and Operant Behavior Change: An Exercise in Applied Behavior Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mann, Ronald A.

Until recently, the use of contingency contracting has been largely an issue of theory and discussion with little experimental research evidence gathered to support efficacy. Two major reasons for this problem are suggested and discussed: (1) the concept of contingency contracting has not been adequately defined nor its minimal requirements…

Toward a Learning Behavior Tracking Methodology for CA-for-SLA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markee, Numa

2008-01-01

This paper is principally about methodology. It first summarizes five issues in the emerging research agenda of conversation analysis-for-second language acquisition (CA-for-SLA), and develops empirically based analyses of classroom talk that occurs over several days and months to illustrate how a longitudinal learning behavior tracking (LBT)…

A Content Analysis of Cognitive Health Promotion in Popular Magazines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Daniela B.; Laditka, Sarah B.; Laditka, James N.; Price, Anna E.

2011-01-01

Health behaviors, particularly physical activity, may promote cognitive health. The public agenda for health behaviors is influenced by popular media. We analyzed the cognitive health content of 20 United States magazines, examining every page of every 2006-2007 issue of the highest circulating magazines for general audiences, women, men, African…

The Influence of Place-Based Communities on Information Behavior: A Comparative Grounded Theory Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, Amelia N.

2013-01-01

This study examines the effect of experiential place and local community on information access and behavior for two communities of parents of children with Down syndrome. It uncovers substantive issues associated with health information seeking, government and education-related information access, and information overload and avoidance within the…

What Are We Doing When We Translate from Quantitative Models?

PubMed Central

Critchfield, Thomas S; Reed, Derek D

2009-01-01

Although quantitative analysis (in which behavior principles are defined in terms of equations) has become common in basic behavior analysis, translational efforts often examine everyday events through the lens of narrative versions of laboratory-derived principles. This approach to translation, although useful, is incomplete because equations may convey concepts that are difficult to capture in words. To support this point, we provide a nontechnical introduction to selected aspects of quantitative analysis; consider some issues that translational investigators (and, potentially, practitioners) confront when attempting to translate from quantitative models; and discuss examples of relevant translational studies. We conclude that, where behavior-science translation is concerned, the quantitative features of quantitative models cannot be ignored without sacrificing conceptual precision, scientific and practical insights, and the capacity of the basic and applied wings of behavior analysis to communicate effectively. PMID:22478533

A Case Example of the Implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support in a High School Setting Using Change Point Test Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohanon, Hank; Fenning, Pamela; Hicks, Kira; Weber, Stacey; Thier, Kimberly; Aikins, Brigit; Morrissey, Kelly; Briggs, Alissa; Bartucci, Gina; McArdle, Lauren; Hoeper, Lisa; Irvin, Larry

2012-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to expand the literature base regarding the application of high school schoolwide positive behavior support in an urban setting for practitioners and policymakers to address behavior issues. In addition, the study describes the use of the Change Point Test as a method for analyzing time series data that are…

Human behavioral research in space: quandaries for research subjects and researchers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepanek, Marc

2005-01-01

With the advent of long-duration spaceflight on board the International Space Station (ISS) and possible future missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) such as Mars, it is critical that those at NASA have a realistic assessment of the challenges that will face individuals on long-duration missions so that they can develop preventive and real-time countermeasures to behavioral health issues. While space travellers are very interested in having countermeasures to the deleterious effects of space missions, they have a powerful disincentive to participate in this research if they feel it could in any way negatively affect their flight status. The behavioral issues of isolation and confinement for extended-duration space missions are reviewed. Areas of basic and clinical behavioral research are listed. And the classical clinical model for research is not considered appropriate for the current configuration of the space program. The use of analogue environments and advanced statistical analysis are suggested as ways to address the limited spaceflight research opportunities. The challenge of research subject or patient confidentiality vs. mission safety and issues of personal flight status are addressed.

Human behavioral research in space: quandaries for research subjects and researchers.

PubMed

Shepanek, Marc

2005-06-01

With the advent of long-duration spaceflight on board the International Space Station (ISS) and possible future missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) such as Mars, it is critical that those at NASA have a realistic assessment of the challenges that will face individuals on long-duration missions so that they can develop preventive and real-time countermeasures to behavioral health issues. While space travellers are very interested in having countermeasures to the deleterious effects of space missions, they have a powerful disincentive to participate in this research if they feel it could in any way negatively affect their flight status. The behavioral issues of isolation and confinement for extended-duration space missions are reviewed. Areas of basic and clinical behavioral research are listed. And the classical clinical model for research is not considered appropriate for the current configuration of the space program. The use of analogue environments and advanced statistical analysis are suggested as ways to address the limited spaceflight research opportunities. The challenge of research subject or patient confidentiality vs. mission safety and issues of personal flight status are addressed.

Sexual development and behaviour issues in Polish teenage magazines.

PubMed

Kopacz, Marek S

2006-12-01

Adolescents often look to mass media for information regarding issues of sexuality. As one form of media, teenage magazines have long constituted a pervasive and effective element of adolescent media exposure. Teenage magazines discuss a number of aspects concerning adolescent sexuality. Considering their potential impact on health related behaviors, the information they provide and the message(s) they send warrant attention. The aim of this study is to perform a content analysis of sexual development and behavior information presented in Polish teenage magazines. Social Cognitive Theory was used as a theoretical basis for this analysis. The media chosen for this study were general-themed publications targeting an adolescent female audience: Bravo Girl!, Filipinka and Dziewczyna. Each entry was analyzed using a structured key. The specific categories of behavior and development used for this study are: biological information, pedagogic instruction, topics of moral-ethical concern, results of sexual activity, and interpersonal relationships. Each category was then subdivided into separate units. The findings indicate that Polish teenage magazines predominantly focus on relationships, contraception and sex education. Relationships were most often of a romantic nature and discussed sexual activity or the potential of sexual activity. Non-prescription contraceptive methods were most often discussed, with attention given to pregnancy prevention. Sex education offered detailed information on sexual practices and behaviors with much discussion on losing one's virginity. The general approach of the analyzed magazines is that adolescents currently are, or soon will be, sexually active. As a result, certain sexual behavior and development issues are discussed in great detail, while other topics are somewhat neglected. Accepting information-seeking during adolescence as commonplace, these findings suggest that teenage magazines hold the potential for influencing adolescent sexual behavior and development.

Brief Intervention for Truant Youth Sexual Risk Behavior and Alcohol Use: A Parallel Process Growth Model Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dembo, Richard; Briones-Robinson, Rhissa; Ungaro, Rocio; Barrett, Kimberly; Gulledge, Laura; Winters, Ken C.; Belenko, Steven; Karas, Lora M.; Wareham, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Truant youths frequently experience family problems, emotional/psychological issues, substance misuse, and delinquency. They are likely engaging in alcohol use and sexual risk behavior at a higher rate than the general youth population. Early intervention services would benefit them, their families, and society. We present interim findings from an…

Who Benefits from Honors: An Empirical Analysis of Honors and Non-Honors Students' Backgrounds, Academic Attitudes, and Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brimeyer, Ted M.; Schueths, April M.; Smith, William L.

2014-01-01

Supporters of university honors programs argue that these programs benefit the university and entire student body while critics argue that honors programs reproduce socioeconomic and racial privileges. In an attempt to address these issues, researchers used quantitative survey data to compare the background characteristics, behaviors, and…

The Reinforcement of Ableism: Normality, the Medical Model of Disability, and Humanism in Applied Behavior Analysis and ASD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shyman, Eric

2016-01-01

The field of educating individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder has ever been rife with controversy regarding issues ranging from etiology and causation to effective intervention and education options. One such basis for controversy has been between humanism, and humanistic philosophical concepts, and its fundamental differences with behaviorism,…

Neuroscience and behavioral genetics in US criminal law: an empirical analysis

PubMed Central

Farahany, Nita A.

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the growing use of neurological and behavioral genetic evidence by criminal defendants in US criminal law. Judicial opinions issued between 2005–12 that discussed the use of neuroscience or behavioral genetics by criminal defendants were identified, coded and analysed. Criminal defendants are increasingly introducing such evidence to challenge defendants’ competency, the effectiveness of defense counsel at trial, and to mitigate punishment. PMID:27774210

Market Analysis and Consumer Impacts Source Document. Part III. Consumer Behavior and Attitudes Toward Fuel Efficient Vehicles

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-12-01

This source document on motor vehicle market analysis and consumer impacts consists of three parts. Part III consists of studies and reviews on: consumer awareness of fuel efficiency issues; consumer acceptance of fuel efficient vehicles; car size ch...

Educational Leadership and Common Discipline Issues of Elementary School Children and How to Deal with Them

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsubaie, Merfat Ayesh

2015-01-01

Discipline issues are obstacles towards childhood learning in elementary school settings. There are a number of factors which positively and negatively affect a student's behavior in the classroom, and past literature was explored and an analysis of that literature performed in order to obtain a clear idea about the techniques, relationships, and…

The study of direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs.

PubMed

Schommer, Jon C; Hansen, Richard A

2005-06-01

The objectives of this article are to (1) identify key methodological issues related to investigating the effects of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs, (2) highlight opportunities and challenges that these issues pose, and (3) provide suggestions to address these challenges and opportunities from a social and administrative pharmacy perspective. Through a review of existing literature and consultation with research colleagues, we identified 3 broad issues regarding the study of DTCA for prescription drugs: (1) the importance of problem formulation, (2) the role of health behavior and decision-making perspectives, and (3) data collection and data analysis challenges and opportunities. Based upon our findings, we developed recommendations for future research in this area. Clear problem formulation will be instructive for prioritizing research needs and for determining the role that health behavior and decision-making perspectives can serve in DTCA research. In addition, it appears that cluster bias, nonlinear relationships, mediating/moderating effects, time effects, acquiescent response, and case mix are particularly salient challenges for the DTCA research domain. We suggest that problem formulation, selection of sound theories upon which to base research, and data collection and data analysis challenges are key methodological issues related to investigating the effects of DTCA for prescription drugs.

Are Emotions Transmitted From Work to Family? A Crossover Model of Psychological Contract Breach.

PubMed

Liang, Huai-Liang

2018-01-01

Based on affective events theory and the crossover model, this study examines the effect of psychological contract breach on employee dysfunctional behavior and partner family undermining and explores the crossover effect of employee dysfunctional behavior on partner family undermining in work-family issues. This study collected 370 employee-partner dyads (277 male employees, 93 female employees, M age = 43.59 years) from a large manufacturing organization. The results of this study support the conception that employees' psychological contract breach results in frustration in the workplace. In addition, mediation analysis results reveal that psychological contract breach relates to employee dysfunctional behavior in the workplace. The findings show that partners' psychological strain mediates the relationship between employee dysfunctional behavior and partner family undermining. Furthermore, these findings provide investigations for the crossover model to display the value of psychological contract breach in family issues.

Study on drag coefficient of rising bubble in still water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, M. Y.; Qi, Mei; Yi, C. G.; Liu, D. Y.; Zhang, K. X.

2017-09-01

Research on the behavior of a rising bubble in still water is on the basis of Newton's theory of classical mechanics. Develop a calculation analysis and an experimental process of bubble rising behavior in order to search for an appropriate way of valuing drag coefficient, which is the key element toward this issue. Analyze the adaptability of the drag coefficient; compare the theoretical model to the real experimental model of rising bubble behavior. The result turns out that the change rate of radius could be ignored according to the analysis; the acceleration phase is transient; final velocity and the diameter of bubble do relate to the drag coefficient, but have no obvious relation with the depth of water. After series of inference analysis of the bubble behavior and experimental demonstration, a new drag coefficient and computing method is proposed.

Health education in primary school textbooks in iran in school year 2010-2011.

PubMed

Kazemian, Reza; Ghasemi, Hadi; Movahhed, Taraneh; Kazemian, Ali

2014-09-01

Health education in schools is one of the most effective ways of promoting health in a society. Studies have shown the effectiveness of health interventions aimed at improving students' knowledge, attitude, and behaviors about health issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate health issues in primary school textbooks in Iran. In school year 2010-2011, the contents of all primary school textbooks in Iran were assessed in accordance to their health-related teachings. Health lessons of these 27 textbooks in the form of picture and text were retrieved and analyzed using content analysis method. In total, 502 health-related lessons were found. The textbooks of the third grade contained the highest (144) and those of the fourth grade had the lowest (26) number of health lessons. Among health-related issues, the largest number (87) of lessons were about personal hygiene, while prevention of high risk behaviors comprised the least number (8). Some important health issues such as nutrition, oral health, and prevention of high-risk behaviors were not adequately discussed in the textbooks. The potential of primary school textbooks in delivering health messages has been neglected in Iran. Taking the critical importance of school ages into account, incorporating health issues in textbooks should be more strongly emphasized.

An Analysis of the US Army Advanced Management Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-04

Management Principles, Motivation and Control, Organizational Effectiveness , Strategies of Change, Environmental Issues - Social Environment in the 1980’s... Organizational Design, Characteristics of Outstanding Organizations, Characteristics of Effective Leaders, Models and Strategies of Planned... Organizational Effectiveness : Strategy /Environmental Analysis - social, legal, economic, technological, etc. Organizational Behavior - Human

Student-Reported Overt and Relational Aggression and Victimization in Grades 3-8. Issues & Answers. REL 2011-No. 114

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nishioka, Vicki; Coe, Michael; Burke, Art; Hanita, Makota; Sprague, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

This secondary analysis of survey data from a voluntary sample of 11,561 grade 3-8 students examines the prevalence and distribution of aggression, victimization, and approval of aggression, both overt (verbally and physically aggressive behavior intended to threaten or harm) and relational (behavior intended to harm someone's relationships with…

An Introduction to the Special Issue on Advances in Process and Dynamic System Analysis of Social Interaction and the Development of Antisocial Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dishion, Thomas J.; Snyder, James

2004-01-01

A thorough understanding of how social relationships contribute to child and adolescent trajectories for antisocial behavior may be facilitated by: (a) ascertaining multiple relationship processes (e.g., warmth and reciprocity, coercion and deviancy training); (b) focusing on multiple relationships (e.g., with parents, peers, siblings, and…

The Influence of Unemployment and Divorce Rate on Child Help-Seeking Behavior about Violence, Relationships, and Other Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Dolen, Willemijn M.; Weinberg, Charles B.; Ma, Leiming

2013-01-01

Objective: This study examined the influence of community unemployment and divorce rate on child help-seeking behavior about violence and relationships via a telephone and Internet helpline. Methods: Time series analysis was conducted on monthly call volumes to a child helpline ("De Kindertelefoon") in the Netherlands from 2003 to 2008…

Association between litterers' profile and littering behavior: A chi-square approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asmui, Mas'udah; Zaki, Suhanom Mohd; Wahid, Sharifah Norhuda Syed; Mokhtar, Noorsuraya Mohd; Harith, Siti Suhaila

2017-05-01

Littering is not a novelty, yet a prolonged issue. The solutions have been discussed for a long time; however this issue still remains unresolved. Littering is commonly associated with littering behavior and awareness. The littering behavior is normally influenced by the litter profile such as gender, family income, education level and age. Jengka Street market, which is located in Pahang, is popularly known as a trade market. It offers diversities of wet and dry goods and is awaited by local residents and tourists. This study analyzes association between litterers' profile and littering behavior. Littering behavior is measured based on factors of trash bin facilities, awareness campaign and public littering behavior. 114 respondents were involved in this study with 62 (54.39%) are female aged more than 18 years old and majority of these female respondents are diploma holders. In addition, 78.95% of the respondents have family income below than RM3,000.00 per month. Based on the data analysis, it was found that first-time visitors littered higher than frequent visitors, lack of providing trash bin facilities contributes to positive littering behavior and there is a significant association between litterers' age and littering behavior by using chi-square approach.

A Case Study in the Misrepresentation of Applied Behavior Analysis in Autism: The Gernsbacher Lectures

PubMed Central

Morris, Edward K

2009-01-01

I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabrics of their life. (Tolstoy, 1894) This article presents a case study in the misrepresentation of applied behavior analysis for autism based on Morton Ann Gernsbacher's presentation of a lecture titled “The Science of Autism: Beyond the Myths and Misconceptions.” Her misrepresentations involve the characterization of applied behavior analysis, descriptions of practice guidelines, reviews of the treatment literature, presentations of the clinical trials research, and conclusions about those trials (e.g., children's improvements are due to development, not applied behavior analysis). The article also reviews applied behavior analysis' professional endorsements and research support, and addresses issues in professional conduct. It ends by noting the deleterious effects that misrepresenting any research on autism (e.g., biological, developmental, behavioral) have on our understanding and treating it in a transdisciplinary context. PMID:22478522

Crucial Issues in the Applied Analysis of Verbal Behavior: Reflections on "Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking when the Stakes Are High"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Critchfield, Thomas S.

2010-01-01

A popular-press self-help manual is reviewed with an eye toward two issues. First, the popularity of such books documents the existence of considerable demand for technologies that address the everyday problems (in the present case, troublesome conversations) of nondisordered individuals. Second, many ideas invoked in popular-press books may be…

Weighing in on the Issue: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Influence of Selected Individual Factors and the Sports Context on the Developmental Trajectories of Eating Pathology among Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fay, Kristen; Lerner, Richard M.

2013-01-01

Eating disorders, and related issues (e.g., body dissatisfaction, weight control behaviors), represent pressing and prevalent health problems that affect American adolescents with alarming frequency and potentially chronic consequences. However, more longitudinal research is needed to elucidate the developmental processes that increase or maintain…

Examining the Role of Mental Health and Clinical Issues within Talent Development

PubMed Central

Hill, Andy; MacNamara, Áine; Collins, Dave; Rodgers, Sheelagh

2016-01-01

Although significant research supports the association between physical activity and mental wellbeing, current literature acknowledges that athletes are no less susceptible to mental illness than the general population. Despite welcomed initiatives aimed at improving mental health within elite sport, these programs often fail to target young athletes; an important concern given that the genesis of many mental illnesses are recognized to occur during this critical period. Given the importance of early intervention and effective treatment, and the potentially devastating consequences of clinical issues going undiagnosed, the implications for talent identification and development (TID) become obvious. With this in mind, this study sought to examine the range of mental health issues that may impact upon developing athletes and potential consequences for the development process, specific risk and protective factors associated with talent development, along with an examination of current practices concerning the identification of mental health issues in such environments. Qualitative interviews were conducted with purposively sampled clinicians (n = 8) experienced in working with adolescents and/or young athletes. Inductive content analysis was undertaken, identifying four main themes: key behavioral indicators; associated risk factors; associated protective factors; and issues around identification and diagnosis. Key behavioral indicators included behavioral change, along with behaviors associated with eating disorders, anxiety and depression. Risk factors centered on family background, the performance environment, and issues surrounding adolescence. Protective factors were primarily social in nature. Finally, a lack of awareness and understanding of clinical issues, multiple causes of symptoms, non-disclosure and the need for triangulation of assessment were identified. The need for improved identification and intervention strategies was apparent, with coaches identified as well placed to detect general “warning signs” such as behavioral change. Short of integrating trained clinicians into talent development environments, as part of a triangulation process, ecologically validated assessment tools—coupled with appropriate training and signposting—could offer a practical way of flagging potential issues in developing athletes. The need for the development of such an instrument is therefore apparent. Finally, education around the influential role of family is also recommended in order to promote the protective elements and mitigate risk factors. PMID:26793153

Examining the Role of Mental Health and Clinical Issues within Talent Development.

PubMed

Hill, Andy; MacNamara, Áine; Collins, Dave; Rodgers, Sheelagh

2015-01-01

Although significant research supports the association between physical activity and mental wellbeing, current literature acknowledges that athletes are no less susceptible to mental illness than the general population. Despite welcomed initiatives aimed at improving mental health within elite sport, these programs often fail to target young athletes; an important concern given that the genesis of many mental illnesses are recognized to occur during this critical period. Given the importance of early intervention and effective treatment, and the potentially devastating consequences of clinical issues going undiagnosed, the implications for talent identification and development (TID) become obvious. With this in mind, this study sought to examine the range of mental health issues that may impact upon developing athletes and potential consequences for the development process, specific risk and protective factors associated with talent development, along with an examination of current practices concerning the identification of mental health issues in such environments. Qualitative interviews were conducted with purposively sampled clinicians (n = 8) experienced in working with adolescents and/or young athletes. Inductive content analysis was undertaken, identifying four main themes: key behavioral indicators; associated risk factors; associated protective factors; and issues around identification and diagnosis. Key behavioral indicators included behavioral change, along with behaviors associated with eating disorders, anxiety and depression. Risk factors centered on family background, the performance environment, and issues surrounding adolescence. Protective factors were primarily social in nature. Finally, a lack of awareness and understanding of clinical issues, multiple causes of symptoms, non-disclosure and the need for triangulation of assessment were identified. The need for improved identification and intervention strategies was apparent, with coaches identified as well placed to detect general "warning signs" such as behavioral change. Short of integrating trained clinicians into talent development environments, as part of a triangulation process, ecologically validated assessment tools-coupled with appropriate training and signposting-could offer a practical way of flagging potential issues in developing athletes. The need for the development of such an instrument is therefore apparent. Finally, education around the influential role of family is also recommended in order to promote the protective elements and mitigate risk factors.

Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis on Privacy Leak Behavior

PubMed Central

Fan, Lejun; Wang, Yuanzhuo; Jin, Xiaolong; Li, Jingyuan; Cheng, Xueqi; Jin, Shuyuan

2013-01-01

Privacy information is prone to be leaked by illegal software providers with various motivations. Privacy leak behavior has thus become an important research issue of cyber security. However, existing approaches can only qualitatively analyze privacy leak behavior of software applications. No quantitative approach, to the best of our knowledge, has been developed in the open literature. To fill this gap, in this paper we propose for the first time four quantitative metrics, namely, possibility, severity, crypticity, and manipulability, for privacy leak behavior analysis based on Privacy Petri Net (PPN). In order to compare the privacy leak behavior among different software, we further propose a comprehensive metric, namely, overall leak degree, based on these four metrics. Finally, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach using real-world software applications. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach can quantitatively analyze the privacy leak behaviors of various software types and reveal their characteristics from different aspects. PMID:24066046

Comprehensive quantitative analysis on privacy leak behavior.

PubMed

Fan, Lejun; Wang, Yuanzhuo; Jin, Xiaolong; Li, Jingyuan; Cheng, Xueqi; Jin, Shuyuan

2013-01-01

Privacy information is prone to be leaked by illegal software providers with various motivations. Privacy leak behavior has thus become an important research issue of cyber security. However, existing approaches can only qualitatively analyze privacy leak behavior of software applications. No quantitative approach, to the best of our knowledge, has been developed in the open literature. To fill this gap, in this paper we propose for the first time four quantitative metrics, namely, possibility, severity, crypticity, and manipulability, for privacy leak behavior analysis based on Privacy Petri Net (PPN). In order to compare the privacy leak behavior among different software, we further propose a comprehensive metric, namely, overall leak degree, based on these four metrics. Finally, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach using real-world software applications. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach can quantitatively analyze the privacy leak behaviors of various software types and reveal their characteristics from different aspects.

Advances in primate stable isotope ecology-Achievements and future prospects.

PubMed

Crowley, Brooke E; Reitsema, Laurie J; Oelze, Vicky M; Sponheimer, Matt

2016-10-01

Stable isotope biogeochemistry has been used to investigate foraging ecology in non-human primates for nearly 30 years. Whereas early studies focused on diet, more recently, isotopic analysis has been used to address a diversity of ecological questions ranging from niche partitioning to nutritional status to variability in life history traits. With this increasing array of applications, stable isotope analysis stands to make major contributions to our understanding of primate behavior and biology. Most notably, isotopic data provide novel insights into primate feeding behaviors that may not otherwise be detectable. This special issue brings together some of the recent advances in this relatively new field. In this introduction to the special issue, we review the state of isotopic applications in primatology and its origins and describe some developing methodological issues, including techniques for analyzing different tissue types, statistical approaches, and isotopic baselines. We then discuss the future directions we envision for the field of primate isotope ecology. Am. J. Primatol. 78:995-1003, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Public information, dissemination, and behavior analysis

PubMed Central

Morris, Edward K.

1985-01-01

Behavior analysts have become increasingly concerned about inaccuracies and misconceptions in the public, educational, and professional information portraying their activities, but have done little to correct these views. The present paper has two purposes in this regard. First, the paper describes some of the conditions that have given rise to these concerns. Second, and more important, the paper surveys various procedures and programs for the dissemination of public information that may correct inaccuracies and misconceptions. Special consideration is also given to issues involving (a) the assessment of the problem, (b) the content and means of dissemination, (c) the possible contributions of behavior analysts to current misunderstandings, and (d) relationships between behavior analysts and the media. The dissemination of accurate and unbiased information constitutes an important new undertaking for behavior analysis. The future of the field may depend in part on such activity. PMID:22478623

Affect and Health Behavior Co-Occurrence: The Emerging Roles of Transdiagnostic Factors and Sociocultural Factors.

PubMed

Zvolensky, Michael J; Leventhal, Adam M

2016-01-01

The majority of scientific work addressing relations among affective states and health correlates has focused primarily on their co-occurrence and a limited range of health conditions. We have developed a Special Issue to highlight recent advances in this emerging field of work that addresses the nature and interplay between affective states and disorders, in terms of their impact and consequences from health status and behavior. This Special Issue is organized into three parts classified as (a) co-occurrence and interplay between (b) transdiagnostic factors and (c) sociocultural factors. It is hoped that this issue will (a) alert readers to the significance of this work at different levels of analysis, (b) illustrate the many domains currently being explored via innovative approaches, and (c) identify fecund areas for future systematic study. © The Author(s) 2016.

Rural Behavioral Health Services for Children and Adolescents: An Ecological and Community Psychology Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heflinger, Craig Anne; Christens, Brian

2006-01-01

While psychology has tended to focus on urban issues in research and practice, rural areas have undergone a series of changes in recent years that have increased the need for behavioral health services. A variety of social and economic factors has contributed both to the increasing needs and to the inability of the existing services to meet them.…

Analysis of the Screening and Selection Process for U.S. Marine Corps Recruiting Station Commanding Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

uncover who is responsible for the trend and the reasons behind it. On issues concerning unethical recruiting behavior , such as fraudulent enlistments...mission). It never mattered to the 2 Organizational behavior theory that views organizations as arenas, contests, or jungles. Different interest...26 3. Current Selection Process and Plans for the Future ..... 27 Ill. M ETHODOLOGY

On the Analysis of Two-Person Problem Solving Protocols.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoenfeld, Alan H.

Methodological issues in the use of protocol analysis for research into human problem solving processes are examined through a case study in which two students were videotaped as they worked together to solve mathematical problems "out loud." The students' chosen strategic or executive behavior in examining and solving a problem was…

Operant Variability: Some Random Thoughts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marr, M. Jackson

2012-01-01

Barba's (2012) paper is a serious and thoughtful analysis of a vexing problem in behavior analysis: Just what should count as an operant class and how do people know? The slippery issue of a "generalized operant" or functional response class illustrates one aspect of this problem, and "variation" or "novelty" as an operant appears to fall into…

Aquatic Toxic Analysis by Monitoring Fish Behavior Using Computer Vision: A Recent Progress

PubMed Central

Fu, Longwen; Liu, Zuoyi

2018-01-01

Video tracking based biological early warning system achieved a great progress with advanced computer vision and machine learning methods. Ability of video tracking of multiple biological organisms has been largely improved in recent years. Video based behavioral monitoring has become a common tool for acquiring quantified behavioral data for aquatic risk assessment. Investigation of behavioral responses under chemical and environmental stress has been boosted by rapidly developed machine learning and artificial intelligence. In this paper, we introduce the fundamental of video tracking and present the pioneer works in precise tracking of a group of individuals in 2D and 3D space. Technical and practical issues suffered in video tracking are explained. Subsequently, the toxic analysis based on fish behavioral data is summarized. Frequently used computational methods and machine learning are explained with their applications in aquatic toxicity detection and abnormal pattern analysis. Finally, advantages of recent developed deep learning approach in toxic prediction are presented. PMID:29849612

Effects of Brief Communication Skills Training for Workers Based on the Principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Sasaki, Norio; Somemura, Hironori; Nakamura, Saki; Yamamoto, Megumi; Isojima, Manabu; Shinmei, Issei; Horikoshi, Masaru; Tanaka, Katsutoshi

2017-01-01

Stimulating communication is an important workplace issue. We investigated the effects of a brief communication skills training (CST) program based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 206 white-collar workers. The intervention group underwent a 2-hour CST group training conducted by an occupational physician. The results of the intention-to-treat analysis using a mixed-effects model showed that there was a significant interaction between group and time observed for the item "thinking together to solve problems and issues" (P = 0.02). The effect size (Cohen d) was 0.35 (95% confidence interval, 0.07 to 0.62). The present study suggests that a brief CST based on the principles of CBT could improve the communication behavior of workers.

Voluntary or Mandatory? The Valence Framing Effect of Attitudes Regarding HPV Vaccination.

PubMed

Gesser-Edelsburg, Anat; Walter, Nathan; Shir-Raz, Yaffa; Green, Manfred S

2015-01-01

This study addresses the issue of valence framing effect in the context of immunization, a preventive behavior often addressed by the equation of benefit versus risk. The authors examined how framing (support vs. oppose) the issue of HPV vaccination in Israel's immunization routine affects attitudes regarding vaccine regulations. The study also examined issue involvement as a moderator of valence framing effect. The results demonstrate that participants in the positive framing condition tended to express greater support for voluntary immunization than participants in the negative framing condition (77.5% and 48.5%, respectively). Among those who supported the mandatory HPV immunization policy, the negative framing condition was more prominent than the positive condition (51.5% and 22.5%, respectively). The analysis of interaction between valence framing and issue involvement showed that the latter tends to moderate the direct effect of framing on attitudes towards vaccination. Findings indicate that even attitudes towards such consequential preventive behaviors as vaccination could be affected by different framing of the issue, especially for those who are less involved. Implications of predilection for freedom of choice regarding vaccination are also discussed.

Attitudes of Greek Drivers with Focus on Mobile Phone Use While Driving.

PubMed

Yannis, George; Theofilatos, Athanasios; Marinou, Paraskevi

2015-01-01

This article investigates the attitudes and behavior of Greek drivers with specific focus on mobile phone use while driving. The research is based on the data of the pan-European SARTRE 4 survey, which was conducted on a representative sample of Greek drivers in 2011. Analysis of the drivers' behavior was carried out by the statistical methods of factor and cluster analysis. According to the results of factor analysis, Greek drivers' responses in the selected questions were summarized into 4 factors, describing road behavior and accident involvement probability as well as their views on issues concerning other drivers' road behaviors, fatigued driving, enforcement of road safety, and mobile phone use while driving. The results of cluster analysis indicated 5 different groups of Greek drivers--the moderate, the optimistic, the conservative, the risky, and the reasonably cautious--and the characteristics of each group where identified. These results may be useful for the appropriate design of targeted road safety campaigns and other countermeasures.

Individual, Family, School, and Community Predictors of High School Male Suicidal Behaviors: An Analysis of 2010 Iowa Youth Survey Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck-Cross, Cathy

2012-01-01

Youth suicide is a public health issue and the second leading cause of death for young Iowans ages 15 to 24 years, with young males six times more likely to die than their female peers (Iowa Department of Public Health, 2009). Suicide among adolescents is a complex issue, but there are patterns of individual, family, school, and community…

Is the learn unit a fundamental measure of pedagogy?

PubMed Central

Greer, R. Douglas; McDonough, Sally Hogin

1999-01-01

We propose a measure of teaching, the learn unit, that explicitly describes the interaction between teachers and their students. The theoretical, educational research, and applied behavior analysis literatures all converge on the learn unit as a fundamental measure of teaching. The theoretical literature proposes the construct of the interlocking operant and embraces verbal behavior, social interaction, and translations of psychological constructs into complex theoretical respondent-operant interactions and behavior-behavior relations. Research findings in education and applied behavior analysis on engaged academic time, opportunity to respond, active student responding, teacher-student responding, student-teacher responding, tutor-tutee responding, tutee-tutor responding, and verbal episodes between individuals all support a measure of interlocking responses. More recently, research analyzing the components of both the students' and teachers' behavior suggests that the learn unit is the strongest predictor of effective teaching. Finally, we propose applications of the learn unit to other issues in pedagogy not yet researched and the relation of learn units to the verbal behavior of students. PMID:22478317

Significant issues in proof testing: A critical appraisal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chell, G. G.; Mcclung, R. C.; Russell, D. A.; Chang, K. J.; Donnelly, B.

1994-01-01

Issues which impact on the interpretation and quantification of proof test benefits are reviewed. The importance of each issue in contributing to the extra quality assurance conferred by proof testing components is discussed, particularly with respect to the application of advanced fracture mechanics concepts to enhance the flaw screening capability of a proof test analysis. Items covered include the role in proof testing of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics, ductile instability analysis, deterministic versus probabilistic analysis, single versus multiple cycle proof testing, and non-destructive examination (NDE). The effects of proof testing on subsequent service life are reviewed, particularly with regard to stress redistribution and changes in fracture behavior resulting from the overload. The importance of proof test conditions are also addressed, covering aspects related to test temperature, simulation of service environments, test media and the application of real-time NDE. The role of each issue in a proof test methodology is assessed with respect to its ability to: promote proof test practice to a state-of-the-art; aid optimization of proof test design; and increase awareness and understanding of outstanding issues.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Community and Hospital Medical Record Integration on Management of Behavioral Health in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Ngo, Stephanie; Shahsahebi, Mohammad; Schreiber, Sean; Johnson, Fred; Silberberg, Mina

2017-11-09

This study evaluated the correlation of an emergency department embedded care coordinator with access to community and medical records in decreasing hospital and emergency department use in patients with behavioral health issues. This retrospective cohort study presents a 6-month pre-post analysis on patients seen by the care coordinator (n=524). Looking at all-cause healthcare utilization, care coordination was associated with a significant median decrease of one emergency department visit per patient (p < 0.001) and a decrease of 9.5 h in emergency department length of stay per average visit per patient (p<0.001). There was no significant effect on the number of hospitalizations or hospital length of stay. This intervention demonstrated a correlation with reducing emergency department use in patients with behavioral health issues, but no correlation with reducing hospital utilization. This under-researched approach of integrating medical records at point-of-care could serve as a model for better emergency department management of behavioral health patients.

Familial correlates of extreme weight control behaviors among adolescents.

PubMed

Fonseca, Helena; Ireland, Marjorie; Resnick, Michael D

2002-12-01

To identify familial factors associated with extreme weight control among adolescents. Analysis of a comprehensive 1996 health survey of Connecticut students. Familial factors among extreme dieters who deliberately vomited, took diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics were compared with youth reporting none of these behaviors, using logistic regression controlling for age and body mass index. Nearly 7% of adolescents reported engaging in extreme weight control behaviors. Boys' risk factors included high parental supervision/monitoring and sexual abuse history. Protective factors included high parental expectations, maternal presence, and connectedness with friends and other adults. The only significant risk factor for girls was sexual abuse history. Protective factors included family connectedness, positive family communication, parental supervision/monitoring, and maternal presence. Extreme dieting appears to be less an expression of body composition than of psychosocial issues. That connectedness to family, other adults, and friends is protective further demonstrates interrelationships of extreme weight control behaviors with family/social issues. Copyright 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 32: 441-448, 2002.

On the Future of Personality Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mischel, Walter

1977-01-01

The issues which this article examines include the multiple determinism of behavior, the role of context, the multiple goals of personality measurement, the "subject" as potential expert and colleague, the analysis of environments, and the role of person variables. (Author)

AAMFT Master Series tapes: an analysis of the inclusion of feminist principles into family therapy practice.

PubMed

Haddock, S A; MacPhee, D; Zimmerman, T S

2001-10-01

Content analysis of 23 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Master Series tapes was used to determine how well feminist behaviors have been incorporated into "ideal" family therapy practice. Feminist behaviors were infrequent, being evident in fewer than 3% of time blocks in event sampling and 10 of 39 feminist behaviors of the Feminist Family Therapist Behavior Checklist. These eminent therapists most often dealt with empowerment of male clients and management of power differentials in the therapeutic relationship in a relatively feminist manner, but they tended to hold women responsible for family issues, endorsed traditional rather than egalitarian relationships, and overlooked how the social context affects families. Several of the therapists were blatantly sexist in their treatment of female clients, communicating disrespect of and pathologizing them. The few tapes portraying effective incorporation of feminist principles in family therapy indicate that a handful of behaviors are key to this approach.

An experimental analysis of ongoing verbal behavior: Reinforcement, verbal operants, and superstitious behavior

PubMed Central

Leigland, Sam

1996-01-01

Four adult humans were asked to asked to “find” and talk about a particular topic to a person in an adjoining room, and were instructed that they would hear a short beep (the only form of reply from the other person) when they were talking about the topic, or were “close” to the topic. In Session 1, the experimenter in the adjoining room presented the beeps in the manner of shaping, or the differential reinforcement of successive approximations, “toward” the designated topic. In Session 2, the same conditions were in effect but the experimenter was unable to hear the subject and the beeps were presented noncontingently in a way that roughly matched the frequency and distribution of presentations in Session 1. In Session 3, shaping conditions were again in effect but with a different topic than that designated for Session 1. Audio recordings were transcribed in a way that was designed to show the progress of shaping over time. These and additional forms of supporting data and accompanying rationale are presented and discussed in detail. Issues raised by the methodology and results of the experiment include the nature of the verbal operant, superstitious verbal behavior, and a variety of methodological issues relevant to the experimental analysis of ongoing or continuous verbal behavior. PMID:22477112

Methodological optimization of tinnitus assessment using prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex.

PubMed

Longenecker, R J; Galazyuk, A V

2012-11-16

Recently prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR) became a popular technique for tinnitus assessment in laboratory animals. This method confers a significant advantage over the previously used time-consuming behavioral approaches utilizing basic mechanisms of conditioning. Although this technique has been successfully used to assess tinnitus in different laboratory animals, many of the finer details of this methodology have not been described enough to be replicated, but are critical for tinnitus assessment. Here we provide detail description of key procedures and methodological issues that provide guidance for newcomers with the process of learning to correctly apply gap detection techniques for tinnitus assessment in laboratory animals. The major categories of these issues include: refinement of hardware for best performance, optimization of stimulus parameters, behavioral considerations, and identification of optimal strategies for data analysis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Tinnitus Neuroscience. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Analysis of Student Misbehavior Patterns: Corrective Guidelines for Administrators and Teachers in Alternative Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dix, Jerry Edward; Karr-Kidwell, PJ

This paper presents an analysis of adolescent violent behavior in schools. The paper offers an overview that includes student violence and discipline issues, school law, special services for at-risk students, and programs to enhance the opportunities for successful interventions. The paper is also a vehicle for a new discipline-management…

On radicalizing behaviorism: A call for cultural analysis

PubMed Central

Malagodi, E. F.

1986-01-01

Our culture at large continues many practices that work against the well-being of its members and its chances for survival. Our discipline has failed to realize its potential for contributing to the understanding of these practices and to the generation of solutions. This failure of realization is in part a consequence of the general failure of behavior analysts to view social and cultural analysis as a fundamental component of radical behaviorism. This omission is related to three prevailing practices of our discipline. First, radical behaviorism is characteristically defined as a “philosophy of science,” and its concerns are ordinarily restricted to certain epistemological issues. Second, theoretical extensions to social and cultural phenomena too often depend solely upon principles derived from the analysis of behavior. Third, little attention has been directed at examining the relationships that do, or that should, exist between our discipline and related sciences. These practices themselves are attributed to certain features of the history of our field. Two general remedies for this situation are suggested: first, that radical behaviorism be treated as a comprehensive world view in which epistemological, psychological, and cultural analyses constitute interdependent components; second, that principles derived from compatible social-science disciplines be incorporated into radical behaviorism. PMID:22478643

Behavioral and Organizational Considerations in the Design of Information Systems and Processes for Planning and Decision Support,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

analysis and display capability provided by management information systems to include interpretation and aggregation of information and values such as...accomplishment of these) 2. analysis of the issue d) systems analysis and modeling (determination of the structure of the decision situation, the...existingltrtie2) Surveying lsata i situation’ alternatives I altraivDsad Is this alternative -" altrnav acceptable? ANALYSIS o NOYES SHave a sufficient

The Role of Leadership and Peer Behaviors in the Performance and Well-Being of Women in Combat: Historical Perspectives, Unit Integration, and Family Issues.

PubMed

Segal, Mady Wechsler; Smith, David G; Segal, David R; Canuso, Amy A

2016-01-01

This article analyzes how the behaviors of leaders and peers affect the performance and well-being of military women. Locating our analysis within the conceptual model in this issue, we summarize the empirical literature and make practice and policy recommendations. We synthesize results about unit integration, such as research on the conditions for successful integration of previously excluded groups and on the relationship between cohesion and performance. We apply lessons learned from the history of diversity integration in military and civilian organizations, analyzing the treatment of military personnel by race, gender, and sexual orientation. The opening of ground combat specialties and units to women is the latest step in personnel policy changes broadening the recruitment base. We analyze research on gender integration in contemporary armed forces, focusing on positive and negative effects on women of leader and peer behaviors. We discuss conditions for successfully integrating women and those that tend to lead to failure. We analyze military women's family issues, including the effects of deployments and how leaders and peers can help ameliorate problems-or exacerbate them with inappropriate or unsupportive behavior. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Vocational Behavior 1990-1992: Personnel Practices, Organizational Behavior, Workplace Justice, and Industrial/Organizational Measurement Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blau, Gary; And Others

1993-01-01

This annual review gives representative coverage of research on personnel practices and issues, work adjustment, organizational behavior, workplace justice (equal opportunities, harassment, etc.), and industrial/occupational measurement issues. The bibliography lists 438 references. (SK)

Teaching Bitter Lessons: China’s Use of Force in Territorial Disputes 1962-1988

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

and risk mitigation efforts, followed by an overall analysis of Chinese behavior during the war. The Military Engagement...behave reasonably. In fact, China’s leader’s reasoning on strategic issues can be described as thoughtful, deliberative, and risk aware. Mao said...Chinese behavior during the Sino-Indo war of 1962 suggests the following: 1) China appeared to be risk averse in that it did not desire a conflict

Measurement Models for Reasoned Action Theory.

PubMed

Hennessy, Michael; Bleakley, Amy; Fishbein, Martin

2012-03-01

Quantitative researchers distinguish between causal and effect indicators. What are the analytic problems when both types of measures are present in a quantitative reasoned action analysis? To answer this question, we use data from a longitudinal study to estimate the association between two constructs central to reasoned action theory: behavioral beliefs and attitudes toward the behavior. The belief items are causal indicators that define a latent variable index while the attitude items are effect indicators that reflect the operation of a latent variable scale. We identify the issues when effect and causal indicators are present in a single analysis and conclude that both types of indicators can be incorporated in the analysis of data based on the reasoned action approach.

The carrier safety measurement system (CSMS) effectiveness test by behavior analysis and safety improvement categories (BASICs)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-24

The Carrier Safety Measurement System (CSMS) is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations (FMCSA's) workload prioritization tool. This tool is used to identify carriers with potential safety issues so that they are subject to interventions ...

A Hybrid Data Mining Approach for Credit Card Usage Behavior Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Chieh-Yuan

Credit card is one of the most popular e-payment approaches in current online e-commerce. To consolidate valuable customers, card issuers invest a lot of money to maintain good relationship with their customers. Although several efforts have been done in studying card usage motivation, few researches emphasize on credit card usage behavior analysis when time periods change from t to t+1. To address this issue, an integrated data mining approach is proposed in this paper. First, the customer profile and their transaction data at time period t are retrieved from databases. Second, a LabelSOM neural network groups customers into segments and identify critical characteristics for each group. Third, a fuzzy decision tree algorithm is used to construct usage behavior rules of interesting customer groups. Finally, these rules are used to analysis the behavior changes between time periods t and t+1. An implementation case using a practical credit card database provided by a commercial bank in Taiwan is illustrated to show the benefits of the proposed framework.

The problem of parental nonadherence in clinical behavior analysis: effective treatment is not enough.

PubMed Central

Allen, K D; Warzak, W J

2000-01-01

Applied behavior analysts have developed many effective interventions for common childhood problems and have repeatedly demonstrated that childhood behavior responds to properly managed contingencies. The success of these interventions is dependent upon their basic effectiveness, as demonstrated in the literature, their precise delivery by the clinician to the parent, and adherence to or consistent implementation of the intervention. Unfortunately, arranging the consistent implementation of effective parenting strategies is a significant challenge for behavior analysts who work in homes, schools, and outpatient or primary care clinics. Much has been done to address issues of adherence or implementation in the clinic, but relatively little has been done to increase our understanding of the contingencies that affect parental adherence beyond the supervised clinic environment. An analysis of the contingencies that strengthen or weaken adherence might suggest strategies to improve implementation outside the clinic setting. What follows is an analysis of the variables associated with adherence by parents to recommendations designed to solve common childhood problems. PMID:11051583

Shape-and-behavior encoded tracking of bee dances.

PubMed

Veeraraghavan, Ashok; Chellappa, Rama; Srinivasan, Mandyam

2008-03-01

Behavior analysis of social insects has garnered impetus in recent years and has led to some advances in fields like control systems, flight navigation etc. Manual labeling of insect motions required for analyzing the behaviors of insects requires significant investment of time and effort. In this paper, we propose certain general principles that help in simultaneous automatic tracking and behavior analysis with applications in tracking bees and recognizing specific behaviors exhibited by them. The state space for tracking is defined using position, orientation and the current behavior of the insect being tracked. The position and orientation are parametrized using a shape model while the behavior is explicitly modeled using a three-tier hierarchical motion model. The first tier (dynamics) models the local motions exhibited and the models built in this tier act as a vocabulary for behavior modeling. The second tier is a Markov motion model built on top of the local motion vocabulary which serves as the behavior model. The third tier of the hierarchy models the switching between behaviors and this is also modeled as a Markov model. We address issues in learning the three-tier behavioral model, in discriminating between models, detecting and in modeling abnormal behaviors. Another important aspect of this work is that it leads to joint tracking and behavior analysis instead of the traditional track and then recognize approach. We apply these principles for tracking bees in a hive while they are executing the waggle dance and the round dance.

Teleology and teleonomy in behavior analysis

PubMed Central

Reese, Hayne W.

1994-01-01

Teleological descriptions and explanations refer to purpose as consequent to a phenomenon. They become nonteleological if purpose is represented as antecedent to the phenomenon. Such nonteleological statements are called teleonomic, especially when they refer to antecedent genetic “programs.” In behavior analysis, purpose is attributed to the organism's history of consequences. Such a history may leave a trace—physiological (mechanism) or mental (cognitivism)—or the issue of traces may be irrelevant (contextualism). The history or trace is antecedent to current responding, and thus is not a teleological concept in the classical sense. It could be called a teleonomic concept, but this designation is undesirable if it implies exclusively genetic programming, because the history or trace is genetically programmed in evolutionary selection but not in ontogenetic selection. Therefore, the concepts of teleology and teleonomy are not useful for behavior analysis, and invoking them can be misleading. The concept of purpose can be useful if it is not reified. PMID:22478174

Time perspective and environmental engagement: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Milfont, Taciano L; Wilson, Jessie; Diniz, Pollyane

2012-01-01

Environmental issues entail both a social conflict (private vs. public interests) and a temporal conflict (short- vs. long-term interests). This paper focuses on the role temporal concerns play in influencing environmental engagement by quantitatively integrating results of studies that assessed the associations between time perspective and proenvironmental attitudes and behaviors. The meta-analysis included a total of 19 independent samples and 6,301 participants from seven countries (Australia, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States). Results showed that the associations between time perspective and proenvironmental behaviors were higher than those for proenvironmental attitudes. Supporting predictions, the associations between future time perspective and proenvironmental behaviors were strong and nontrivial compared to those for the combined past-present time perspective. The findings indicate that future time perspective seems to play an important role in influencing individuals' attitudes and behaviors towards the environment. Implications of the findings for theory and practice are discussed.

Simulation of Mechanical Behavior and Damage of a Large Composite Wind Turbine Blade under Critical Loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarfaoui, M.; Nachtane, M.; Khadimallah, H.; Saifaoui, D.

2018-04-01

Issues such as energy generation/transmission and greenhouse gas emissions are the two energy problems we face today. In this context, renewable energy sources are a necessary part of the solution essentially winds power, which is one of the most profitable sources of competition with new fossil energy facilities. This paper present the simulation of mechanical behavior and damage of a 48 m composite wind turbine blade under critical wind loads. The finite element analysis was performed by using ABAQUS code to predict the most critical damage behavior and to apprehend and obtain knowledge of the complex structural behavior of wind turbine blades. The approach developed based on the nonlinear FE analysis using mean values for the material properties and the failure criteria of Tsai-Hill to predict failure modes in large structures and to identify the sensitive zones.

A cluster phase analysis for collective behavior in team sports.

PubMed

López-Felip, Maurici A; Davis, Tehran J; Frank, Till D; Dixon, James A

2018-06-01

Collective behavior can be defined as the ability of humans to coordinate with others through a complex environment. Sports offer exquisite examples of this dynamic interplay, requiring decision making and other perceptual-cognitive skills to adjust individual decisions to the team self-organization and vice versa. Considering players of a team as periodic phase oscillators, synchrony analyses can be used to model the coordination of a team. Nonetheless, a main limitation of current models is that collective behavior is context independent. In other words, players on a team can be highly synchronized without this corresponding to a meaningful coordination dynamics relevant to the context of the game. Considering these issues, the aim of this study was to develop a method of analysis sensitive to the context for evidence-based measures of collective behavior. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationships of General Ability, Specific Ability, and Job Category for Predicting Training Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

Spearman, 1904). It has been and remains the center of much controversy. Early intelligence test developers such as Binet anc, Simon were proponents of...as a predictor has again become the subject of many studies. The December 1986 issue of Journal of Vocational Behavior ( Gottfredson , 1986) provided...Command. Gottfredson , L.S. (1986). Foreword, The g factor in employment. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 29. 293-296. Hotelling, H.H. (1933a). Analysis

A Rejoinder.

PubMed

Nesselroade, John R; Molenaar, Peter C M

2016-01-01

Three commentaries on the Nesselroade and Molenaar target article in this issue are responded to in the interest of elaborating and defending the points of view expressed in our article. The commentaries feature philosophy of science, general structural modeling, and broad behavioral research perspectives. Responding to the commentaries afforded us the opportunity to clarify further matters that we deem critical to the fundamental matter of measurement in behavioral science, especially as it emphasizes (properly, we believe) the individual as the primary unit of analysis.

Using PRECEDE to develop a weight management program for disadvantaged young adults.

PubMed

Walsh, Jennifer R; White, Adrienne A; Kattelmann, Kendra K

2014-01-01

To conduct a needs assessment using the PRECEDE model for the development of a weight management program for low-income young adults. Four phases were implemented using qualitative (focus groups and interviews) and quantitative (survey) methodologies, with steering committee guidance. Northeastern residential vocational center. Convenience sample of low-income young adults, 18-24 years old (total n = 203), who were attending a job training vocational center. General themes of life satisfaction determinants and issues related to weight, self-reported weight and related behavior, existing environmental supports, and desired changes of behavioral and environmental influences of weight. Content analysis of qualitative data; descriptive analysis and Student t test. Self-image and discrimination were themes for weight issues. More than half of participants were overweight or obese (57%) and had low levels of physical activity (58%). Self-reported fruit and vegetable intake was inadequate (<2.5 cups/d). Identified environmental factors most needing improvement were accessibility for walking and biking and availability of healthful food. Participants reported exercising, getting adequate sleep, eating healthful snacks, and effectively managing stress as behavior they were willing to change. The PRECEDE model was useful to identify concerns, priorities, and modifiable factors among a young adult community that can increase the relevancy of a weight management program. Copyright © 2014 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Reinforcement of Ableism: Normality, the Medical Model of Disability, and Humanism in Applied Behavior Analysis and ASD.

PubMed

Shyman, Eric

2016-10-01

The field of educating individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder has ever been rife with controversy regarding issues ranging from etiology and causation to effective intervention and education options. One such basis for controversy has been between humanism, and humanistic philosophical concepts, and its fundamental differences with behaviorism, and behavioristic philosophical concepts. These differences have long been debated, and the belief that the two orientations are generally mutually exclusive has been largely maintained. Recently, however, there has been some resurgence of interest in reconciling some of the fundamental humanistic and behavioristic tenets. Most of these discussions, however, center on specific interventional methodologies as its basis without delving more deeply into the underlying philosophical issues. This article will explore some fundamental humanistic concepts that ought to be reconciled in order for behaviorism to be considered a humanistic practice. While the notion that the possibility of reconciliation is maintained, the central argument maintains that much work needs to be done on the part of behaviorism both philosophically and methodologically in order for such reconciliation to be achieved.

Is tattooing a risk factor for adolescents' criminal behavior? Empirical evidence from an administrative data set of juvenile detainees in Taiwan.

PubMed

Liao, Pei-An; Chang, Hung-Hao; Su, Yi-Ju

2014-12-01

Juvenile crime affects not only the victims of the crime but also the delinquents' future. How to prevent adolescent criminal behavior has become an important public policy issue. This study contributes to this interesting issue by examining the relationship between tattooing and adolescents' criminal behavior. In particular, this study investigates whether or not having a tattoo/tattoos is connected to the incidence of various criminal activities, including: larceny, robbery, fraud, assault, drug use, and homicide. A unique sample of 973 juvenile detainees drawn from the administrative profiles in Taiwan and the coarsened exact matching method were utilized. Results show that compared to their nontattooed counterparts, tattooed juvenile detainees were significantly more likely to commit fraud, assault, drug abuse, and homicide by 3%, 13%, 9%, and 9%, respectively. In contrast, tattooing was not significantly associated with larceny or robbery. From a policy perspective, given the significant link between tattooing and criminal behavior, the presence of a tattoo in adolescents may serve as a valuable indicator regarding adolescents' high probability of committing crimes. © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Engaging men and women as allies: a workplace curriculum module to challenge gender norms about domestic violence, male bullying and workplace violence and encourage ally behavior.

PubMed

Wagner, K C; Yates, Diane; Walcott, Quentin

2012-01-01

This post-hoc analysis discusses a replicable workplace behavior change module called Men and Women As Allies, that was designed and implemented by a team of labor, management and community anti-violence educators at a private sector telecommunications employer. A job site-specific educational seminar linked issues of domestic violence to male bullying and workplace violence. It challenged social stereotypes about gender, taught skills to engage ally peer behavior and provided information on how to seek assistance from union, workplace and external community resources.

Identifying sexual orientation health disparities in adolescents: analysis of pooled data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2005 and 2007.

PubMed

Mustanski, Brian; Van Wagenen, Aimee; Birkett, Michelle; Eyster, Sandra; Corliss, Heather L

2014-02-01

We studied sexual orientation disparities in health outcomes among US adolescents by pooling multiple Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data sets from 2005 and 2007 for 14 jurisdictions. Here we describe the methodology for pooling and analyzing these data sets. Sexual orientation-related items assessed sexual orientation identity, gender of sexual contacts, sexual attractions, and harassment regarding sexual orientation. Wording of items varied across jurisdictions, so we created parallel variables and composite sexual minority variables. We used a variety of statistical approaches to address issues with the analysis of pooled data and to meet the aims of individual articles, which focused on a range of health outcomes and behaviors related to cancer, substance use, sexual health, mental health, violence, and injury.

Identifying Sexual Orientation Health Disparities in Adolescents: Analysis of Pooled Data From the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2005 and 2007

PubMed Central

Van Wagenen, Aimee; Birkett, Michelle; Eyster, Sandra; Corliss, Heather L.

2014-01-01

We studied sexual orientation disparities in health outcomes among US adolescents by pooling multiple Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data sets from 2005 and 2007 for 14 jurisdictions. Here we describe the methodology for pooling and analyzing these data sets. Sexual orientation–related items assessed sexual orientation identity, gender of sexual contacts, sexual attractions, and harassment regarding sexual orientation. Wording of items varied across jurisdictions, so we created parallel variables and composite sexual minority variables. We used a variety of statistical approaches to address issues with the analysis of pooled data and to meet the aims of individual articles, which focused on a range of health outcomes and behaviors related to cancer, substance use, sexual health, mental health, violence, and injury. PMID:24328640

Can Link Analysis Be Applied to Identify Behavioral Patterns in Train Recorder Data?

PubMed

Strathie, Ailsa; Walker, Guy H

2016-03-01

A proof-of-concept analysis was conducted to establish whether link analysis could be applied to data from on-train recorders to detect patterns of behavior that could act as leading indicators of potential safety issues. On-train data recorders capture data about driving behavior on thousands of routine journeys every day and offer a source of untapped data that could be used to offer insights into human behavior. Data from 17 journeys undertaken by six drivers on the same route over a 16-hr period were analyzed using link analysis, and four key metrics were examined: number of links, network density, diameter, and sociometric status. The results established that link analysis can be usefully applied to data captured from on-vehicle recorders. The four metrics revealed key differences in normal driver behavior. These differences have promising construct validity as leading indicators. Link analysis is one method that could be usefully applied to exploit data routinely gathered by on-vehicle data recorders. It facilitates a proactive approach to safety based on leading indicators, offers a clearer understanding of what constitutes normal driving behavior, and identifies trends at the interface of people and systems, which is currently a key area of strategic risk. These research findings have direct applications in the field of transport data monitoring. They offer a means of automatically detecting patterns in driver behavior that could act as leading indicators of problems during operation and that could be used in the proactive monitoring of driver competence, risk management, and even infrastructure design. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

The problem of false positives and false negatives in violent video game experiments.

PubMed

Ferguson, Christopher J

The problem of false positives and negatives has received considerable attention in behavioral research in recent years. The current paper uses video game violence research as an example of how such issues may develop in a field. Despite decades of research, evidence on whether violent video games (VVGs) contribute to aggression in players has remained mixed. Concerns have been raised in recent years that experiments regarding VVGs may suffer from both "false positives" and "false negatives." The current paper examines this issue in three sets of video game experiments, two sets of video game experiments on aggression and prosocial behaviors identified in meta-analysis, and a third group of recent null studies. Results indicated that studies of VVGs and aggression appear to be particularly prone to false positive results. Studies of VVGs and prosocial behavior, by contrast are heterogeneous and did not demonstrate any indication of false positive results. However, their heterogeneous nature made it difficult to base solid conclusions on them. By contrast, evidence for false negatives in null studies was limited, and little evidence emerged that null studies lacked power in comparison those highlighted in past meta-analyses as evidence for effects. These results are considered in light of issues related to false positives and negatives in behavioral science more broadly. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interoperability-oriented Integration of Failure Knowledge into Functional Knowledge and Knowledge Transformation based on Concepts Mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koji, Yusuke; Kitamura, Yoshinobu; Kato, Yoshikiyo; Tsutsui, Yoshio; Mizoguchi, Riichiro

In conceptual design, it is important to develop functional structures which reflect the rich experience in the knowledge from previous design failures. Especially, if a designer learns possible abnormal behaviors from a previous design failure, he or she can add an additional function which prevents such abnormal behaviors and faults. To do this, it is a crucial issue to share such knowledge about possible faulty phenomena and how to cope with them. In fact, a part of such knowledge is described in FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis) sheets, function structure models for systematic design and fault trees for FTA (Fault Tree Analysis).

Effects of Adenotonsillectomy on Parent-Reported Behavior in Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

PubMed Central

Thomas, Nina Hattiangadi; Xanthopoulos, Melissa S.; Kim, Ji Young; Shults, Justine; Escobar, Emma; Giordani, Bruno; Hodges, Elise; Chervin, Ronald D.; Paruthi, Shalini; Rosen, Carol L.; Taylor, Gerry H.; Arens, Raanan; Katz, Eliot S.; Beebe, Dean W.; Redline, Susan; Radcliffe, Jerilynn

2017-01-01

Abstract Objectives: The childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with behavioral abnormalities. Studies on the effects of OSAS treatment on behavior are conflicting, with few studies using a randomized design. Further, studies may be confounded by the inclusion of behavioral outcome measures directly related to sleep. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of adenotonsillectomy on behavior in children with OSAS. We hypothesized that surgery would improve behavioral ratings, even when sleep symptom items were excluded from the analysis. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) data, with and without exclusion of sleep-specific items, from the Childhood Adenotonsillectomy Trial (CHAT). CBCL was completed by caregivers of 380 children (7.0+1.4 [range 5–9] years) with OSAS randomized to early adenotonsillectomy (eAT) versus 7 months of watchful waiting with supportive care (WWSC). Results: There was a high prevalence of behavioral problems at baseline; 16.6% of children had a Total Problems score in the clinically abnormal range. At follow-up, there were significant improvements in Total Problems (p < .001), Internalizing Behaviors (p = .04), Somatic Complaints (p = .01), and Thought Problems (p = .01) in eAT vs. WWSC participants. When specific sleep-related question items were removed from the analysis, eAT showed an overall improvement in Total (p = .02) and Other (p = .01) problems. Black children had less improvement in behavior following eAT than white children, but this difference attenuated when sleep-related items were excluded. Conclusions: This large, randomized trial showed that adenotonsillectomy for OSAS improved parent-rated behavioral problems, even when sleep-specific behavioral issues were excluded from the analysis. PMID:28199697

The Evaluation of School-Based Violence Prevention Programs: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park-Higgerson, Hyoun-Kyoung; Perumean-Chaney, Suzanne E.; Bartolucci, Alfred A.; Grimley, Diane M.; Singh, Karan P.

2008-01-01

Background: Youth violence and related aggressive behaviors have become serious public health issues with physical, economic, social, and psychological impacts and consequences. This study identified and evaluated the characteristics of successful school-based violence prevention programs. Methods: Twenty-six randomized controlled trial (RCT),…

Measurement Models for Reasoned Action Theory

PubMed Central

Hennessy, Michael; Bleakley, Amy; Fishbein, Martin

2012-01-01

Quantitative researchers distinguish between causal and effect indicators. What are the analytic problems when both types of measures are present in a quantitative reasoned action analysis? To answer this question, we use data from a longitudinal study to estimate the association between two constructs central to reasoned action theory: behavioral beliefs and attitudes toward the behavior. The belief items are causal indicators that define a latent variable index while the attitude items are effect indicators that reflect the operation of a latent variable scale. We identify the issues when effect and causal indicators are present in a single analysis and conclude that both types of indicators can be incorporated in the analysis of data based on the reasoned action approach. PMID:23243315

Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Child's Weight-Related Behaviors: A Parents' Perspective.

PubMed

Polfuss, Michele; Johnson, Norah; Bonis, Susan A; Hovis, Susan L; Apollon, Fallon; Sawin, Kathleen J

To explore parent perspectives of how the attributes of their child's autism spectrum disorder(ASD) impact nutrition, physical activity, screen time behaviors and risk for obesity. Secondarily, we examined the parent's perception of the healthcare providers (HCP) influence on these weight-related behaviors. We conducted and audio-recorded telephone interviews with parents of children with ASD (n=8) using a structured question guide. Data were transcribed and thematic analysis was conducted. Issues surrounding weight-related behaviors and parental strategies used were reported. Two overarching themes with eight subthemes emerged: (1) Challenges related to features of ASD (subthemes included fixation on food, sensory issues/rigidity, developmental factors, impaired social skills, and medication effects) and (2) Challenges related to the care of children with ASD (subthemes included lack of individualized care planning, picking your battles and the impact of ASD on family). Strategies extracted from the parent narratives promoted both healthy and unhealthy weight-related behaviors. The key finding in this study is that some parents did not follow HCP guidance when they perceived that the HCP did not understand their particular situation. Implementation of healthy weight-related behaviors can be optimized when providers consider the child's challenging ASD behaviors, affirm the difficulties encountered by the family and provide guidance that builds on the individual child/family strengths. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Joint Control: A Discussion of Recent Research

PubMed Central

Palmer, David C

2006-01-01

The discrimination of the onset of joint control is an important interpretive tool in explaining matching behavior and other complex phenomena, but the difficulty of getting experimental control of all relevant variables stands in the way of a definitive experiment. The studies in the present issue of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior illustrate how modest experiments can take their place in a web of interpretation to make a strong case that joint control is a necessary element of such phenomena. PMID:22477357

Contextualized analysis of a needs assessment using the Theoretical Domains Framework: a case example in endocrinology

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) is a set of 14 domains of behavior change that provide a framework for the critical issues and factors influencing optimal knowledge translation. Considering that a previous study has identified optimal knowledge translation techniques for each TDF domain, it was hypothesized that the TDF could be used to contextualize and interpret findings from a behavioral and educational needs assessment. To illustrate this hypothesis, findings and recommendations drawn from a 2012 national behavioral and educational needs assessment conducted with healthcare providers who treat and manage Growth and Growth Hormone Disorders, will be discussed using the TDF. Methods This needs assessment utilized a mixed-methods research approach that included a combination of: [a] data sources (Endocrinologists (n:120), Pediatric Endocrinologists (n:53), Pediatricians (n:52)), [b] data collection methods (focus groups, interviews, online survey), [c] analysis methodologies (qualitative - analyzed through thematic analysis, quantitative - analyzed using frequencies, cross-tabulations, and gap analysis). Triangulation was used to generate trustworthy findings on the clinical practice gaps of endocrinologists, pediatric endocrinologists, and general pediatricians in their provision of care to adult patients with adult growth hormone deficiency or acromegaly, or children/teenagers with pediatric growth disorders. The identified gaps were then broken into key underlying determinants, categorized according to the TDF domains, and linked to optimal behavioral change techniques. Results The needs assessment identified 13 gaps, each with one or more underlying determinant(s). Overall, these determinants were mapped to 9 of the 14 TDF domains. The Beliefs about Consequences domain was identified as a contributing determinant to 7 of the 13 challenges. Five of the gaps could be related to the Skills domain, while three were linked to the Knowledge domain. Conclusions The TDF categorization of the needs assessment findings allowed recommendation of appropriate behavior change techniques for each underlying determinant, and facilitated communication and understanding of the identified issues to a broader audience. This approach provides a means for health education researchers to categorize gaps and challenges identified through educational needs assessments, and facilitates the application of these findings by educators and knowledge translators, by linking the gaps to recommended behavioral change techniques. PMID:25060235

Contextualized analysis of a needs assessment using the Theoretical Domains Framework: a case example in endocrinology.

PubMed

Lazure, Patrice; Bartel, Robert C; Biller, Beverly M K; Molitch, Mark E; Rosenthal, Stephen M; Ross, Judith L; Bernsten, Brock D; Hayes, Sean M

2014-07-24

The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) is a set of 14 domains of behavior change that provide a framework for the critical issues and factors influencing optimal knowledge translation. Considering that a previous study has identified optimal knowledge translation techniques for each TDF domain, it was hypothesized that the TDF could be used to contextualize and interpret findings from a behavioral and educational needs assessment. To illustrate this hypothesis, findings and recommendations drawn from a 2012 national behavioral and educational needs assessment conducted with healthcare providers who treat and manage Growth and Growth Hormone Disorders, will be discussed using the TDF. This needs assessment utilized a mixed-methods research approach that included a combination of: [a] data sources (Endocrinologists (n:120), Pediatric Endocrinologists (n:53), Pediatricians (n:52)), [b] data collection methods (focus groups, interviews, online survey), [c] analysis methodologies (qualitative - analyzed through thematic analysis, quantitative - analyzed using frequencies, cross-tabulations, and gap analysis). Triangulation was used to generate trustworthy findings on the clinical practice gaps of endocrinologists, pediatric endocrinologists, and general pediatricians in their provision of care to adult patients with adult growth hormone deficiency or acromegaly, or children/teenagers with pediatric growth disorders. The identified gaps were then broken into key underlying determinants, categorized according to the TDF domains, and linked to optimal behavioral change techniques. The needs assessment identified 13 gaps, each with one or more underlying determinant(s). Overall, these determinants were mapped to 9 of the 14 TDF domains. The Beliefs about Consequences domain was identified as a contributing determinant to 7 of the 13 challenges. Five of the gaps could be related to the Skills domain, while three were linked to the Knowledge domain. The TDF categorization of the needs assessment findings allowed recommendation of appropriate behavior change techniques for each underlying determinant, and facilitated communication and understanding of the identified issues to a broader audience. This approach provides a means for health education researchers to categorize gaps and challenges identified through educational needs assessments, and facilitates the application of these findings by educators and knowledge translators, by linking the gaps to recommended behavioral change techniques.

Behavioral medicine and clinical health psychology: introduction to the special issue.

PubMed

Christensen, Alan J; Nezu, Arthur M

2013-04-01

This issue represents the 4th Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology special issue on behavioral medicine and clinical health psychology over the past 4 decades. Recent developments in health care policy, as well as in the maturation of the science, make a special issue in this area particularly timely. This collection includes state of the clinical science reviews, reports of clinical trials, and articles addressing theory and methods in behavioral medicine and clinical health psychology. A multilevel, ecological perspective that considers multiple levels of influences (e.g., cultural influences on behavior-health linkages, individual differences) is salient throughout many of the articles. Our hope is that this sampling of this broad field, and coverage of some key issues and areas, will play a role in stimulating the next 10 years of research, practice, and policy implementation in behavioral medicine and clinical health psychology.

Design for dependability: A simulation-based approach. Ph.D. Thesis, 1993

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goswami, Kumar K.

1994-01-01

This research addresses issues in simulation-based system level dependability analysis of fault-tolerant computer systems. The issues and difficulties of providing a general simulation-based approach for system level analysis are discussed and a methodology that address and tackle these issues is presented. The proposed methodology is designed to permit the study of a wide variety of architectures under various fault conditions. It permits detailed functional modeling of architectural features such as sparing policies, repair schemes, routing algorithms as well as other fault-tolerant mechanisms, and it allows the execution of actual application software. One key benefit of this approach is that the behavior of a system under faults does not have to be pre-defined as it is normally done. Instead, a system can be simulated in detail and injected with faults to determine its failure modes. The thesis describes how object-oriented design is used to incorporate this methodology into a general purpose design and fault injection package called DEPEND. A software model is presented that uses abstractions of application programs to study the behavior and effect of software on hardware faults in the early design stage when actual code is not available. Finally, an acceleration technique that combines hierarchical simulation, time acceleration algorithms and hybrid simulation to reduce simulation time is introduced.

Evaluation of Natural Resource Education Materials: Implications for Resource Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pomerantz, Gerri A.

1991-01-01

An analysis of elementary school natural resource lessons (n=700) that focus on ecological principles, on resource management issues, and on analytical skill development affecting students' environmental behavior is presented. The fundamental conclusion is that very few of the lesson materials help to develop critical thinking skills and behaviors…

Efforts To Modify Sexual Orientation: A Review of Outcome Literature and Ethical Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Throckmorton, Warren

1998-01-01

Reviews successful efforts to modify patterns of sexual arousal from psychoanalytical, behavioral, cognitive, group, and religious perspectives. Presents an ethical analysis of the American Counseling Association's resolution expressing concerns about conversion therapy. Concludes that efforts to assist homosexuals who wish to modify their…

Communique: Resources for Practicing Counselors, Volume 2, Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walz, Garry; And Others, Eds.

In this issue of Communique a program to enhance communication skills in counseling is presented. The books reviewed are about transactional analysis and behavioral self-control. The vibrations column covers new developments in various areas of counseling as well as recent research and materials. Other research is reported on. (WS)

The Science of Addiction: Drugs, Brains, and Behavior

MedlinePlus

... Issue Past Issues The Science of Addiction: Drugs, Brains, and Behavior Past Issues / Spring 2007 Table of ... Americans understand addiction as a chronic but treatable brain disease. The eye-opening documentary, Addiction , first aired ...

Analysis of small crack behavior for airframe applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcclung, R. C.; Chan, K. S.; Hudak, S. J., Jr.; Davidson, D. L.

1994-01-01

The small fatigue crack problem is critically reviewed from the perspective of airframe applications. Different types of small cracks-microstructural, mechanical, and chemical-are carefully defined and relevant mechanisms identified. Appropriate analysis techniques, including both rigorous scientific and practical engineering treatments, are briefly described. Important materials data issues are addressed, including increased scatter in small crack data and recommended small crack test methods. Key problems requiring further study are highlighted.

SHAPA: An interactive software tool for protocol analysis applied to aircrew communications and workload

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, Jeffrey M.; Sanderson, Penelope M.; Seidler, Karen S.

1990-01-01

As modern transport environments become increasingly complex, issues such as crew communication, interaction with automation, and workload management have become crucial. Much research is being focused on holistic aspects of social and cognitive behavior, such as the strategies used to handle workload, the flow of information, the scheduling of tasks, the verbal and non-verbal interactions between crew members. Traditional laboratory performance measures no longer sufficiently meet the needs of researchers addressing these issues. However observational techniques are better equipped to capture the type of data needed and to build models of the requisite level of sophistication. Presented here is SHAPA, an interactive software tool for performing both verbal and non-verbal protocol analysis. It has been developed with the idea of affording the researchers the closest possible degree of engagement with protocol data. The researcher can configure SHAPA to encode protocols using any theoretical framework or encoding vocabulary that is desired. SHAPA allows protocol analysis to be performed at any level of analysis, and it supplies a wide variety of tools for data aggregation, manipulation. The output generated by SHAPA can be used alone or in combination with other performance variables to get a rich picture of the influences on sequences of verbal or nonverbal behavior.

TargetVue: Visual Analysis of Anomalous User Behaviors in Online Communication Systems.

PubMed

Cao, Nan; Shi, Conglei; Lin, Sabrina; Lu, Jie; Lin, Yu-Ru; Lin, Ching-Yung

2016-01-01

Users with anomalous behaviors in online communication systems (e.g. email and social medial platforms) are potential threats to society. Automated anomaly detection based on advanced machine learning techniques has been developed to combat this issue; challenges remain, though, due to the difficulty of obtaining proper ground truth for model training and evaluation. Therefore, substantial human judgment on the automated analysis results is often required to better adjust the performance of anomaly detection. Unfortunately, techniques that allow users to understand the analysis results more efficiently, to make a confident judgment about anomalies, and to explore data in their context, are still lacking. In this paper, we propose a novel visual analysis system, TargetVue, which detects anomalous users via an unsupervised learning model and visualizes the behaviors of suspicious users in behavior-rich context through novel visualization designs and multiple coordinated contextual views. Particularly, TargetVue incorporates three new ego-centric glyphs to visually summarize a user's behaviors which effectively present the user's communication activities, features, and social interactions. An efficient layout method is proposed to place these glyphs on a triangle grid, which captures similarities among users and facilitates comparisons of behaviors of different users. We demonstrate the power of TargetVue through its application in a social bot detection challenge using Twitter data, a case study based on email records, and an interview with expert users. Our evaluation shows that TargetVue is beneficial to the detection of users with anomalous communication behaviors.

Gamification: The Intersection between Behavior Analysis and Game Design Technologies.

PubMed

Morford, Zachary H; Witts, Benjamin N; Killingsworth, Kenneth J; Alavosius, Mark P

2014-05-01

Deterding et al. (Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, USA 15: 9-15, 2011) report a recent rise in popularity of video game inspired software designed to address issues in a variety of areas, including health, energy conservation, education, and business. These applications have been based on the concept of gamification, which involves a process by which nongame activities are designed to be more like a game. We provide examples of how gamification has been used to increase health-related behavior, energy consumption, academic performance, and other socially-significant behavior. We argue that behavior analytic research and practice stands to benefit from incorporating successful elements of game design. Lastly, we provide suggestions for behavior analysts regarding applied and basic research related to gamification.

Complex adaptive behavior and dexterous action

PubMed Central

Harrison, Steven J.; Stergiou, Nicholas

2016-01-01

Dexterous action, as conceptualized by Bernstein in his influential ecological analysis of human behavior, is revealed in the ability to flexibly generate behaviors that are adaptively tailored to the demands of the context in which they are embedded. Conceived as complex adaptive behavior, dexterity depends upon the qualities of robustness and degeneracy, and is supported by the functional complexity of the agent-environment system. Using Bernstein’s and Gibson’s ecological analyses of behavior situated in natural environments as conceptual touchstones, we consider the hypothesis that complex adaptive behavior capitalizes upon general principles of self-organization. Here, we outline a perspective in which the complex interactivity of nervous-system, body, and environment is revealed as an essential resource for adaptive behavior. From this perspective, we consider the implications for interpreting the functionality and dysfunctionality of human behavior. This paper demonstrates that, optimal variability, the topic of this special issue, is a logical consequence of interpreting the functionality of human behavior as complex adaptive behavior. PMID:26375932

Consensus-based methodology for detection communities in multilayered networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karimi-Majd, Amir-Mohsen; Fathian, Mohammad; Makrehchi, Masoud

2018-03-01

Finding groups of network users who are densely related with each other has emerged as an interesting problem in the area of social network analysis. These groups or so-called communities would be hidden behind the behavior of users. Most studies assume that such behavior could be understood by focusing on user interfaces, their behavioral attributes or a combination of these network layers (i.e., interfaces with their attributes). They also assume that all network layers refer to the same behavior. However, in real-life networks, users' behavior in one layer may differ from their behavior in another one. In order to cope with these issues, this article proposes a consensus-based community detection approach (CBC). CBC finds communities among nodes at each layer, in parallel. Then, the results of layers should be aggregated using a consensus clustering method. This means that different behavior could be detected and used in the analysis. As for other significant advantages, the methodology would be able to handle missing values. Three experiments on real-life and computer-generated datasets have been conducted in order to evaluate the performance of CBC. The results indicate superiority and stability of CBC in comparison to other approaches.

Solomon design analysis of multiple-choice Rorschach animal content.

PubMed

Feigenbaum, D; Costello, R M

1975-10-01

The Solomon four-group design was used to study the effects of a persuasive message on a selected multiple-choice Rorschach index--animal content. The independent variable elicited behavior in a predictable manner. Pretesting as a main effect was not significant, but as an interactional effect obviated the effect of the persuasive message. Although knowledge of test rationale can elicit behavior that conforms to experimental demand characteristics, some subjects nonetheless acted in defiance of such information. A condition for defiance in this experimental arrangement, however, was pretesting. Other possibilities regarding the study of compliance behavior and the use of pathognomonic indicators were suggested. Ethical issues were raised.

Introduction to the special issue on recentering science: Replication, robustness, and reproducibility in psychophysiology.

PubMed

Kappenman, Emily S; Keil, Andreas

2017-01-01

In recent years, the psychological and behavioral sciences have increased efforts to strengthen methodological practices and publication standards, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the value and reproducibility of published reports. These issues are especially important in the multidisciplinary field of psychophysiology, which yields rich and complex data sets with a large number of observations. In addition, the technological tools and analysis methods available in the field of psychophysiology are continually evolving, widening the array of techniques and approaches available to researchers. This special issue presents articles detailing rigorous and systematic evaluations of tasks, measures, materials, analysis approaches, and statistical practices in a variety of subdisciplines of psychophysiology. These articles highlight challenges in conducting and interpreting psychophysiological research and provide data-driven, evidence-based recommendations for overcoming those challenges to produce robust, reproducible results in the field of psychophysiology. © 2016 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Cancer and the LGBTQ Population: Quantitative and Qualitative Results from an Oncology Providers’ Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Behaviors

PubMed Central

Tamargo, Christina L.; Sanchez, Julian A.

2017-01-01

Background: Despite growing social acceptance, the LGBTQ population continues to face barriers to healthcare including fear of stigmatization by healthcare providers, and providers’ lack of knowledge about LGBTQ-specific health issues. This analysis focuses on the assessment of quantitative and qualitative responses from a subset of providers who identified as specialists that treat one or more of the seven cancers that may be disproportionate in LGBTQ patients. Methods: A 32-item web-based survey was emailed to 388 oncology providers at a single institution. The survey assessed: demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors. Results: Oncology providers specializing in seven cancer types had poor knowledge of LGBTQ-specific health needs, with fewer than half of the surveyed providers (49.5%) correctly answering knowledge questions. Most providers had overall positive attitudes toward LGBTQ patients, with 91.7% agreeing they would be comfortable treating this population, and would support education and/or training on LGBTQ-related cancer health issues. Conclusion: Results suggest that despite generally positive attitudes toward the LGBTQ population, oncology providers who treat cancer types most prevalent among the population, lack knowledge of their unique health issues. Knowledge and practice behaviors may improve with enhanced education and training on this population’s specific needs. PMID:28991160

Cancer and the LGBTQ Population: Quantitative and Qualitative Results from an Oncology Providers' Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Behaviors.

PubMed

Tamargo, Christina L; Quinn, Gwendolyn P; Sanchez, Julian A; Schabath, Matthew B

2017-10-07

Despite growing social acceptance, the LGBTQ population continues to face barriers to healthcare including fear of stigmatization by healthcare providers, and providers' lack of knowledge about LGBTQ-specific health issues. This analysis focuses on the assessment of quantitative and qualitative responses from a subset of providers who identified as specialists that treat one or more of the seven cancers that may be disproportionate in LGBTQ patients. A 32-item web-based survey was emailed to 388 oncology providers at a single institution. The survey assessed: demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors. Oncology providers specializing in seven cancer types had poor knowledge of LGBTQ-specific health needs, with fewer than half of the surveyed providers (49.5%) correctly answering knowledge questions. Most providers had overall positive attitudes toward LGBTQ patients, with 91.7% agreeing they would be comfortable treating this population, and would support education and/or training on LGBTQ-related cancer health issues. Results suggest that despite generally positive attitudes toward the LGBTQ population, oncology providers who treat cancer types most prevalent among the population, lack knowledge of their unique health issues. Knowledge and practice behaviors may improve with enhanced education and training on this population's specific needs.

The influence of viewing an entertainment-education program on cornea donation intention: a test of the theory of planned behavior.

PubMed

Bae, Hyuhn-Suhck; Kang, Seok

2008-01-01

This study was designed to examine the role of issue involvement and the 3 components of the theory of planned behavior in predicting intentions to sign a cornea donor card. This study also compares viewers and nonviewers of an entertainment-education program in terms of issue involvement and the theory of planned behavior. The breakdown of effects for the latent constructs confirms that issue involvement is an important intermediary in the persuasion process. Issue involvement is a common causal antecedent of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, the last 2 of which, in turn, predict intentions, whereas attitude does not. The revised path model confirms that involvement directly influences intentions. In the comparison of viewers with nonviewers, viewers exhibit a significantly higher degree of involvement, attitude toward cornea donation, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention to sign a cornea donor card. The overall findings of this study suggest that adding issue involvement in the theory of planned behavior enhances the explanatory power of the theory in predicting intentions.

Implications of behavioral pharmacology research for applied behavior analyses: JEAB's special issue celebrating the contributions of Joseph V. Brady (March 1994).

PubMed Central

Kirby, K C; Bickel, W K

1995-01-01

We review four articles from JEAB's March 1994 issue celebrating the contributions of Joseph V. Brady. These articles have implications for studying private events and for studying multiple operants. We suggest that regularly including self-reports about private events in behavioral pharmacological research has resulted in an accumulated knowledge that has facilitated examination of interesting relations among self-reports, environmental factors, and other observable behaviors. Methodological lessons that behavioral pharmacologists have learned regarding the study of multiple operants are also relayed. We provide examples of how these lessons could be useful to applied behavior analysts studying nonpharmacological issues. PMID:7706145

Understanding cultural issues in the diabetes self-management behaviors of Korean immigrants.

PubMed

Cha, EunSeok; Yang, Kyeongra; Lee, Jia; Min, Jiwon; Kim, Kevin H; Dunbar, Sandra B; Jennings, Bonnie Mowinski

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore potential factors affecting the self-management behaviors of Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (KIT2Ds). A qualitative descriptive design guided this study. Semistructured interviews lasting 45 to 60 minutes were conducted with 20 KIT2Ds in the participants' preferred language; in all cases, this was Korean. Each interview was audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Data analysis was performed in two steps. The data written in Korean were initially analyzed by 3 bilingual researchers. A qualitative researcher then participated in the analysis to refine the findings for presentation to an English-speaking audience while staying true to the data and preserving the nuanced Korean meanings. The mean age of the sample was 64. 5 ± 11.6 years (9 men and 11 women). The mean years of staying in the United States and age at diabetes mellitus diagnosis were 23.6 ± 9.7 years and 52.5 ± 12.3 years, respectively. Three major ideas were identified: (1) issues on treatment regimen related to medications and diet, (2) resources that helped or hindered ability to manage diabetes, and (3) the physician-patient relationship. Important cultural nuances need to be addressed to better prepare KIT2Ds to manage their diabetes more effectively. A culture-specific program should extend beyond a diabetes self-management education delivered in Korean language. Rather, content and education methods need to consider acculturation effects on diabetes management behaviors.

Methods for studying medical device technology and practitioner cognition: the case of user-interface issues with infusion pumps.

PubMed

Schraagen, Jan Maarten; Verhoeven, Fenne

2013-02-01

The aims of this study were to investigate how a variety of research methods is commonly employed to study technology and practitioner cognition. User-interface issues with infusion pumps were selected as a case because of its relevance to patient safety. Starting from a Cognitive Systems Engineering perspective, we developed an Impact Flow Diagram showing the relationship of computer technology, cognition, practitioner behavior, and system failure in the area of medical infusion devices. We subsequently conducted a systematic literature review on user-interface issues with infusion pumps, categorized the studies in terms of methods employed, and noted the usability problems found with particular methods. Next, we assigned usability problems and related methods to the levels in the Impact Flow Diagram. Most study methods used to find user interface issues with infusion pumps focused on observable behavior rather than on how artifacts shape cognition and collaboration. A concerted and theory-driven application of these methods when testing infusion pumps is lacking in the literature. Detailed analysis of one case study provided an illustration of how to apply the Impact Flow Diagram, as well as how the scope of analysis may be broadened to include organizational and regulatory factors. Research methods to uncover use problems with technology may be used in many ways, with many different foci. We advocate the adoption of an Impact Flow Diagram perspective rather than merely focusing on usability issues in isolation. Truly advancing patient safety requires the systematic adoption of a systems perspective viewing people and technology as an ensemble, also in the design of medical device technology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Behavioral economics and regulatory analysis.

PubMed

Robinson, Lisa A; Hammitt, James K

2011-09-01

Behavioral economics has captured the interest of scholars and the general public by demonstrating ways in which individuals make decisions that appear irrational. While increasing attention is being focused on the implications of this research for the design of risk-reducing policies, less attention has been paid to how it affects the economic valuation of policy consequences. This article considers the latter issue, reviewing the behavioral economics literature and discussing its implications for the conduct of benefit-cost analysis, particularly in the context of environmental, health, and safety regulations. We explore three concerns: using estimates of willingness to pay or willingness to accept compensation for valuation, considering the psychological aspects of risk when valuing mortality-risk reductions, and discounting future consequences. In each case, we take the perspective that analysts should avoid making judgments about whether values are "rational" or "irrational." Instead, they should make every effort to rely on well-designed studies, using ranges, sensitivity analysis, or probabilistic modeling to reflect uncertainty. More generally, behavioral research has led some to argue for a more paternalistic approach to policy analysis. We argue instead for continued focus on describing the preferences of those affected, while working to ensure that these preferences are based on knowledge and careful reflection. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

Depressed Mothers as Informants on Child Behavior: Methodological Issues

PubMed Central

Ordway, Monica Roosa

2011-01-01

Mothers with depressive symptoms more frequently report behavioral problems among their children than non-depressed mothers leading to a debate regarding the accuracy of depressed mothers as informants of children’s behavior. The purpose of this integrative review was to identify methodological challenges in research related to the debate. Data were extracted from 43 papers (6 theoretical, 36 research reports, and 1 instrument scoring manual). The analysis focused on the methodologies considered when using depressed mothers as informants. Nine key themes were identified and I concluded that researchers should incorporate multiple informants, identify the characteristics of maternal depression, and incorporate advanced statistical methodology. The use of a conceptual framework to understand informant discrepancies within child behavior evaluations is suggested for future research. PMID:21964958

Measures of Risk for Challenging Behaviors: A Comparison between the CBC and BDI

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wert, Barbara Yingling; Bauman, Dona C.; Nottis, Katharyn Ellen Ketter

2010-01-01

A growing body of evidence indicates that for some children, early incidences of challenging behaviors are predictors of later difficulties. These incidences of challenging behaviors may predict mental health issues, social adjustment issues and/or increased challenging behaviors that will impede school success and impact transition to adult life…

Partner aggression and problem drinking across the lifespan: how much do they decline?

PubMed

O'Leary, K Daniel; Woodin, Erica M

2005-11-01

Cross-sectional analyses from nationally-representative samples demonstrate significant age-related trends in partner aggression and problem drinking. Both behaviors are most prevalent in the early to mid-twenties and increasingly less common thereafter. Aggregate associations based on percentage of individuals displaying the behavior in each age range are dramatically stronger than those found when correlating individuals' ages and behavior. Multilevel modeling demonstrates that group-level effects do not mask associations found at the level of the individual for either problem drinking or partner aggression. An analysis of recent abstracts from psychology journals showed that issues of aggregate and individual data are rarely if ever discussed, and even well-known statistics books in psychology rarely discuss such issues. The interpretation of aggregate data will become increasing important as psychologists themselves, and in collaboration with epidemiologists and sociologists, have access to large data sets that allow for data aggregation. Both aggregate and individual analyses are valid, although they provide answers to different questions. Individual analyses are necessary for predicting individual behavior; aggregate analyses are useful in policy planning for large scale prevention and intervention. Strengths and limitations of cross-sectional community samples and aggregate data are also discussed.

Eating Patterns and Disorders in a College Population: Are College Women's Eating Problems a New Phenomenon?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hesse-Biber, Sharlene

1989-01-01

Analysis of questionnaires returned by 395 sophomores reveals that the eating difficulties of college women may be a problem that only partially resembles clinical eating disorders. They displayed the behavioral symptoms but not the psychological traits associated with anorexia and bulimia. Diagnosis and treatment issues, and sociocultural…

"Things Get Glossed Over": Rearticulating the Silencing Power of Whiteness in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haviland, Victoria S.

2008-01-01

This article investigates the ways that White teachers approach issues of race, racism, and White supremacy in White-dominated educational settings. Drawing from data from a yearlong qualitative research study, the article uses discourse analysis, critical studies of Whiteness, and feminist theory to detail 15 rhetorical, behavioral, analytical,…

Forcible Rape: An Analysis of Legal Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (Dept. of Justice/LEAA), Washington, DC.

Traditionally, rape has been defined as "carnal knowledge of a woman by force and against her will." The test of force has been crucial, and consent deduced. Victims were assumed to be consenting parties unless criminal circumstances could be proved. Victims were oftened questioned about past sexual behavior. Current reform efforts have attempted…

TMF design considerations in turbine airfoils of advanced turbine engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Date, C. G.; Zamrik, S. Y.; Adams, J. H.; Frani, N. E.

A review of thermal-mechanicalfatigue (TMF) in advanced turbine engines is presented. The review includes examples of typical thermal-mechnical loadings encountered in the design of hot section blades and vanes. Specific issues related to TMF behavior are presented and the associated impact on component life analysis and design is discussed.

"The Road Less Traveled": Combining Disability Studies and Quantitative Analysis with Medium and Large Data Sets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cosier, Meghan

2012-01-01

Historically, researchers focused on individuals with severe disabilities have utilized single-subject research methodologies to study the application of the behavioral theory to learning. In contrast, disability studies scholars have primarily used qualitative research methodologies to study quality of life or policy issues related to individuals…

Online Exams and Cheating: An Empirical Analysis of Business Students' Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Chula G.; Guyette, Roger W., Jr.; Piotrowski, Chris

2009-01-01

Academic integrity has been a perennial issue in higher education. Undoubtedly, the advent of the Internet and advances in user-friendly technological devices have spurred both concern on the part of faculty and research interest in the academic community regarding inappropriate and unethical behavior on the part of students. This study is…

Residential Preferences and Moving Behavior: A Family Life Cycle Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAuley, William J.; Nutty, Cheri L.

The relationship of family life cycle changes to housing preferences and residential mobility is examined. Two residential decision-making issues are explored in detail--how family life cycle stages influence what people view as important to their choice of residential setting and what individuals at different family life cycle stages view as the…

Narcissism and Social Networking Behavior: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Gnambs, Timo; Appel, Markus

2018-04-01

The increasing popularity of social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook and Twitter has given rise to speculations that the intensity of using these platforms is associated with narcissistic tendencies. However, recent research on this issue has been all but conclusive. We present a three-level, random effects meta-analysis including 289 effect sizes from 57 studies (total N = 25,631) on the association between trait narcissism and social networking behavior. The meta-analysis identified a small to moderate effect of ρ = .17 (τ = .11), 95% CI [.13, .21], for grandiose narcissism that replicated across different social networking platforms, respondent characteristics, and time. Moderator analyses revealed pronounced cultural differences, with stronger associations in power-distant cultures. Moreover, social networking behaviors geared toward self-presentation and the number of SNS friends exhibited stronger effects than usage durations. Overall, the study not only supported but also refined the notion of a relationship between engaging in social networking sites and narcissistic personality traits. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cracking the Neural Code for Sensory Perception by Combining Statistics, Intervention, and Behavior.

PubMed

Panzeri, Stefano; Harvey, Christopher D; Piasini, Eugenio; Latham, Peter E; Fellin, Tommaso

2017-02-08

The two basic processes underlying perceptual decisions-how neural responses encode stimuli, and how they inform behavioral choices-have mainly been studied separately. Thus, although many spatiotemporal features of neural population activity, or "neural codes," have been shown to carry sensory information, it is often unknown whether the brain uses these features for perception. To address this issue, we propose a new framework centered on redefining the neural code as the neural features that carry sensory information used by the animal to drive appropriate behavior; that is, the features that have an intersection between sensory and choice information. We show how this framework leads to a new statistical analysis of neural activity recorded during behavior that can identify such neural codes, and we discuss how to combine intersection-based analysis of neural recordings with intervention on neural activity to determine definitively whether specific neural activity features are involved in a task. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Network Analysis Reveals Potential Fission-Fusion Behavior in a Shark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haulsee, Danielle E.; Fox, Dewayne A.; Breece, Matthew W.; Brown, Lori M.; Kneebone, Jeff; Skomal, Gregory B.; Oliver, Matthew J.

2016-09-01

Complex social networks and behaviors are difficult to observe for free-living marine species, especially those that move great distances. Using implanted acoustic transceivers to study the inter- and intraspecific interactions of sand tiger sharks Carcharias taurus, we observed group behavior that has historically been associated with higher order mammals. We found evidence strongly suggestive of fission-fusion behavior, or changes in group size and composition of sand tigers, related to five behavioral modes (summering, south migration, community bottleneck, dispersal, north migration). Our study shows sexually dimorphic behavior during migration, in addition to presenting evidence of a potential solitary phase for these typically gregarious sharks. Sand tigers spent up to 95 consecutive and 335 cumulative hours together, with the strongest relationships occurring between males. Species that exhibit fission-fusion group dynamics pose a particularly challenging issue for conservation and management because changes in group size and composition affect population estimates and amplify anthropogenic impacts.

Clinical and Ethical Implications for Teacher-Training in Behavior Modification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brion-Meisels, Linda

The ethical issues concerning the use of behavioral procedures are founded on concerns relating to behavioral control. One major recurring ethical issue is that of coercion. The focus of this paper centers on the question: Ought behavioral programs to be employed even when they might be against the volition of the participant? A theoretical and…

"Big" versus "little" science: comparative analysis of program projects and individual research grants.

PubMed

Baumeister, A A; Bacharach, V R; Baumeister, A A

1997-11-01

Controversy about the amount and nature of funding for mental retardation research has persisted since the creation of NICHD. An issue that has aroused considerable debate, within the mental retardation research community as well as beyond, is distribution of funds between large group research grants, such as the program project (PO1) and the individual grant (RO1). Currently within the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Branch, more money is allocated to the PO1 mechanism than the RO1. We compared the two types of grants, focusing on success rates, productivity, costs, impact, publication practices, and outcome and conducted a comparative analysis of biomedical and behavioral research. Other related issues were considered, including review processes and cost-effectiveness.

Transient behavior of redox flow battery connected to circuit based on global phase structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mannari, Toko; Hikihara, Takashi

A Redox Flow Battery (RFB) is one of the promising energy storage systems in power grid. An RFB has many advantages such as a quick response, a large capacity, and a scalability. Due to these advantages, an RFB can operate in mixed time scale. Actually, it has been demonstrated that an RFB can be used for load leveling, compensating sag, and smoothing the output of the renewable sources. An analysis on transient behaviors of an RFB is a key issue for these applications. An RFB is governed by electrical, chemical, and fluid dynamics. The hybrid structure makes the analysis difficult. To analyze transient behaviors of an RFB, the exact model is necessary. In this paper, we focus on a change in a concentration of ions in the electrolyte, and simulate the change with a model which is mainly based on chemical kinetics. The simulation results introduces transient behaviors of an RFB in a response to a load variation. There are found three kinds of typical transient behaviors including oscillations. As results, it is clarified that the complex transient behaviors, due to slow and fast dynamics in the system, arise by the quick response to load.

Habitability and Behavioral Issues of Space Flight.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, R. A., Jr.

1988-01-01

Reviews group behavioral issues from past space missions and simulations such as the Skylab Medical Experiments Altitude Test, Skylab missions, and Shuttle Spacelab I mission. Makes recommendations for future flights concerning commandership, crew selection, and ground-crew communications. Pre- and in-flight behavioral countermeasures are…

Effects of Adenotonsillectomy on Parent-Reported Behavior in Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

PubMed

Thomas, Nina Hattiangadi; Xanthopoulos, Melissa S; Kim, Ji Young; Shults, Justine; Escobar, Emma; Giordani, Bruno; Hodges, Elise; Chervin, Ronald D; Paruthi, Shalini; Rosen, Carol L; Taylor, Gerry H; Arens, Raanan; Katz, Eliot S; Beebe, Dean W; Redline, Susan; Radcliffe, Jerilynn; Marcus, Carole L

2017-04-01

The childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with behavioral abnormalities. Studies on the effects of OSAS treatment on behavior are conflicting, with few studies using a randomized design. Further, studies may be confounded by the inclusion of behavioral outcome measures directly related to sleep. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of adenotonsillectomy on behavior in children with OSAS. We hypothesized that surgery would improve behavioral ratings, even when sleep symptom items were excluded from the analysis. This was a secondary analysis of Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) data, with and without exclusion of sleep-specific items, from the Childhood Adenotonsillectomy Trial (CHAT). CBCL was completed by caregivers of 380 children (7.0+1.4 [range 5-9] years) with OSAS randomized to early adenotonsillectomy (eAT) versus 7 months of watchful waiting with supportive care (WWSC). There was a high prevalence of behavioral problems at baseline; 16.6% of children had a Total Problems score in the clinically abnormal range. At follow-up, there were significant improvements in Total Problems (p < .001), Internalizing Behaviors (p = .04), Somatic Complaints (p = .01), and Thought Problems (p = .01) in eAT vs. WWSC participants. When specific sleep-related question items were removed from the analysis, eAT showed an overall improvement in Total (p = .02) and Other (p = .01) problems. Black children had less improvement in behavior following eAT than white children, but this difference attenuated when sleep-related items were excluded. This large, randomized trial showed that adenotonsillectomy for OSAS improved parent-rated behavioral problems, even when sleep-specific behavioral issues were excluded from the analysis. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Health psychology meets behavioral economics: introduction to special issue.

PubMed

Hanoch, Yaniv; Finkelstein, Eric Andrew

2013-09-01

Introduces the special issue of Health Psychology, entitled Health Psychology Meets Behavioral Economics. Psychologists have long been interested in understanding the processes that underlie health behaviors and, based on health behavior models that they have developed, have devised a spectrum of effective prevention and treatment programs. More recently, behavioral economists have also provided evidence of effective behavior change strategies through nonprice mechanisms in a variety of contexts, including smoking cessation, weight loss, and illicit drug use. Yet, although all are addressing similar issues, surprisingly little cross-fertilization has taken place between traditional economists, behavioral economists, and psychologists. This special issue is rooted in the assumption that collaboration between economists and psychologists can promote the development of new methodologies and encourage exploration of novel solutions to enduring health problems. The hope is that readers will be intrigued and inspired by the methodologies used in the different articles and will explore whether they might be applicable to the problems they are addressing. Collaborative efforts, although challenging and at times risky, are a promising way to produce more innovative studies, results, and interventions. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

The Complexity of Neuroenhancement and the Adoption of a Social Cognitive Perspective

PubMed Central

Zelli, Arnaldo; Lucidi, Fabio; Mallia, Luca

2015-01-01

This contribution attempts to provide a broad perspective to the psychological study of neuroenhancement (NE). It departs from the assumption that, as the use of performance enhancing substances in sport, the use of substances with the aim of improving one’s cognitive, motivational and affective functioning in academic domains is a goal-directed behavior. As such, its scientific study may very well benefit from an analysis taking into account the psychological processes regulating people’s behavioral intentions and decisions. Within this broad framework, this contribution addresses several issues that currently seem to characterize the debate in the literature on neuroenhancement substances (NES) use. The first conceptual issue seeks to determine and define the “boundaries” of the phenomenon. The second issue concerns the empirical evidence on the prevalence of using certain substances for the purpose of NE. Finally, there is a debate around the ethical and moral implications of NE. Along these lines, the existing psychological research on NE has adopted mainly sociological and economic decision-making perspectives, greatly contributing to the psychological discourse about the phenomenon of NE. However, we argue that the existing psychological literature does not offer a common, explicit and integrated theoretical framework. Borrowing from the framework of doping research, we recommend the adoption of a social cognitive model for pursuing a systematic analysis of the psychological processes that dynamically regulate students’ use of NES over time. PMID:26648906

Lifestyle Patterns and Weight Status in Spanish Adults: The ANIBES Study.

PubMed

Pérez-Rodrigo, Carmen; Gianzo-Citores, Marta; Gil, Ángel; González-Gross, Marcela; Ortega, Rosa M; Serra-Majem, Lluis; Varela-Moreiras, Gregorio; Aranceta-Bartrina, Javier

2017-06-14

Limited knowledge is available on lifestyle patterns in Spanish adults. We investigated dietary patterns and possible meaningful clustering of physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aged 18-64 years and their association with obesity. Analysis was based on a subsample ( n = 1617) of the cross-sectional ANIBES study in Spain. We performed exploratory factor analysis and subsequent cluster analysis of dietary patterns, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between the cluster solutions and obesity. Factor analysis identified four dietary patterns, " Traditional DP ", " Mediterranean DP ", " Snack DP " and " Dairy-sweet DP ". Dietary patterns, physical activity behaviors, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aggregated into three different clusters of lifestyle patterns: " Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern ", " Not poor diet-low physical activity-low sedentary lifestyle pattern " and " Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern ". A higher proportion of people aged 18-30 years was classified into the " Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern ". The prevalence odds ratio for obesity in men in the " Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern " was significantly lower compared to those in the " Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern ". Those behavior patterns are helpful to identify specific issues in population subgroups and inform intervention strategies. The findings in this study underline the importance of designing and implementing interventions that address multiple health risk practices, considering lifestyle patterns and associated determinants.

Preliminary design, analysis, and costing of a dynamic scale model of the NASA space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gronet, M. J.; Pinson, E. D.; Voqui, H. L.; Crawley, E. F.; Everman, M. R.

1987-01-01

The difficulty of testing the next generation of large flexible space structures on the ground places an emphasis on other means for validating predicted on-orbit dynamic behavior. Scale model technology represents one way of verifying analytical predictions with ground test data. This study investigates the preliminary design, scaling and cost trades for a Space Station dynamic scale model. The scaling of nonlinear joint behavior is studied from theoretical and practical points of view. Suspension system interaction trades are conducted for the ISS Dual Keel Configuration and Build-Up Stages suspended in the proposed NASA/LaRC Large Spacecraft Laboratory. Key issues addressed are scaling laws, replication vs. simulation of components, manufacturing, suspension interactions, joint behavior, damping, articulation capability, and cost. These issues are the subject of parametric trades versus the scale model factor. The results of these detailed analyses are used to recommend scale factors for four different scale model options, each with varying degrees of replication. Potential problems in constructing and testing the scale model are identified, and recommendations for further study are outlined.

Environmental problem-solving: Psychosocial factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Alan

1982-11-01

This is a study of individual differences in environmental problem-solving, the probable roots of these differences, and their implications for the education of resource professionals. A group of student Resource Managers were required to elaborate their conception of a complex resource issue (Spruce Budworm management) and to generate some ideas on management policy. Of particular interest was the way in which subjects dealt with the psychosocial aspects of the problem. A structural and content analysis of responses indicated a predominance of relatively compartmentalized styles, a technological orientation, and a tendency to ignore psychosocial issues. A relationship between problem-solving behavior and personal (psychosocial) style was established which, in the context of other evidence, suggests that problem-solving behavior is influenced by more deep seated personality factors. The educational implication drawn was that problem-solving cannot be viewed simply as an intellectual-technical activity but one that involves, and requires the education of, the whole person.

Occupational safety and health as an element of a complex compensation system evaluation within an organization.

PubMed

Beck-Krala, Ewa; Klimkiewicz, Katarzyna

2016-12-01

Occupational safety and health (OSH) plays a significant role in today's organizations, because it helps in attracting and retaining employees as well as molding their attitudes and behaviors at work. This is why the issue of OSH is stressed in a comprehensive approach to employee rewards: the total reward concept. This article explains how OSH may be included in a complex evaluation process of the compensation system. Although the literature on the effectiveness of employee compensation refers mainly to financial and non-financial components, there is a need for inclusion of working conditions in such analyses. An evaluation of the compensation system that incorporates OSH can drive many benefits for both the organization and employees. Obtaining such benefits, however, requires systematic evaluation of the reward system, including OSH. Incorporation of OSH issue within the comprehensive analysis of compensation systems promotes responsible behavior of all stakeholders.

Internet research: an opportunity to revisit classic ethical problems in behavioral research.

PubMed

Pittenger, David J

2003-01-01

The Internet offers many new opportunities for behavioral researchers to conduct quantitative and qualitative research. Although the ethical guidelines of the American Psychological Association generalize, in part, to research conducted through the Internet, several matters related to Internet research require further analysis. This article reviews several fundamental ethical issues related to Internet research, namely the preservation of privacy, the issuance of informed consent, the use of deception and false feedback, and research methods. In essence, the Internet offers unique challenges to behavioral researchers. Among these are the need to better define the distinction between private and public behavior performed through the Internet, ensure mechanisms for obtaining valid informed consent from participants and performing debriefing exercises, and verify the validity of data collected through the Internet.

The Impact of Behavioral Health Issues on Soldiers Returning from Deployment -- Assessing the Programs for Reintegration of South Carolina National Guard Soldiers

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-05-23

determine if the group means are significantly different. Analysis should include comparison of pretest - posttest means within- group and between... groups . A repeated measures analysis should also be conducted on subject‘s pretest - posttest means within groups . Information gained from the statistical...Black Single Unemployed 30 - 39 Senior NCO Hispanic ≥ 40 Officers Other - A research design embedding a pretest / posttest with a stratified then

Behavioral Issues, Self-Esteem Struggles, Retention, and More: The Portrayal of Book Characters with Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altieri, Jennifer L.

2007-01-01

This study examined children's and adolescent trade books portraying school-age characters with dyslexia. All of the books are contemporary realistic fiction, geared to elementary and adolescent readers, and published in the United States between 1993 and 2003. After an extensive search, seventy-two books were located. An analysis of the…

Communicative Ability Conceptions among Children Who Stutter and Their Fluent Peers: A Qualitative Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bajaj, Amit; Hodson, Barbara; Westby, Carol

2005-01-01

Meta issues in stuttering were examined by analyzing verbal-descriptive data drawn from structured interviews with 23 male children who stutter (CWS) and their 23 fluent male peers. Participants described others' "good" and "bad" talk behaviors and provided their self-appraisals as talkers. Analysis of interview transcripts suggested that CWS…

Adolescent Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Analysis of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emelianchik-Key, Kelly; Byrd, Rebekah J.; La Guardia, Amanda C.

2016-01-01

Issues regarding the diagnosis and treatment of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) continue to be of increasing concern to practitioners in educational and mental health settings. Given this rising concern, it is important to note that the majority of research regarding self-injury has focused on the symptomology and treatment of Caucasian females;…

Mixed-Methods Analysis of Rural Special Educators' Role Stressors, Behavior Management, and Burnout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garwood, Justin D.; Werts, Margaret G.; Varghese, Cheryl; Gosey, Leanne

2018-01-01

The researchers of this study used a mixed-methods approach to understand issues of rural special education teacher burnout. Results of survey responses (n = 64) and follow-up focus group interviews (n = 12) from rural special education teachers indicated several factors contributing to stress and burnout. Teachers noted that lack of clarity in…

Corporal Punishment in the Care of Children: A Literature Review and Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Rosalie; And Others

The literature on the use of corporal punishment with children is reviewed, legal opinions on the issue are cited, and research on the social and behavioral aspects of corporal punishment are discussed. The literature is noted to focus on guidelines for administering corporal punishment, the importance of the relationship between the adult and…

Social Support as a Mediator between Internalized Stigma and Coping Behaviors of Individuals with Substance Abuse Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chou, Chih-Chin; Robb, Jayci Lynn; Clay, Matthew Christopher; Chronister, Julie Ann

2013-01-01

In this study, 51 individuals from online substance abuse support groups were surveyed to investigate the mediating role of social support on the relationship between internalized stigma and coping. Regression and bootstrapping were conducted to perform mediation analysis. Findings suggest that social support mediates the negative impact of…

Reflections on J.V. Wertsch's "From Social Interaction to Higher Psychological Processes," "Human Development," 1979

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saxe, Geoffrey B.

2008-01-01

In his 1979 "Human Development" article reprinted in this anniversary issue, James Wertsch presented an approach to genetic analysis of the shifting regulation of problem-solving behavior in early childhood. In my reflections on Wertsch's seminal contribution, I discuss ways that subsequent inquiry built upon ideas he elaborated in the…

The Effects of Issue Investigation and Action Training on Eighth-Grade Students' Environmental Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey, John M.

1993-01-01

Reports the instructional effects of a formal environmental education methodology, issue investigation and action training (IIAT), on eighth-grade students. Focuses on whether IIAT can improve responsible environmental behavior in middle school students and whether variables associated with responsible adult environmental behavior will be…

Severe Behavior Disorders of Children and Youth. Monograph in Behavioral Disorders, Summer, 1979.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutherford, Robert B., Jr., Ed.; Prieto, Alfonso G., Ed.

The monograph presents 19 papers on severe behavior disorders, including issues related to teacher training, school problems/school intervention, autism, and juvenile delinquency. The following papers are included: "Issues in Training Teachers for the Seriously Emotionally Disturbed" (F. Wood); "The Field-Based Special Education Teacher Training…

Analytical Analysis and Case Study of Transient Behavior of Inrush Current in Power Transformer for Designing of Efficient Circuit Breakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmanpreet, Singh, Sukhwinder; Kumar, Ashok; Kaur, Parneet

2010-11-01

Stability & security are main aspects in electrical power systems. Transformer protection is major issue of concern to system operation. There are many mall-trip cases of transformer protection are caused by inrush current problems. The phenomenon of transformer inrush current has been discussed in many papers since 1958. In this paper analytical analysis of inrush current in a transformer switched on dc and ac supply has been done. This analysis will help in design aspects of circuit breakers for better performance.

Formal Analysis of Extended Well-Clear Boundaries for Unmanned Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munoz, Cesar; Narkawicz, Anthony

2016-01-01

This paper concerns the application of formal methods to the definition of a detect and avoid concept for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). In particular, it illustrates how formal analysis was used to explain and correct unexpected behaviors of the logic that issues alerts when two aircraft are predicted not to be well clear from one another. As a result of this analysis, a recommendation was proposed to, and subsequently adopted by, the US standards organization that defines the minimum operational requirements for the UAS detect and avoid concept.

Understanding Cultural Issues in Diabetes Self-Management Behaviors of Korean Immigrants

PubMed Central

Cha, Eun Seok; Yang, Kyeongra; Lee, Jia; Min, Jiwon; Kim, Kevin H.; Dunbar, Sandra B.; Jennings, Bonnie Mowinski

2013-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore potential factors affecting self-management behaviors in Korean immigrants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (KIT2Ds). Methods A qualitative descriptive design guided this study. Semi-structured interviews lasting 45-60 minutes were conducted with 20 KIT2Ds in the participant’s preferred language; in all cases this was Korean. Each interview was audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Data analysis was performed in two steps. The data written in Korean were initially analyzed by three bilingual researchers. A qualitative researcher then participated in the analysis to refine the findings for presentation to an English speaking audience while staying true to the data and preserving the nuanced Korean meanings. Results The mean age of the sample was 64. 5 ± 11.6 years (9 men and 11 women). The mean years of staying in the U. S. and age at diabetes mellitus diagnosis were 23.6 ± 9.7 years and 52.5 ± 12.3 years, respectively. Three major ideas were identified: (a) issues on treatment regimen related to both medications and diet, (b) resources that helped or hindered their ability to manage diabetes, and (c) the physician/patient relationship. Conclusions There were important cultural nuances that need to be addressed to better prepare KIT2Ds to manage their diabetes more effectively. A culture specific program should extend beyond a diabetes self-management education delivered in Korean language. Rather, content and education methods need to consider acculturation effects on diabetes management behaviors. PMID:23019236

Implications of Middle School Behavior Problems for High School Graduation and Employment Outcomes of Young Adults: Estimation of a Recursive Model.

PubMed

Karakus, Mustafa C; Salkever, David S; Slade, Eric P; Ialongo, Nicholas; Stuart, Elizabeth

2012-01-01

The potentially serious adverse impacts of behavior problems during adolescence on employment outcomes in adulthood provide a key economic rationale for early intervention programs. However, the extent to which lower educational attainment accounts for the total impact of adolescent behavior problems on later employment remains unclear As an initial step in exploring this issue, we specify and estimate a recursive bivariate probit model that 1) relates middle school behavior problems to high school graduation and 2) models later employment in young adulthood as a function of these behavior problems and of high school graduation. Our model thus allows for both a direct effect of behavior problems on later employment as well as an indirect effect that operates via graduation from high school. Our empirical results, based on analysis of data from the NELS, suggest that the direct effects of externalizing behavior problems on later employment are not significant but that these problems have important indirect effects operating through high school graduation.

Behavior analysis and the study of human aging

PubMed Central

Derenne, Adam; Baron, Alan

2002-01-01

As the population of older adults continues to rise, psychologists along with other behavioral and social scientists have shown increasing interest in this age group. Although behavior analysts have contributed to research on aging, the focus has been on applications that remedy age-related deficits, rather than a concern with aging as a developmental process. In particular, there has been little interest in the central theoretical questions that have guided gerontologists. How does behavior change with advancing years, and what are the sources of those changes? We consider the possibility that this neglect reflects the long-standing commitment of behavior analysts to variables that can be experimentally manipulated, a requirement that excludes the key variable—age itself. We review the options available to researchers and present strategies that minimize deviations from the traditional features of behavior-analytic designs. Our comments are predicated on the view that aging issues within contemporary society are far too important for behavior analysts to ignore. PMID:22478383

Using pupil size and heart rate to infer affective states during behavioral neurophysiology and neuropsychology experiments

PubMed Central

Mitz, Andrew R.; Chacko, Ravi V.; Putnam, Philip T.; Rudebeck, Peter H.; Murray, Elisabeth A.

2017-01-01

Background Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are a valuable research model because of their behavioral, physiological and neuroanatomical similarities to humans. In the absence of language, autonomic activity can provide crucial information about cognitive and affective states during single-unit recording, inactivation and lesion studies. Methods standardized for use in humans are not easily adapted to NHPs and detailed guidance has been lacking. New Method We provide guidance for monitoring heart rate and pupil size in the behavioral neurophysiology setting by addressing the methodological issues, pitfalls and solutions for NHP studies. The methods are based on comparative physiology to establish a rationale for each solution. We include examples from both electrophysiological and lesion studies. Results Single-unit recording, pupil responses and heart rate changes represent a range of decreasing temporal resolution, a characteristic that impacts experimental design and analysis. We demonstrate the unexpected result that autonomic measures acquired before and after amygdala lesions are comparable despite disruption of normal autonomic function. Comparison with Existing Methods Species and study design differences can render standard techniques used in human studies inappropriate for NHP studies. We show how to manage data from small groups typical of NHP studies, data from the short behavioral trials typical of neurophysiological studies, issues associated with longitudinal studies, and differences in anatomy and physiology. Conclusions Autonomic measurement to infer cognitive and affective states in NHP is neither off-the-shelf nor onerous. Familiarity with the issues and solutions will broaden the use of autonomic signals in NHP single unit and lesion studies. PMID:28089759

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raffray, A.R.; Meier, W.; Abdel-Khalik, S.

For thick liquid wall concepts, it is important to understand the different mechanisms affecting the chamber dynamics and the state of the chamber prior to each shot a compared with requirements from the driver and target. These include ablation mechanisms, vapor transport and control, possible aerosol formation, as well as protective jet behavior. This paper was motivated by a town meeting on this subject which helped identify the major issues, assess the latest results, review the capabilities of existing modeling and experimental facilities with respect to addressing remaining issues, and helping guide future analysis and R&D efforts; the paper coversmore » these exact points.« less

A Peer Helpers Code of Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Rosenroll, David A.

This document presents a guide for developing a peer helpers code of behavior. The first section discusses issues relevant to the trainers. These issues include whether to give a model directly to the group or whether to engender "ownership" of the code by the group; timing of introduction of the code; and addressing the issue of…

Associations of Topics of Discussion on Twitter With Survey Measures of Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors Related to Zika: Probabilistic Study in the United States

PubMed Central

Winneg, Kenneth; Chan, Man-Pui Sally; Hall Jamieson, Kathleen; Albarracin, Dolores

2018-01-01

Background Recent outbreaks of Zika virus around the world led to increased discussions about this issue on social media platforms such as Twitter. These discussions may provide useful information about attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of the population regarding issues that are important for public policy. Objective We sought to identify the associations of the topics of discussions on Twitter and survey measures of Zika-related attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors, not solely based upon the volume of such discussions but by analyzing the content of conversations using probabilistic techniques. Methods Using probabilistic topic modeling with US county and week as the unit of analysis, we analyzed the content of Twitter online communications to identify topics related to the reported attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors captured in a national representative survey (N=33,193) of the US adult population over 33 weeks. Results Our analyses revealed topics related to “congress funding for Zika,” “microcephaly,” “Zika-related travel discussions,” “insect repellent,” “blood transfusion technology,” and “Zika in Miami” were associated with our survey measures of attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors observed over the period of the study. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that it is possible to uncover topics of discussions from Twitter communications that are associated with the Zika-related attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of populations over time. Social media data can be used as a complementary source of information alongside traditional data sources to gauge the patterns of attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors in a population. PMID:29426815

Point of View: Predictably Unpredictable

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appling, Jeffrey R.

2016-01-01

This column shares reflections or thoughtful opinions on issues of broad interest to the community. This month's issue describes examples of challenging student behavior and provides ideas to help confront this type of behavior.

Implementing a Group Contingency Behavior-Management System in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healy, Sean; Hirsch, Shanna E.; Lloyd, John W.

2017-01-01

Behavior management issues may impede learning in physical education (PE), yet there is a paucity of evidence-based behavior-management programs studied in the PE environment to assist PE teachers to be better prepared to handle these issues. Classwide-function intervention teams (CW-FIT) is a group contingency procedure for managing student…

Parent-Adolescent Conflict as Sequences of Reciprocal Negative Emotion: Links with Conflict Resolution and Adolescents' Behavior Problems.

PubMed

Moed, Anat; Gershoff, Elizabeth T; Eisenberg, Nancy; Hofer, Claire; Losoya, Sandra; Spinrad, Tracy L; Liew, Jeffrey

2015-08-01

Although conflict is a normative part of parent-adolescent relationships, conflicts that are long or highly negative are likely to be detrimental to these relationships and to youths' development. In the present article, sequential analyses of data from 138 parent-adolescent dyads (adolescents' mean age was 13.44, SD = 1.16; 52 % girls, 79 % non-Hispanic White) were used to define conflicts as reciprocal exchanges of negative emotion observed while parents and adolescents were discussing "hot," conflictual issues. Dynamic components of these exchanges, including who started the conflicts, who ended them, and how long they lasted, were identified. Mediation analyses revealed that a high proportion of conflicts ended by adolescents was associated with longer conflicts, which in turn predicted perceptions of the "hot" issue as unresolved and adolescent behavior problems. The findings illustrate advantages of using sequential analysis to identify patterns of interactions and, with some certainty, obtain an estimate of the contingent relationship between a pattern of behavior and child and parental outcomes. These interaction patterns are discussed in terms of the roles that parents and children play when in conflict with each other, and the processes through which these roles affect conflict resolution and adolescents' behavior problems.

Introduction to the Special Issue: Interventions to Reduce Challenging Behavior Among Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Davis, Tonya N; Rispoli, Mandy

2018-05-01

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is on the rise. In addition to the social communication skill deficits and restrictive repetitive behaviors and interests, many individuals with ASD engage in challenging behavior. Challenging behavior is associated with a multitude of negative outcomes. Challenging behavior may cause harm to the individual with ASD as well as limit opportunities for educational, vocational, and social participation and development. In addition, caregivers experience high stress and low quality of mental health. As a result, challenging behavior warrants intervention that is specifically tailored to the unique characteristics of individuals with ASD. The purpose of this Special Issue is to showcase recent research in the treatment of challenging behavior for individuals with ASD. This two-part Special Issue contains 12 studies that range from systematic and quality reviews of the intervention literature, to innovative treatment approaches, to studies that develop and evaluate treatments for restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests.

Social network approaches to recruitment, HIV prevention, medical care, and medication adherence.

PubMed

Latkin, Carl A; Davey-Rothwell, Melissa A; Knowlton, Amy R; Alexander, Kamila A; Williams, Chyvette T; Boodram, Basmattee

2013-06-01

This article reviews the current issues and advancements in social network approaches to HIV prevention and care. Social network analysis can provide a method to understand health disparities in HIV rates, treatment access, and outcomes. Social network analysis is a valuable tool to link social structural factors to individual behaviors. Social networks provide an avenue for low-cost and sustainable HIV prevention interventions that can be adapted and translated into diverse populations. Social networks can be utilized as a viable approach to recruitment for HIV testing and counseling, HIV prevention interventions, optimizing HIV medical care, and medication adherence. Social network interventions may be face-to-face or through social media. Key issues in designing social network interventions are contamination due to social diffusion, network stability, density, and the choice and training of network members. There are also ethical issues involved in the development and implementation of social network interventions. Social network analyses can also be used to understand HIV transmission dynamics.

A Discussion of Issues in Need of Resolution: Toward a Specification of the Decision Module

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-06-01

While both psychology and economics have used the concept of goal seeking as the basis for the analysis of human behavior, economics with its...is very heavily influenced by the concepts of Information flow and communication. Less central in his analysis is the notion of the decision...particular interes- to political scientists has been the work dealing with theories of th«; firm. In the theories of the firm, economics has been cen

Investigating Issues in the Laboratory: The Behavior of Red Swamp Crayfish as an Invasive Species

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewitt, Krissi M.; Kayes, Lori J.; Hubert, David; Chouinard, Adam

2014-01-01

Recent reform initiatives in undergraduate biology call for curricula that prepare students for dealing with real-world issues and making important links between science and society. In response to this call, we have developed an issues-based laboratory module that uses guided inquiry to integrate the concepts of animal behavior and population…

Readiness for health behavior changes among low fitness men in a Finnish health promotion campaign.

PubMed

Kaasalainen, Karoliina S; Kasila, Kirsti; Komulainen, Jyrki; Malvela, Miia; Poskiparta, Marita

2016-12-01

Men have been a hard-to-reach population in health behavior programs and it has been claimed that they are less interested in health issues than women. However, less is known about that how ready men are to adopt new health behaviors. This study examined readiness for change in physical activity (PA) and eating behavior (EB) among low fitness and overweight working-aged Finnish men who participated in a PA campaign. Associations among perceived health knowledge, health behaviors, psychosocial factors and readiness for change were studied. Data comprised 362 men aged 18-64. Physical fitness was assessed with a body fitness index constructed on the basis of the Polar OwnIndex Test, a hand grip test and an Inbody 720 body composition analysis. Health behavior information was gathered by questionnaire. Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted by χ 2 test and Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Associations between health knowledge and health behaviors were explored with logistic regression analyses. Readiness to increase PA and change EB was positively related to higher scores in psychosocial factors, PA and healthy eating habits. Self-rated knowledge on health issues was not related to PA or readiness to change health behaviors; however, it was positively associated with healthy eating and greater perceived promoters of PA. Participants' self-rated knowledge reflected not only an interest in health but also the differences in age and education. Health programs are needed that target both PA and healthy eating in low-fit men at different ages and motivational stages. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Department of Defense Report and Plan on Services to Military Dependent Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Exceptional Parent, 2007

2007-01-01

Military families who have a member with autism would like to have expanded options for providing care, easing financial burden, and increasing the prospect for greater results for their family member. The Department of Defense (DoD) issued a report in July, covering its belief in the efficacy of applied behavior analysis (ABA) as a form of…

Multimodal Retrospective and Prospective Unit-Level Analysis of Military Workplace Violence

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

Disciplinary infractions, minor crimes, PTSD and other mental problems, and substance abuse will increase MWV; 3. Treatment and social support will...Disorder Risk Taking Behaviors Risk Factors Protective Factors Social Support Mental Health Substance Abuse 2 3. OVERALL PROJECT SUMMARY The...potential predictors of MWV. These intervening outcomes include PTSD and other mental health issues, substance abuse , disciplinary infractions, and

Interdisciplinary Team Science in Cell Biology.

PubMed

Horwitz, Rick

2016-11-01

The cell is complex. With its multitude of components, spatial-temporal character, and gene expression diversity, it is challenging to comprehend the cell as an integrated system and to develop models that predict its behaviors. I suggest an approach to address this issue, involving system level data analysis, large scale team science, and philanthropy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk Factors Associated with Self-Injurious Behavior among a National Sample of Undergraduate College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taliaferro, Lindsay A.; Muehlenkamp, Jennifer J.

2015-01-01

Objective: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidality among undergraduates represent important public health issues. This analysis identified risk factors that distinguished 3 groups, those who reported no history of self-harm; self-injury, but no suicide attempts (NSSI only); and self-injury and a suicide attempt (NSSI + SA) in the past year.…

Does the Portrayal of Tanning in Australian Women's Magazines Relate to Real Women's Tanning Beliefs and Behavior?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon, Helen G.; Warne, Charles D.; Scully, Maree L.; Wakefield, Melanie A.; Dobbinson, Suzanne J.

2011-01-01

Content analysis data on the tans of 4,422 female Caucasian models sampled from spring and summer magazine issues were combined with readership data to generate indices of potential exposure to social modeling of tanning via popular women's magazines over a 15-year period (1987 to 2002). Associations between these indices and cross-sectional…

Healthy or Unhealthy Lifestyle: A Thematic Analysis of Iranian Male Adolescents' Perspectives.

PubMed

Zareiyan, Armin

2017-01-01

Identifying what adolescents perceive as their lifestyle and exploring the factors persuading their decisions to engage in or avoid healthy or unhealthy lifestyle behaviors could improve the ability of healthcare professionals to develop innovative preventive strategies and modify negative health behaviors in adolescents. Hence, the literature on adolescent health-related issues reported by adults showed a rarity of information from adolescents themselves. A qualitative study using the thematic analysis approach was conducted. Data were collected by semi-structured, digitally recorded interviews from 32 male adolescents. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and after collecting the data, the thematic analysis process was started and conducted in six phases. After data collection, the interview texts were transcribed, and approximately 800 initial codes were extracted. The initial codes were reevaluated to yield 48 main themes. Hence, the final thematic map was created as having 5 overarching themes and 12 subthemes, showing that interviewees emphasized unhealthy lifestyle. The components of unhealthy lifestyle seem important to them because they consider that they could lead a healthy lifestyle through elimination of negative behaviors.

Parenting an overweight or obese teen; issues and advice from parents

PubMed Central

Boutelle, Kerri N.; Feldman, Shira; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2013-01-01

Objective This qualitative study addresses: 1) What challenges do parents of overweight adolescents face? 2) What advice do parents of overweight adolescents have for other parents? Design One-on-one interviews were conducted with 27 parents of overweight or previously overweight adolescents Setting Medical clinic at the University of Minnesota Participants 27 parents of adolescents (12-19 years) who were either currently or previously overweight recruited from the community Main Outcome Measures. Qualitative interviews related to parenting overweight adolescents Analysis Content analysis was used to identify themes regarding parental experiences. Results Issues most frequently mentioned: 1) uncertainty regarding effective communication with adolescent about weight-related topics, 2) inability to control adolescent’s decisions around healthy eating and activity behaviors, 3) concern for adolescent’s well-being, 4) parental feeling of responsibility/guilt. Parental advice most often provided included: 1) setting up healthy home environment, 2) parental role modeling of healthy behaviors, and 3) providing support/encouragement for positive efforts. Conclusions Topics for potential intervention development include communication and motivation of adolescents regarding weight-related topics, appropriate autonomy, and addressing negative emotions concerning the adolescent’s weight status. Targeting these topics could potentially improve acceptability and outcomes for treatments. PMID:22770833

METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN THE ANALYSIS OF RESIDENTIAL PREFERENCES, RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY, AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGE1

PubMed Central

Bruch, Elizabeth E.; Mare, Robert D.

2011-01-01

This paper reviews methods for analyzing both individual preferences and choices about where to live, and the implications of these choices for residential patterns. Although these methods are discussed in the context of residential choice, they can be applied more broadly to individual choices in a range of social contexts where behavior is interdependent. We review a variety of types of data on residential preferences and mobility and discuss appropriate statistical models for these data. We discuss the analysis of ranked and other types of clustered data; functional form issues; problems of unobserved heterogeneity in individuals and in neighborhoods; and strengths and weaknesses of stated preference data versus observations of actual mobility behavior. We also discuss specific problems with residential mobility data, including the treatment of one’s current location as a potential choice, how to specify the choice set of potential movers, the aggregation of units (such as dwelling units into neighborhoods) and the need to take account of variations in neighborhood size, the problem of very large choice sets and possible sampling solutions; and the link between residential mobility and patterns of neighborhood change. PMID:23476098

Ambiguity and judgments of obese individuals: no news could be bad news.

PubMed

Ross, Kathryn M; Shivy, Victoria A; Mazzeo, Suzanne E

2009-08-01

Stigmatization towards obese individuals has not decreased despite the increasing prevalence of obesity. Nonetheless, stigmatization remains difficult to study, given concerns about social desirability. To address this issue, this study used paired comparisons and cluster analysis to examine how undergraduates (n=189) categorized scenarios describing the health-related behaviors of obese individuals. The cluster analysis found that the scenarios were categorized into two distinct clusters. The first cluster included all scenarios with health behaviors indicating high responsibility for body weight. These individuals were perceived as unattractive, lazy, less likeable, less disciplined, and more deserving of their condition compared to individuals in the second cluster, which included all scenarios with health behaviors indicating low responsibility for body weight. Four scenarios depicted obese individuals with ambiguous information regarding health behaviors; three out of these four individuals were categorized in the high-responsibility cluster. These findings suggested that participants viewed these individuals as negatively as those who were responsible for their condition. These results have practical implications for reducing obesity bias, as the etiology of obesity is typically not known in real-life situations.

Psychosocial Modeling of Insider Threat Risk Based on Behavioral and Word Use Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Greitzer, Frank L.; Kangas, Lars J.; Noonan, Christine F.

In many insider crimes, managers and other coworkers observed that the offenders had exhibited signs of stress, disgruntlement, or other issues, but no alarms were raised. Barriers to using such psychosocial indicators include the inability to recognize the signs and the failure to record the behaviors so that they can be assessed. A psychosocial model was developed to assess an employee’s behavior associated with an increased risk of insider abuse. The model is based on case studies and research literature on factors/correlates associated with precursor behavioral manifestations of individuals committing insider crimes. A complementary Personality Factor modeling approach was developedmore » based on analysis to derive relevant personality characteristics from word use. Several implementations of the psychosocial model were evaluated by comparing their agreement with judgments of human resources and management professionals; the personality factor modeling approach was examined using email samples. If implemented in an operational setting, these models should be part of a set of management tools for employee assessment to identify employees who pose a greater insider threat.« less

The Role of Issue Familiarity And Social Norms: Findings on New College Students’ Alcohol Use Intentions

PubMed Central

Rimal, Rajiv N.; Mollen, Saar

2013-01-01

Background Scholars in a variety of disciplines are interested in understanding the conditions under which social norms affect human behavior. Following the distinction made between descriptive and injunctive norms by the focus theory of normative conduct, the theory of normative social behavior predicts that the influence of descriptive norms on behavior is moderated by injunctive norms, outcome expectations, and group identity. We extended the theory by testing the proposition that the influence of descriptive norms on behavior would be greater under conditions of greater issue familiarity, defined as the ease with which one can cognitively access the behavior or behavioral issue. Design and Methods The model was tested in the domain of alcohol consumption intentions by conducting a survey among incoming students (n=719) to a large university in the United States. Data indicated that students in the sample were well representative of the university population. Results The influence of descriptive norms on behavioral intentions was moderated by issue familiarity, as predicted. Familiarity was a facilitator of behavior: the influence of descriptive norms on behavioral intentions was greater under conditions of high, rather than low, familiarity. The overall model explained 53% of the variance in alcohol consumption intentions. Conclusions Public health interventions promoting health behaviors need to take into account the extent to which the behaviors are familiar to the target audience. The influence of norms appears to be weaker when the behavior is unfamiliar or novel. Implications for theory and interventions for reducing alcohol consumption are discussed. PMID:25170478

Lifestyle Patterns and Weight Status in Spanish Adults: The ANIBES Study

PubMed Central

Pérez-Rodrigo, Carmen; Gianzo-Citores, Marta; Gil, Ángel; González-Gross, Marcela; Ortega, Rosa M.; Serra-Majem, Lluis; Varela-Moreiras, Gregorio; Aranceta-Bartrina, Javier

2017-01-01

Limited knowledge is available on lifestyle patterns in Spanish adults. We investigated dietary patterns and possible meaningful clustering of physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aged 18–64 years and their association with obesity. Analysis was based on a subsample (n = 1617) of the cross-sectional ANIBES study in Spain. We performed exploratory factor analysis and subsequent cluster analysis of dietary patterns, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between the cluster solutions and obesity. Factor analysis identified four dietary patterns, “Traditional DP”, “Mediterranean DP”, “Snack DP” and “Dairy-sweet DP”. Dietary patterns, physical activity behaviors, sedentary behaviors, sleep time, and smoking in Spanish adults aggregated into three different clusters of lifestyle patterns: “Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern”, “Not poor diet-low physical activity-low sedentary lifestyle pattern” and “Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern”. A higher proportion of people aged 18–30 years was classified into the “Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern”. The prevalence odds ratio for obesity in men in the “Mixed diet-physically active-low sedentary lifestyle pattern” was significantly lower compared to those in the “Poor diet-low physical activity-sedentary lifestyle pattern”. Those behavior patterns are helpful to identify specific issues in population subgroups and inform intervention strategies. The findings in this study underline the importance of designing and implementing interventions that address multiple health risk practices, considering lifestyle patterns and associated determinants. PMID:28613259

A content analysis of cognitive health promotion in popular magazines.

PubMed

Friedman, Daniela B; Laditka, Sarah B; Laditka, James N; Price, Anna E

2011-01-01

Health behaviors, particularly physical activity, may promote cognitive health. The public agenda for health behaviors is influenced by popular media. We analyzed the cognitive health content of 20 United States magazines, examining every page of every 2006-2007 issue of the highest circulating magazines for general audiences, women, men, African Americans, and the health conscious (n = 178). Diet was the greatest focus. Physical activity coverage was limited. Important behavior-related cognitive health risks, including hypertension and diabetes, were not mentioned. Publications for African Americans had little cognitive health content. Coverage of cognitive health was not commensurate with growing evidence that health behaviors may help to maintain it. Findings may be useful to public health officials, health care providers, non-profit organizations that promote cognitive health, individuals evaluating cognitive health information in popular media, and those responsible for magazines or other media.

Travel Patterns and Characteristics of Elderly Subpopulation in New York State

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hwang, Ho-Ling; Wilson, Daniel W.; Reuscher, Tim

With the increasing demographic shift towards a larger population of elderly (individuals 65 years and older), it is essential for policy makers and planners to have an understanding of transportation issues that affect the elderly. These issues include livability of the community, factors impacting travel behavior and mobility, transportation safety, etc. In this study, Oak Ridge National Laboratory was tasked by the New York State (NYS) Department of Transportation to conduct a detailed examination of travel behaviors, and identify patterns and trends of the elderly within NYS. The National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) was used as the primary data sourcemore » to analyze subjects and address questions such as: Are there differences in traveler demographics between the elderly population and those of younger age groups who live in various NYS regions; e.g., New York City, other urban areas of NYS, or other parts of the country? How do they compare with the population at large? Are there any regional differences (e.g., urban versus rural)? Gender differences? Do any unique travel characteristics or patterns exist within the elderly group? In addition to analysis of NHTS data, roadway travel safety concerns associated with elderly travelers were also investigated in this study. Specifically, data on accidents involving the elderly (including drivers, passengers, and others) as captured in the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) database was analyzed to examine elderly driver and elderly pedestrian travel safety issues in NYS. The analyses of these data sets provide a greater understanding of the elderly within NYS and their associated transportation issues. Through this study, various key findings on elderly population size, household characteristics, and travel patterns were produced and are report herein this report.« less

Australian letters to the editor on tobacco: triggers, rhetoric, and claims of legitimate voice.

PubMed

Smith, Katherine Clegg; McLeod, Kim; Wakefield, Melanie

2005-11-01

News coverage of tobacco issues influences both individual behavior change and policy progression. Thus, media advocacy is increasingly recognized as important for promoting public health. Letters to the editor (LTE) are a basic form of media advocacy, serving to demonstrate community sentiment on a given issue. Such letters are yet to receive systematic analytic consideration. The authors conducted an ethnographic content analysis of LTE on tobacco issues from a sample of 11 Australian daily newspapers over a 3-year period (2001 to 2003, N=361). They argue that letters are artifacts of active engagement in a public debate and note that various stakeholders adopt similar strategies to pursue their objectives. They illustrate how identifying personal and collective identities is crucial in the assertion of legitimacy of voice in LTEs. Better understanding is needed of both the particular issues that spark public engagement, and the salient rhetoric employed by advocates of disparate positions.

The limitations of behavior-genetic analyses: comment on McGue, Elkins, Walden, and Iacono (2005).

PubMed

Greenberg, Gary

2005-11-01

This article takes issue with the behavior-genetic analysis of parenting style presented by M. McGue, I. Elkins, B. Walden, and W. G. Iacono. The author argues that the attribution of their findings to inherited genetic effects was without basis because McGue et al. never indicated how those genetic effects manifested themselves. Instead, McGue et al. neglected important, and inevitable, developmental effects that most developmental psychologists understand to influence parent and adolescent behavior. The author also suggests that there is great merit in adopting the approach of developmental systems theory in understanding McGue et al.'s findings in particular and all developmental phenomena in general. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

Transformational leadership and moral reasoning.

PubMed

Turner, Nick; Barling, Julian; Epitropaki, Olga; Butcher, Vicky; Milner, Caroline

2002-04-01

Terms such as moral and ethical leadership are used widely in theory, yet little systematic research has related a sociomoral dimension to leadership in organizations. This study investigated whether managers' moral reasoning (n = 132) was associated with the transformational and transactional leadership behaviors they exhibited as perceived by their subordinates (n = 407). Managers completed the Defining Issues Test (J. R. Rest, 1990), whereas their subordinates completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (B. M. Bass & B. J. Avolio, 1995). Analysis of covariance indicated that managers scoring in the highest group of the moral-reasoning distribution exhibited more transformational leadership behaviors than leaders scoring in the lowest group. As expected, there was no relationship between moral-reasoning group and transactional leadership behaviors. Implications for leadership development are discussed.

A multivariate analysis of sex offender recidivism.

PubMed

Scalora, Mario J; Garbin, Calvin

2003-06-01

Sex offender recidivism risk is a multifaceted phenomenon requiring consideration across multiple risk factor domains. The impact of treatment involvement and subsequent recidivism is given limited attention in comparison to other forensic mental health issues. The present analysis is a retrospective study of sex offenders treated at a secure facility utilizing a cognitive-behavioral program matched with an untreated correctional sample. Variables studied included demographic, criminal history, offense related, and treatment progress. Recidivism was assessed through arrest data. Multivariate analysis suggests that recidivism is significantly related to quality of treatment involvement, offender demographics, offense characteristics, and criminal history. Successfully treated offenders were significantly less likely to subsequently reoffend. Recidivists were also significantly younger, less likely married, had engaged in more victim grooming or less violent offending behavior, and had significantly more prior property charges. The authors discuss the clinical and policy implications of the interrelationship between treatment involvement and recidivism.

Nonlinear filtering properties of detrended fluctuation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiyono, Ken; Tsujimoto, Yutaka

2016-11-01

Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) has been widely used for quantifying long-range correlation and fractal scaling behavior. In DFA, to avoid spurious detection of scaling behavior caused by a nonstationary trend embedded in the analyzed time series, a detrending procedure using piecewise least-squares fitting has been applied. However, it has been pointed out that the nonlinear filtering properties involved with detrending may induce instabilities in the scaling exponent estimation. To understand this issue, we investigate the adverse effects of the DFA detrending procedure on the statistical estimation. We show that the detrending procedure using piecewise least-squares fitting results in the nonuniformly weighted estimation of the root-mean-square deviation and that this property could induce an increase in the estimation error. In addition, for comparison purposes, we investigate the performance of a centered detrending moving average analysis with a linear detrending filter and sliding window DFA and show that these methods have better performance than the standard DFA.

The space station and human productivity: An agenda for research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoonhoven, C. B.

1985-01-01

Organizational problems in permanent organizations in outer space were analyzed. The environment of space provides substantial opportunities for organizational research. Questions about how to organize professional workers in a technologically complex setting with novel dangers and uncertainties present in the immediate environment are examined. It is suggested that knowledge from organization theory/behavior is an underutilized resource in the U.S. space program. A U.S. space station will be operable by the mid-1990's. Organizational issues will take on increasing importance, because a space station requires the long term organization of human and robotic work in the isolated and confined environment of outer space. When an organizational analysis of the space station is undertaken, there are research implications at multiple levels of analysis: for the individual, small group, organizational, and environmental levels of analysis. The research relevant to organization theory and behavior is reviewed.

Changes in behavior as side effects in methylphenidate treatment: review of the literature.

PubMed

Konrad-Bindl, Doris Susanne; Gresser, Ursula; Richartz, Barbara Maria

2016-01-01

Our review of the scientific literature focused on an analysis of studies describing instances of methylphenidate treatment leading (or not) to behavioral changes in the pediatric, adolescent, and adult populations. We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Medline, and Google using the keywords "methylphenidate", "behavioral changes", "adverse effects", and "side effects". A total of 44 studies were identified as reporting on the effects and adverse effects of methylphenidate administration, and were included in the analysis. Five studies specifically set out to study, record, and discuss changes in behavior. Eight studies did not set out to study behavioral effects, but record and discuss them. A total of 28 studies recorded behavioral effects, but failed to discuss these further. Three studies did not include behavioral effects. This review records what data have been published in respect of changes in behavior in association with the use of methylphenidate. While there is some evidence to suggest that methylphenidate causes changes in behavior, the majority of the studies reviewed paid little or no attention to this issue. Based on the available data, it is impossible to determine the point at which such behavioral effects occur. The frequency of occurrence of behavioral effects is also impossible to determine with certainty. Based on the available data, it is not possible to rule out whether behavioral effects may persist or not persist once treatment is discontinued. In conclusion, despite countless publications and extensive administration, especially to children, we have insufficient data to judge the long-term effects and risks of methylphenidate taking.

Risk Perception as the Quantitative Parameter of Ethics and Responsibility in Disaster Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostyuchenko, Yuriy; Movchan, Dmytro

2014-05-01

Intensity of impacts of natural disasters is increasing with climate and ecological changes spread. Frequency of disasters is increasing, and recurrence of catastrophes characterizing by essential spatial heterogeneity. Distribution of losses is fundamentally non-linear and reflects complex interrelation of natural, social and environmental factor in the changing world on multi scale range. We faced with new types of risks, which require a comprehensive security concept. Modern understanding of complex security, and complex risk management require analysis of all natural and social phenomena, involvement of all available data, constructing of advanced analytical tools, and transformation of our perception of risk and security issues. Traditional deterministic models used for risk analysis are difficult applicable for analysis of social issues, as well as for analysis of multi scale multi-physics phenomena quantification. Also parametric methods are not absolutely effective because the system analyzed is essentially non-ergodic. The stochastic models of risk analysis are applicable for quantitative analysis of human behavior and risk perception. In framework of risk analysis models the risk perception issues were described. Risk is presented as the superposition of distribution (f(x,y)) and damage functions (p(x,y)): P →δΣ x,yf(x,y)p(x,y). As it was shown risk perception essentially influents to the damage function. Basing on the prospect theory and decision making under uncertainty on cognitive bias and handling of risk, modification of damage function is proposed: p(x,y|α(t)). Modified damage function includes an awareness function α(t), which is the system of risk perception function (rp) and function of education and log-term experience (c) as: α(t) → (c - rp). Education function c(t) describes the trend of education and experience. Risk perception function rp reflects security concept of human behavior, is the basis for prediction of socio-economic and socio-ecological processes. Also there is important positive feedback of risk perception function to distribution function. Risk perception is essentially depends of short-term recent events impact in multi agent media. This is managed function. The generalized view of awareness function is proposed: α(t) = δΣ ic - rpi. Using this form separate parameters has been calculated. For example, risk perception function is about 15-55% of awareness function depends of education, age and social status of people. Also it was estimated that fraction of awareness function in damage function, and so in function of risk is about 15-20%. It means that no less than 8-12% of direct losses depend of short-term responsible behavior of 'information agents': social activity of experts, scientists, correct discussions on ethical issues in geo-sciences and media. Other 6-9% of losses are connected with level of public and professional education. This area is also should be field of responsibility of geo-scientists.

Extending the concept of social validity: behavior analysis for disease prevention and health promotion.

PubMed

Winett, R A; Moore, J F; Anderson, E S

1991-01-01

A broader definition of social validity is proposed wherein a socially valid behavior-change intervention is directed to a problem of verifiable importance, the intervention is valued and used appropriately by designated target groups, and the intervention as used has sufficient behavioral impact to substantially reduce the probability of the problem's occurrence in target populations. The verifiable importance of a problem is based on epidemiological data, and the value and appropriate use of an intervention are enhanced through the use of conceptual frameworks for social marketing and behavior change and considerable formative and pilot research. Behavioral impact is assessed through efficacy and effectiveness studies. Thus, the social validity of a behavior-change intervention is established through a number of interactive, a priori steps. This approach to defining social validity is related to critical analysis and intervention issues including individual and population perspectives and "top-down" and "bottom-up" approaches to intervention design. This broader definition of social validity is illustrated by a project to reduce the risk of HIV infection among adolescents. Although the various steps involved in creating socially valid interventions can be complicated, time-consuming, and expensive, following all the steps can result in interventions capable of improving a nation's health.

School Health Promotion Policies and Adolescent Risk Behaviors in Israel: A Multilevel Analysis.

PubMed

Tesler, Riki; Harel-Fisch, Yossi; Baron-Epel, Orna

2016-06-01

Health promotion policies targeting risk-taking behaviors are being implemented across schools in Israel. This study identified the most effective components of these policies influencing cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption among adolescents. Logistic hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis of data for 5279 students in 95 Jewish public schools from the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) 2010-2011 survey in Israel enabled simultaneous estimation of the relationship between student- and school-level variables (health promotion policy) to alcohol consumption and smoking behavior. Principals of participating schools also were interviewed to ascertain their degree of adoption and implementation of a health promotion policy. Most of the variance in adolescent risk behaviors is explained by student-level variables: negative perceptions of school, lack of parental support for school issues, and more time spent with friends. Among the school-level policy measures, parental participation in health promotion intervention programs was repeatedly associated with lower rates of risk behaviors, over and above student characteristics. School health promotion policies should focus on parents' involvement in intervention programs and should seek to improve students' perceptions of school and their sense of well-being to promote resilience. Further research is needed to identify additional factors that may increase the effectiveness of school health promotion policies. © 2016, American School Health Association.

Does Sexy Media Promote Teen Sex? A Meta-Analytic and Methodological Review.

PubMed

Ferguson, Christopher J; Nielsen, Rune K L; Markey, Patrick M

2017-06-01

Parents and policy makers are often concerned that sexy media (media depicting or discussing sexual encounters) may promote sexual behavior in young viewers. There has been some debate among scholars regarding whether such media promote sexual behaviors. It remains unclear to what extent sexy media is a risk factor for increased sexual behavior among youth. The current study employed a meta-analysis of 22 correlational and longitudinal studies of sexy media effects on teen sexual behavior (n = 22,172). Moderator analyses examined methodological and science culture issues such as citation bias. Results indicated the presence only of very weak effects. General media use did not correlate with sexual behaviors (r = 0.005), and sexy media use correlated only weakly with sexual behaviors (r = 0.082) once other factors had been controlled. Higher effects were seen for studies with citation bias, and lower effects when family environment is controlled. The impact of media on teen sexuality was minimal with effect sizes near to zero.

Ethical, Legal and Social Issues Surrounding Research on Genetic Contributions to Anti-Social Behavior

PubMed Central

Berryessa, Colleen M.; Martinez-Martin, Nicole A.; Allyse, Megan A.

2013-01-01

Scientific study of genetic contributions to chronic antisocial behavior has stemmed from many lines of research in recent years. Genetic research involving twin, family, and adoption studies have traditionally been used to compare the health and behavior outcomes of individuals who share the same environment or hereditary lineage; several of these studies have concluded that heredity plays some role in the formation of chronic antisocial behavior, including various forms of aggression and chronic norm-defiance. However, the ethical, social, and legal environment surrounding research on the biological contributions to antisocial behavior in the United States is contentious. Although there has been some discussion in the last few decades regarding the ethical, social, and legal concerns around this type of research within academic and policy circles, analysis and discussion of these concerns rarely appear together. This paper explores the main themes that interact to form the basis of much of the resistance to positing biological contributions to antisocial behavior. PMID:24319343

Ethical issues in a stage 1 cognitive-behavioral therapy feasibility study and trial to reduce alcohol use among HIV-infected outpatients in western Kenya.

PubMed

Papas, Rebecca K; Gakinya, Benson N; Baliddawa, Joyce B; Martino, Steve; Bryant, Kendall J; Meslin, Eric M; Sidle, John E

2012-07-01

Epidemics of both HIV/AIDS and alcohol abuse in sub-Saharan Africa have spurred the conduct of local behavioral therapy trials for these problems, but the ethical issues involved in these trials have not been fully examined. In this paper, we discuss ethical issues that emerged during the conduct of a behavioral intervention adaptation and trial using cognitive-behavioral therapy to reduce alcohol use among HIV-infected outpatients in Eldoret, Kenya. The study was performed within our multinational collaboration, the USAID-Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare Partnership. We discuss relevant ethical considerations and how we addressed them.

Ethical Issues in a Stage 1 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Feasibility Study and Trial to Reduce Alcohol Use Among HIV-Infected Outpatients in Western Kenya

PubMed Central

Papas, Rebecca K.; Gakinya, Benson N.; Baliddawa, Joyce B.; Martino, Steve; Bryant, Kendall J.; Meslin, Eric M.; Sidle, John E.

2013-01-01

Epidemics of both HIV/AIDS and alcohol abuse in sub-Saharan Africa have spurred the conduct of local behavioral therapy trials for these problems, but the ethical issues involved in these trials have not been fully examined. In this paper, we discuss ethical issues that emerged during the conduct of a behavioral intervention adaptation and trial using cognitive-behavioral therapy to reduce alcohol use among HIV-infected outpatients in Eldoret, Kenya. The study was performed within our multinational collaboration, the USAID-Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare Partnership. We discuss relevant ethical considerations and how we addressed them. PMID:22850141

Improvements in analysis techniques for segmented mirror arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michels, Gregory J.; Genberg, Victor L.; Bisson, Gary R.

2016-08-01

The employment of actively controlled segmented mirror architectures has become increasingly common in the development of current astronomical telescopes. Optomechanical analysis of such hardware presents unique issues compared to that of monolithic mirror designs. The work presented here is a review of current capabilities and improvements in the methodology of the analysis of mechanically induced surface deformation of such systems. The recent improvements include capability to differentiate surface deformation at the array and segment level. This differentiation allowing surface deformation analysis at each individual segment level offers useful insight into the mechanical behavior of the segments that is unavailable by analysis solely at the parent array level. In addition, capability to characterize the full displacement vector deformation of collections of points allows analysis of mechanical disturbance predictions of assembly interfaces relative to other assembly interfaces. This capability, called racking analysis, allows engineers to develop designs for segment-to-segment phasing performance in assembly integration, 0g release, and thermal stability of operation. The performance predicted by racking has the advantage of being comparable to the measurements used in assembly of hardware. Approaches to all of the above issues are presented and demonstrated by example with SigFit, a commercially available tool integrating mechanical analysis with optical analysis.

Explicit and implicit issues in the developmental cognitive neuroscience of social inequality

PubMed Central

D'Angiulli, Amedeo; Lipina, Sebastian J.; Olesinska, Alice

2012-01-01

The appearance of developmental cognitive neuroscience (DCN) in the socioeconomic status (SES) research arena is hugely transformative, but challenging. We review challenges rooted in the implicit and explicit assumptions informing this newborn field. We provide balanced theoretical alternatives on how hypothesized psychological processes map onto the brain (e.g., problem of localization) and how experimental phenomena at multiple levels of analysis (e.g., behavior, cognition and the brain) could be related. We therefore examine unclear issues regarding the existing perspectives on poverty and their relationships with low SES, the evidence of low-SES adaptive functioning, historical precedents of the “alternate pathways” (neuroplasticity) interpretation of learning disabilities related to low-SES and the notion of deficit, issues of “normativity” and validity in findings of neurocognitive differences between children from different SES, and finally alternative interpretations of the complex relationship between IQ and SES. Particularly, we examine the extent to which the available laboratory results may be interpreted as showing that cognitive performance in low-SES children reflects cognitive and behavioral deficits as a result of growing up in specific environmental or cultural contexts, and how the experimental findings should be interpreted for the design of different types of interventions—particularly those related to educational practices—or translated to the public—especially the media. Although a cautionary tone permeates many studies, still, a potential deficit attribution—i.e., low-SES is associated with cognitive and behavioral developmental deficits—seems almost an inevitable implicit issue with ethical implications. Finally, we sketch the agenda for an ecological DCN, suggesting recommendations to advance the field, specifically, to minimize equivocal divulgation and maximize ethically responsible translation. PMID:22973216

The intersection of behavioral genetics and political science: introduction to the special issue.

PubMed

Hatemi, Peter K

2012-02-01

The collection of papers in this special edition of Twin Research and Human Genetics represents a major land-mark at the intersection of behavioral genetics and political science. This issue is the fruit of 20 political scientists attending the Behavioral Genetics Association Methods Workshop in Boulder and a hands-on training practicum at the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, and includes results from the first wave of political science twin surveys.

Conceptual framework for behavioral and social science in HIV vaccine clinical research

PubMed Central

Lau, Chuen-Yen; Swann, Edith M.; Singh, Sagri; Kafaar, Zuhayr; Meissner, Helen I.; Stansbury, James P.

2011-01-01

HIV vaccine clinical research occurs within a context where biomedical science and social issues are interlinked. Previous HIV vaccine research has considered behavioral and social issues, but often treated them as independent of clinical research processes. Systematic attention to the intersection of behavioral and social issues within a defined clinical research framework is needed to address gaps, such as those related to participation in trials, completion of trials, and the overall research experience. Rigorous attention to these issues at project inception can inform trial design and conduct by matching research approaches to the context in which trials are to be conducted. Conducting behavioral and social sciences research concurrent with vaccine clinical research is important because it can help identify potential barriers to trial implementation, as well as ultimate acceptance and dissemination of trial results. We therefore propose a conceptual framework for behavioral and social science in HIV vaccine clinical research and use examples from the behavioral and social science literature to demonstrate how the model can facilitate identification of significant areas meriting additional exploration. Standardized use of the conceptual framework could improve HIV vaccine clinical research efficiency and relevance. PMID:21821083

Conceptual framework for behavioral and social science in HIV vaccine clinical research.

PubMed

Lau, Chuen-Yen; Swann, Edith M; Singh, Sagri; Kafaar, Zuhayr; Meissner, Helen I; Stansbury, James P

2011-10-13

HIV vaccine clinical research occurs within a context where biomedical science and social issues are interlinked. Previous HIV vaccine research has considered behavioral and social issues, but often treated them as independent of clinical research processes. Systematic attention to the intersection of behavioral and social issues within a defined clinical research framework is needed to address gaps, such as those related to participation in trials, completion of trials, and the overall research experience. Rigorous attention to these issues at project inception can inform trial design and conduct by matching research approaches to the context in which trials are to be conducted. Conducting behavioral and social sciences research concurrent with vaccine clinical research is important because it can help identify potential barriers to trial implementation, as well as ultimate acceptance and dissemination of trial results. We therefore propose a conceptual framework for behavioral and social science in HIV vaccine clinical research and use examples from the behavioral and social science literature to demonstrate how the model can facilitate identification of significant areas meriting additional exploration. Standardized use of the conceptual framework could improve HIV vaccine clinical research efficiency and relevance. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Issues in Personality Conceptualizations of Addictive Behaviors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutker, Patricia B.; Allain, Albert N., Jr.

1988-01-01

Describes issues and implications associated with personality conceptualizations of addictive behaviors. Directs attention toward characterizing the sociopolitical climate's effect on identification, evaluation, and management of substance abuse disorders. Explores alcohol and drug use in conceptual schemata encompassing multifactorial,…

Influences on eating: a qualitative study of adolescents in a periurban area in Lima, Peru.

PubMed

Banna, Jinan C; Buchthal, Opal Vanessa; Delormier, Treena; Creed-Kanashiro, Hilary M; Penny, Mary E

2016-01-15

Peruvian adolescents are at high nutritional risk, facing issues such as overweight and obesity, anemia, and pregnancy during a period of development. Research seeking to understand contextual factors that influence eating habits to inform the development of public health interventions is lacking in this population. This study aimed to understand socio-cultural influences on eating among adolescents in periurban Lima, Peru using qualitative methods. Semi-structured interviews and pile sort activities were conducted with 14 adolescents 15-17 years. The interview was designed to elicit information on influences on eating habits at four levels: individual (intrapersonal), social environmental (interpersonal), physical environmental (community settings), and macrosystem (societal). The pile sort activity required adolescents to place cards with food images into groups and then to describe the characteristics of the foods placed in each group. Content analysis was used to identify predominant themes of influencing factors in interviews. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering analysis was completed with pile sort data. Individual influences on behavior included lack of financial resources to purchase food and concerns about body image. Nutrition-related knowledge also played a role; participants noted the importance of foods such as beans for anemia prevention. At the social environmental level, parents promoted healthy eating by providing advice on food selection and home-cooked meals. The physical environment also influenced intake, with foods available in schools being predominantly low-nutrient energy-dense. Macrosystem influences were evident, as adolescents used the Internet for nutrition information, which they viewed as credible. To address nutrition-related issues such as obesity and iron-deficiency anemia in Peruvian adolescents, further research is warranted to elucidate the roles of certain factors shaping behavior, particularly that of family, cited numerous times as having a positive influence. Addressing nutrition-related issues such as obesity and iron-deficiency anemia in this population requires consideration of the effect of social and environmental factors in the context of adolescent lifestyles on behavior. Nutrition education messages for adolescents should consider the cultural perceptions and importance of particular foods, taking into account the diverse factors that influence eating behaviors.

Study nonlinear dynamics of stratospheric ozone concentration at Pakistan Terrestrial region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jan, Bulbul; Zai, Muhammad Ayub Khan Yousuf; Afradi, Faisal Khan; Aziz, Zohaib

2018-03-01

This study investigates the nonlinear dynamics of the stratospheric ozone layer at Pakistan atmospheric region. Ozone considered now the most important issue in the world because of its diverse effects on earth biosphere, including human health, ecosystem, marine life, agriculture yield and climate change. Therefore, this paper deals with total monthly time series data of stratospheric ozone over the Pakistan atmospheric region from 1970 to 2013. Two approaches, basic statistical analysis and Fractal dimension (D) have adapted to study the nature of nonlinear dynamics of stratospheric ozone level. Results obtained from this research have shown that the Hurst exponent values of both methods of fractal dimension revealed an anti-persistent behavior (negatively correlated), i.e. decreasing trend for all lags and Rescaled range analysis is more appropriate as compared to Detrended fluctuation analysis. For seasonal time series all month follows an anti-persistent behavior except in the month of November which shown persistence behavior i.e. time series is an independent and increasing trend. The normality test statistics also confirmed the nonlinear behavior of ozone and the rejection of hypothesis indicates the strong evidence of the complexity of data. This study will be useful to the researchers working in the same field in the future to verify the complex nature of stratospheric ozone.

Parenting an overweight or obese teen: issues and advice from parents.

PubMed

Boutelle, Kerri N; Feldman, Shira; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

2012-01-01

This qualitative study addresses: (1) what challenges parents of overweight adolescents face and (2) what advice parents of overweight adolescents have for other parents. One-on-one interviews were conducted with parents of overweight or previously overweight adolescents. Medical clinic at the University of Minnesota. Twenty-seven parents of adolescents (12-19 years) who were either currently or previously overweight recruited from the community. Qualitative interviews related to parenting overweight adolescents. Content analysis was used to identify themes regarding parental experiences. Issues most frequently mentioned were (1) uncertainty regarding effective communication with adolescent about weight-related topics; (2) inability to control adolescents' decisions related to healthful eating and activity behaviors; (3) concern for adolescents' well-being; and (4) parental feeling of responsibility/guilt. Parental advice most often provided included: (1) setting up a healthful home environment; (2) parental role modeling of healthful behaviors; and (3) providing support/encouragement for positive efforts. Topics for potential intervention development include communication and motivation of adolescents regarding weight-related topics, appropriate autonomy, and addressing negative emotions concerning the adolescent's weight status. Targeting these topics could potentially improve acceptability and outcomes for treatments. Copyright © 2012 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abusive behavior is barrier to high-reliability health care systems, culture of patient safety.

PubMed

Cassirer, C; Anderson, D; Hanson, S; Fraser, H

2000-11-01

Addressing abusive behavior in the medical workplace presents an important opportunity to deliver on the national commitment to improve patient safety. Fundamentally, the issue of patient safety and the issue of abusive behavior in the workplace are both about harm. Undiagnosed and untreated, abusive behavior is a barrier to creating high reliability service delivery systems that ensure patient safety. Health care managers and clinicians need to improve their awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the issue of workplace abuse. The available research suggests there is a high prevalence of workplace abuse in medicine. Both administrators at the blunt end and clinicians at the sharp end should consider learning new approaches to defining and treating the problem of workplace abuse. Eliminating abusive behavior has positive implications for preventing and controlling medical injury and improving organizational performance.

Do Angry Birds Make for Angry Children? A Meta-Analysis of Video Game Influences on Children's and Adolescents' Aggression, Mental Health, Prosocial Behavior, and Academic Performance.

PubMed

Ferguson, Christopher J

2015-09-01

The issue of whether video games-violent or nonviolent-"harm" children and adolescents continues to be hotly contested in the scientific community, among politicians, and in the general public. To date, researchers have focused on college student samples in most studies on video games, often with poorly standardized outcome measures. To answer questions about harm to minors, these studies are arguably not very illuminating. In the current analysis, I sought to address this gap by focusing on studies of video game influences on child and adolescent samples. The effects of overall video game use and exposure to violent video games specifically were considered, although this was not an analysis of pathological game use. Overall, results from 101 studies suggest that video game influences on increased aggression (r = .06), reduced prosocial behavior (r = .04), reduced academic performance (r = -.01), depressive symptoms (r = .04), and attention deficit symptoms (r = .03) are minimal. Issues related to researchers' degrees of freedom and citation bias also continue to be common problems for the field. Publication bias remains a problem for studies of aggression. Recommendations are given on how research may be improved and how the psychological community should address video games from a public health perspective. © The Author(s) 2015.

A Navigation Analysis Tool (NAT) to assess spatial behavior in open-field and structured mazes.

PubMed

Jarlier, Frédéric; Arleo, Angelo; Petit, Géraldine H; Lefort, Julie M; Fouquet, Céline; Burguière, Eric; Rondi-Reig, Laure

2013-05-15

Spatial navigation calls upon mnemonic capabilities (e.g. remembering the location of a rewarding site) as well as adaptive motor control (e.g. fine tuning of the trajectory according to the ongoing sensory context). To study this complex process by means of behavioral measurements it is necessary to quantify a large set of meaningful parameters on multiple time scales (from milliseconds to several minutes), and to compare them across different paradigms. Moreover, the issue of automating the behavioral analysis is critical to cope with the consequent computational load and the sophistication of the measurements. We developed a general purpose Navigation Analysis Tool (NAT) that provides an integrated architecture consisting of a data management system (implemented in MySQL), a core analysis toolbox (in MATLAB), and a graphical user interface (in JAVA). Its extensive characterization of trajectories over time, from exploratory behavior to goal-oriented navigation with decision points using a wide range of parameters, makes NAT a powerful analysis tool. In particular, NAT supplies a new set of specific measurements assessing performances in multiple intersection mazes and allowing navigation strategies to be discriminated (e.g. in the starmaze). Its user interface enables easy use while its modular organization provides many opportunities of extension and customization. Importantly, the portability of NAT to any type of maze and environment extends its exploitation far beyond the field of spatial navigation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying like-minded audiences for global warming public engagement campaigns: an audience segmentation analysis and tool development.

PubMed

Maibach, Edward W; Leiserowitz, Anthony; Roser-Renouf, Connie; Mertz, C K

2011-03-10

Achieving national reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will require public support for climate and energy policies and changes in population behaviors. Audience segmentation--a process of identifying coherent groups within a population--can be used to improve the effectiveness of public engagement campaigns. In Fall 2008, we conducted a nationally representative survey of American adults (n = 2,164) to identify audience segments for global warming public engagement campaigns. By subjecting multiple measures of global warming beliefs, behaviors, policy preferences, and issue engagement to latent class analysis, we identified six distinct segments ranging in size from 7 to 33% of the population. These six segments formed a continuum, from a segment of people who were highly worried, involved and supportive of policy responses (18%), to a segment of people who were completely unconcerned and strongly opposed to policy responses (7%). Three of the segments (totaling 70%) were to varying degrees concerned about global warming and supportive of policy responses, two (totaling 18%) were unsupportive, and one was largely disengaged (12%), having paid little attention to the issue. Certain behaviors and policy preferences varied greatly across these audiences, while others did not. Using discriminant analysis, we subsequently developed 36-item and 15-item instruments that can be used to categorize respondents with 91% and 84% accuracy, respectively. In late 2008, Americans supported a broad range of policies and personal actions to reduce global warming, although there was wide variation among the six identified audiences. To enhance the impact of campaigns, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and businesses seeking to engage the public can selectively target one or more of these audiences rather than address an undifferentiated general population. Our screening instruments are available to assist in that process.

Travellers accessing addiction services in Ireland (2007 to 2010): analysis of routine surveillance data.

PubMed

Carew, Anne Marie; Cafferty, Siobhán; Long, Jean; Bellerose, Delphine; Lyons, Suzi

2013-01-01

By accessing addiction treatment services recorded in routine national drug treatment data, the characteristics of Irish Travellers were analyzed to understand their needs and develop policies to tackle issues faced by this community. The number of Traveller cases accessing services increased by 163% between 2007 and 2010. Alcohol and opiates were the most common problem substances reported. Traveller women reported high rates of problem opiate use and risky injecting behaviors, contrary to the perception that problem substance use is a predominantly male issue. This presents a challenge to services to provide targeted, effective services to Travellers with problem substance use.

Introduction: the human sciences and Cold War America.

PubMed

Isaac, Joel

2011-01-01

Studies of the history of the human sciences during the Cold War era have proliferated over the past decade--in JHBS and elsewhere. This special issue focuses on the connections between the behavioral sciences and the culture and politics of the Cold War in the United States. In the recent literature, there is a tendency to identify the Cold War human sciences with two main paradigms: that of psychocultural analysis, on the one hand, and of the systems sciences, on the other. The essays in the special issue both extend understanding of each of these interpretive frameworks and help us to grasp their interconnection. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Health Information Behavior of the South Tyrolean Population: An Epidemiological Cross-Sectional Study].

PubMed

Vögele, Anna; Becker, Ulrich; Gögele, Anna; Schneider, Antonius; Engl, Adolf

2018-06-04

Investigation of the health information behavior, self-rated health, confidence in health issues and specific attitudes to health among the South Tyrolean population. Our study is an epidemiological cross-sectional study; data were collected via telephone interviews, using a questionnaire developed for this purpose that covered various aspects of information and health-related behavior. For the elaboration of the typology of the most distinctive stereotypes in terms of health information and health-related behavior, a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. We assessed 504 correct telephone interviews. The majority of the respondents considered themselves health-conscious and preferred heterogeneous information media. The most used information media for health issues were mass media, i. e. newspapers or magazines and television or radio. The internet was used less as a source of information. Younger individuals assessed themselves to be healthier than older people, and older women aged 65 years or more were the most health-impaired group. Respondents had greatest confidence in their general practitioner, their own feeling or experience. Thus, in terms of health information and health behavior, the following four classes of people could be distinguished, namely "internet information elite", "robust fatalists", "stricken" and "health-conscious mainstreamers". Our results show that the South Tyrolean population has a high level of health consciousness and gathers health information from various media. The characterization of different patient typologies of information processing in combination with health-related behavior indicates that information about health and illness should be appropriately addressed to the respective stereotype. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Conditional Belief Types

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-19

event is the same as conditioning on the event being certain, which formalizes the standard informal interpretation of conditional probability. The game ...theoretic application of our model, discussed within an example, sheds light on a number of issues in the analysis of extensive form games . Type...belief types Block 13: Supplementary Note © 2014 . Published in Games and Economic Behavior, Vol. Ed. 0 87, (0) (2014), (, (0). DoD Components

Risk Factors for Drug Abuse among Nepalese Samples Selected from a Town of Eastern Nepal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niraula, Surya Raj; Chhetry, Devendra Bahadur; Singh, Girish Kumar; Nagesh, S.; Shyangwa, Pramod Mohan

2009-01-01

The study focuses on the serious issue related to the adolescents' and adults' behavior and health. It aims to identify the risk factors for drug abuse from samples taken from a town of Eastern Nepal. This is a matched case-control study. The conditional logistic regression method was adopted for data analysis. The diagnosis cut off was determined…

Associations of Topics of Discussion on Twitter With Survey Measures of Attitudes, Knowledge, and Behaviors Related to Zika: Probabilistic Study in the United States.

PubMed

Farhadloo, Mohsen; Winneg, Kenneth; Chan, Man-Pui Sally; Hall Jamieson, Kathleen; Albarracin, Dolores

2018-02-09

Recent outbreaks of Zika virus around the world led to increased discussions about this issue on social media platforms such as Twitter. These discussions may provide useful information about attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of the population regarding issues that are important for public policy. We sought to identify the associations of the topics of discussions on Twitter and survey measures of Zika-related attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors, not solely based upon the volume of such discussions but by analyzing the content of conversations using probabilistic techniques. Using probabilistic topic modeling with US county and week as the unit of analysis, we analyzed the content of Twitter online communications to identify topics related to the reported attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors captured in a national representative survey (N=33,193) of the US adult population over 33 weeks. Our analyses revealed topics related to "congress funding for Zika," "microcephaly," "Zika-related travel discussions," "insect repellent," "blood transfusion technology," and "Zika in Miami" were associated with our survey measures of attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors observed over the period of the study. Our results demonstrated that it is possible to uncover topics of discussions from Twitter communications that are associated with the Zika-related attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors of populations over time. Social media data can be used as a complementary source of information alongside traditional data sources to gauge the patterns of attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors in a population. ©Mohsen Farhadloo, Kenneth Winneg, Man-Pui Sally Chan, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Dolores Albarracin. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 09.02.2018.

Qualitative research on the attitudes toward teenage sexual behavior of Chinese British families: methodological issues.

PubMed

Yu, Juping

2009-04-01

Qualitative approaches have been increasingly used to explore ethnic differences in teenage sexual behavior, and methodological issues of conducting such research often remain unaddressed. This article discusses issues related to sampling, rapport, language, and ethnical considerations arising while undertaking research on attitudes toward teenage sexual behavior held by Chinese British families. It highlights the value of using snowball sampling, the importance of establishing rapport, and some advantages of matching the ethnic background between researcher and participants. The researcher's gender and social and cultural backgrounds affect research processes and findings, and this itself merits further reflection.

Effects of Issue Involvement and Framing of a Responsible Drinking Message on Attitudes, Intentions, and Behavior.

PubMed

de Graaf, Anneke; van den Putte, Bas; de Bruijn, Gert-Jan

2015-08-01

To decrease the prevalence and the amount of alcohol consumption among students, health messages advocating responsible alcohol behavior can be used. However, it is unclear whether responsible drinking messages are most effective when they use a gain frame, presenting the advantages of responsible drinking, or a loss frame, presenting the disadvantages of irresponsible drinking. This study tests the effects of framing and the moderating role of involvement with the issue of responsible drinking. A three-wave, between-subjects, experimental study was conducted, in which participants (N = 90) were exposed to either a gain- or loss-framed message about responsible drinking behavior at Wave 2. At all three waves, attitudes, intentions and behavior toward responsible drinking were measured. Results showed that for participants with low issue- involvement, a gain frame led to more positive attitudes and intentions toward responsible alcohol use, whereas a loss frame did not have any effects for them. For participants with high issue involvement, a loss frame led to more positive attitudes and intentions toward responsible alcohol use, whereas a gain frame did not have an effect on attitude and only a delayed effect on intention. However, there were no effects of frame and issue involvement on adhering to the guideline of responsible alcohol use and average drinking behavior.

Introduction to the special issue from the 2014 meeting of the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society.

PubMed

Young, Jared W; Hall, F Scott; Pletnikov, Mikhail; Kent, Stephen

2015-11-01

In 2013, President Obama launched what has been optimistically described as the "decade of the brain". The launch of this effort comes on the back of widespread acknowledgement that more is required to aid those suffering from mental health disorders. Specifically, a greater understanding of the neural circuitry related to behaviors specific to mental health disorders is needed. The field of research that relates the circuitry of the brain to specific aspects of behavior is referred to as behavioral neuroscience. The International Behavioral Neuroscience Society (IBNS) was founded in 1992 specifically to meet on an annual basis and present the latest research findings in this field, and to gather together the international research community to discuss issues important for the development and progress of this scientific discipline. This special issue includes reviews of topics of emerging interest and advancing knowledge in behavioral neuroscience, based on symposia presented at the 2014 IBNS meeting. Topics discussed at the annual IBNS meeting ranged from investigations of the neural mechanisms underlying bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, traumatic brain injury, and risk-taking behavior, to behavioral consequences of obesity and immune dysfunction. Novel treatment areas are covered such as the use of deep brain stimulation, as well as investigation of the behavioral impacts of nicotine withdrawal and how this research will influence the development of nicotine cessation treatments. Hence, this special issue covers a wide-range of topics in behavioral neuroscience offering an insight into the challenges faced by researchers in this decade of the brain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implications of Middle School Behavior Problems for High School Graduation and Employment Outcomes of Young Adults: Estimation of a Recursive Model

PubMed Central

Karakus, Mustafa C.; Salkever, David S.; Slade, Eric P.; Ialongo, Nicholas; Stuart, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

The potentially serious adverse impacts of behavior problems during adolescence on employment outcomes in adulthood provide a key economic rationale for early intervention programs. However, the extent to which lower educational attainment accounts for the total impact of adolescent behavior problems on later employment remains unclear As an initial step in exploring this issue, we specify and estimate a recursive bivariate probit model that 1) relates middle school behavior problems to high school graduation and 2) models later employment in young adulthood as a function of these behavior problems and of high school graduation. Our model thus allows for both a direct effect of behavior problems on later employment as well as an indirect effect that operates via graduation from high school. Our empirical results, based on analysis of data from the NELS, suggest that the direct effects of externalizing behavior problems on later employment are not significant but that these problems have important indirect effects operating through high school graduation. PMID:23576834

Nurse Manager Behaviors That RNs Perceive to Affect Their Job Satisfaction.

PubMed

Feather, Rebecca A; Ebright, Patricia; Bakas, Tamilyn

2015-01-01

Nurse manager behaviors and job satisfaction are commonly addressed in the literature; however, registered nurse (RN) perceptions of nurse manager behaviors provide a unique perspective that may inform future strategies designed to enhance RN job satisfaction. In this paper, the perceptions of RNs were explored through focus groups to learn the behaviors of nurse managers that most influence RNs' job satisfaction. Five focus groups were conducted through semi-structured interviews of a total of 28 RNs to provide data that were coded through qualitative content analysis for themes. The findings provide nurse managers with data related to the perceptions of RNs and the behaviors of managers that influence job satisfaction. The findings identified two conceptual categories of RN perceptions of nurse manager behaviors: manager behaviors supportive of RNs (communication, respect, and feeling cared for) plus the RNs' perceived disconnect of work issues from the manager's role. Findings support past research in relation to the perceptions of RNs wanting to be respected, included in communication, and the need to feel cared for by nurse managers to have higher levels of job satisfaction. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Emotionally troubled teens' help-seeking behaviors: an evaluation of surviving the Teens® suicide prevention and depression awareness program.

PubMed

Strunk, Catherine M; Sorter, Michael T; Ossege, Julianne; King, Keith A

2014-10-01

Many school-based suicide prevention programs do not show a positive impact on help-seeking behaviors among emotionally troubled teens despite their being at high risk for suicide. This study is a secondary analysis of the Surviving the Teens(®) program evaluation to determine its effect on help-seeking behaviors among troubled youth. Results showed significant increases in mean scores of the Behavioral Intent to Communicate with Important Others Regarding Emotional Health Issues subscale (p < .0005) from pretest to 3-month follow-up. There was a significant increase (p = .006) in mean scores of the Behavioral Intent Regarding Help-Seeking Behaviors when Suicidal subscale from pretest to posttest, but not at 3-month follow-up. Also, there was a significant increase (p = .016) in mean scores in the item "I would tell an adult if I was suicidal" from pretest to 3-month follow-up. These findings suggest that the Surviving the Teens program has a positive effect on help-seeking behaviors in troubled youth. © The Author(s) 2013.

Novel strategies for sedentary behavior research.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Dori E; Lee, I-Min; Young, Deborah Rohm; Prohaska, Thomas R; Owen, Neville; Buchner, David M

2015-06-01

This article reports on the "Novel Strategies for Sedentary Behavior Research" session of the Sedentary Behavior: Identifying Research Priorities workshop. The purpose of this session of the workshop were to propose strategies for accomplishing a research agenda in dealing with sedentary behavior and to consider research priorities for people at high risk for excess sedentary behavior. The four major recommendations from this workshop were as follows: 1) To add repeated objective measures of physical activity and sedentary behavior to existing cohort studies and standardize approaches to measurement and analysis. Epidemiologic studies will be the most efficient design for addressing some research questions. 2) To increase research efficiency, consider the advantages of a network of connected research studies and health systems. Advantages include access to existing data in electronic health records. 3) To carefully select a variety of high-risk study populations and preplan collaboration among studies in intervention research. This strategy can efficiently address the breadth of issues in sedentary behavior research. 4) To include comparative effectiveness designs and pure environmental interventions in intervention research. This strategy facilitates and enhances translation of interventions into practice.

The role for public funding of faith-based organizations delivering behavioral health services: guideposts for monitoring and evaluation.

PubMed

Kramer, Fredrica D

2010-12-01

The paper reviews policies promoting faith-based organizations' (FBO) participation in publicly-funded programs since the Charitable Choice statute was enacted during the Clinton administration and then additional faith-based initiatives were implemented by the Bush administration. The paper focuses on research findings on FBO participation in publicly-funded human service programs under these policies. It then proposes a framework for evaluation to assess the appropriateness of public funding for behavioral health services delivered by FBOs, in order to address: (1) the programmatic and systemic effects resulting from the infusion of new players from the faith community, and the consequences to the profile of services and who gets served; and (2) the content and effectiveness of faith-infused services as a basis for identifying interventions appropriate for public funding. The analysis considers classification issues, theoretical bases of measured effects of faith-infused services, and the transferability of faith-based interventions across religious and secular applications in order to satisfy constitutional issues and client choice.

[Problem-posing as a nutritional education strategy with obese teenagers].

PubMed

Rodrigues, Erika Marafon; Boog, Maria Cristina Faber

2006-05-01

Obesity is a public health issue with relevant social determinants in its etiology and where interventions with teenagers encounter complex biopsychological conditions. This study evaluated intervention in nutritional education through a problem-posing approach with 22 obese teenagers, treated collectively and individually for eight months. Speech acts were collected through the use of word cards, observer recording, and tape-recording. The study adopted a qualitative methodology, and the approach involved content analysis. Problem-posing facilitated changes in eating behavior, triggering reflections on nutritional practices, family circumstances, social stigma, interaction with health professionals, and religion. Teenagers under individual care posed problems more effectively in relation to eating, while those under collective care posed problems in relation to family and psychological issues, with effective qualitative eating changes in both groups. The intervention helped teenagers understand their life history and determinants of eating behaviors, spontaneously implementing eating changes and making them aware of possibilities for maintaining the new practices and autonomously exercising their role as protagonists in their own health care.

The relationship of mental illness to targeted contact behavior toward state government agencies and officials.

PubMed

Scalora, Mario J; Baumgartner, Jerome V; Plank, Gary L

2003-01-01

Research in the burgeoning field of threat assessment has illuminated the importance of mental illness factors when considering risk of targeted violence-particularly related to government agencies and officials. The authors analyzed 127 cases investigated by a state law enforcement agency regarding threatening or other contacts toward public officials or state agency employees prompting security intervention. Univariate and discriminant analysis indicated that mentally ill subjects were significantly more likely to engage in more contacts as well as to make specific demands during such contacts. Mentally ill subjects were also more likely to articulate help-seeking concerns and employ religious themes, as opposed to using insulting, degrading, or ominous language toward the target or issuing complaints regarding policy issues. Contrary to other research, the mentally ill subjects within this sample were not significantly more likely to engage in approach behavior, a threshold for higher risk of violence. Implications for threat assessment activity are discussed. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

More Tweets, More Votes: Social Media as a Quantitative Indicator of Political Behavior

PubMed Central

DiGrazia, Joseph; McKelvey, Karissa; Bollen, Johan; Rojas, Fabio

2013-01-01

Is social media a valid indicator of political behavior? There is considerable debate about the validity of data extracted from social media for studying offline behavior. To address this issue, we show that there is a statistically significant association between tweets that mention a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives and his or her subsequent electoral performance. We demonstrate this result with an analysis of 542,969 tweets mentioning candidates selected from a random sample of 3,570,054,618, as well as Federal Election Commission data from 795 competitive races in the 2010 and 2012 U.S. congressional elections. This finding persists even when controlling for incumbency, district partisanship, media coverage of the race, time, and demographic variables such as the district's racial and gender composition. Our findings show that reliable data about political behavior can be extracted from social media. PMID:24312181

Explaining the effect of education on health: a field study in Ghana.

PubMed

Peters, Ellen; Baker, David P; Dieckmann, Nathan F; Leon, Juan; Collins, John

2010-10-01

Higher education (or more years of formal schooling) is widely associated with better health, but the underlying causes of this association are unclear. In this study, we tested our schooling-decision-making model, which posits that formal education fosters intellectual ability, which in turn provides individuals with enduring competencies to support better health-related behaviors. Using data from a field study on formal education in 181 adults in rural Ghana, we examined health-protective behaviors related to HIV/AIDS infection, a critical health issue in Ghana. As expected, individuals with more education practiced more protective health behaviors. Our structural equation modeling analysis showed that cognitive abilities, numeracy, and decision-making abilities increased with exposure to schooling, and that these enhanced abilities (and not HIV/AIDS knowledge) mediated the effects of education on health-protective behavior. Research and policy implications for HIV prevention efforts in sub-Saharan Africa are discussed.

Neighborhood disorder, individual protective factors, and the risk of adolescent delinquency.

PubMed

Calvert, Wilma J

2002-01-01

Traditionally, violent and delinquent behaviors have been addressed by the criminal justice system, with the focus being secondary and tertiary interventions. During the last decade, the focus on violence as a public health issue has increased. The purpose of this research was to examine how individual protective factors for adolescent delinquency varied according to neighborhood quality. The researcher conducted a secondary data analysis, using data from the National Youth Survey A total of 1,621 adolescents comprised the sample. The majority of the respondents participated in some type of delinquent behavior, with more Blacks reporting participation in violent behaviors. There was a positive relationship between academic history and no participation in delinquent behavior. The regression model for violent delinquency accounted for 10% of the variance in the disordered neighborhoods. Primary prevention efforts, commonly used by public health nurses, should be aimed at eliminating risk factors such as those found in disordered neighborhoods.

Video Games Do Indeed Influence Children and Adolescents' Aggression, Prosocial Behavior, and Academic Performance: A Clearer Reading of Ferguson (2015).

PubMed

Boxer, Paul; Groves, Christopher L; Docherty, Meagan

2015-09-01

Psychological scientists have long sought to determine the relative impact of environmental influences over development and behavior in comparison with the impact of personal, dispositional, or genetic influences. This has included significant interest in the role played by media in children's development with a good deal of emphasis on how violent media spark and shape aggressive behavior in children and adolescents. Despite a variety of methodological weaknesses in his meta-analysis, Ferguson (2015, this issue) presents evidence to support the positive association between violent media consumption and a number of poor developmental outcomes. In this Commentary we discuss this meta-analytic work and how it fits into a broader understanding of human development. © The Author(s) 2015.

Neurobiochemical and psychological factors influencing the eating behaviors and attitudes in anorexia nervosa.

PubMed

Grzelak, Teresa; Dutkiewicz, Agata; Paszynska, Elzbieta; Dmitrzak-Weglarz, Monika; Slopien, Agnieszka; Tyszkiewicz-Nwafor, Marta

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to determine the characteristic features which contribute to inappropriate eating attitudes in people suffering from anorexia nervosa, based on an analysis of recent data. Factors influencing these attitudes have a genetic, neurobiological, biochemical, affective-motivational, cognitive, and behavioral background. Another important issue addressed in the paper is a description of the mechanism leading to continuous dietary restrictions. The altered activity of neurotransmitters modulating patients' moods after the consumption of food and a disturbed responsiveness to enterohormones enhance affective-motivational and cognitive aspects which, in turn, impede the improvement of eating behaviors. An understanding of the mechanisms behind the factors affecting the maintenance of inappropriate eating attitudes may contribute to greater effectiveness in the treatment of anorexia nervosa.

Smart-Glasses: Exposing and Elucidating the Ethical Issues.

PubMed

Hofmann, Bjørn; Haustein, Dušan; Landeweerd, Laurens

2017-06-01

The objective of this study is to provide an overview over the ethical issues relevant to the assessment, implementation, and use of smart-glasses. The purpose of the overview is to facilitate deliberation, decision making, and the formation of knowledge and norms for this emerging technology. An axiological question-based method for human cognitive enhancement including an extensive literature search on smart-glasses is used to identify relevant ethical issues. The search is supplemented with relevant ethical issues identified in the literature on human cognitive enhancement (in general) and in the study of the technical aspects of smart-glasses. Identified papers were subject to traditional content analysis: 739 references were identified of which 247 were regarded as relevant for full text examinations, and 155 were included in the study. A wide variety of ethical issues with smart-glasses have been identified, such as issues related to privacy, safety, justice, change in human agency, accountability, responsibility, social interaction, power and ideology. Smart-glasses are envisioned to change individual human identity and behavior as well as social interaction. Taking these issues into account appears to be relevant when developing, deliberating, deciding on, implementing, and using smart-glasses.

Upstream/downstream: Issues in environmental ethics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scherer, D.

1991-01-01

Upstream/Downstream reminds us that there are four issues that are more or less distinctive to environmental ethics. First, and most distinctively, environmental issues involve the standing of nonhuman living things and systems. Thus, environmental politics is only partly a clash among the interest of the parties involved; it often involves actions on behalf of the existence rights of nonhuman life forms. Second, environmental ethics concern the intergenerational distribution of benefits more explicitly than do most other ethical issues, which brings out serious weaknesses in legal frameworks that rely on claims for damages. Third, the complexity and indirectness of many environmentalmore » impacts introduces a high degree of uncertainty and thus technical as well as ethical issues of prudent behavior. Specifically, where science may not fully reveal environmental risks, should development proceed; should analysis proceed if it is known to have a Pollyanna bias Fourth, insofar as environmental damage is typically done to common property, and thus its regulation is generally a matter for governmental regulation, the obligations of private actors to make sacrifices beyond what government requires is at issue - an issue that one would expect to be taken up at length in the other volumes.« less

Use patterns among early adopters of adaptive cruise control.

PubMed

Xiong, Huimin; Boyle, Linda Ng; Moeckli, Jane; Dow, Benjamin R; Brown, Timothy L

2012-10-01

The objective of this study was to investigate use patterns among early adopters of adaptive cruise control (ACC). Extended use ofACC may influence a driver's behavior in the long-term, which can have unintended safety consequences. The authors examined the use of a motion-based simulator by 24 participants (15 males and 9 females). Cluster analysis was performed on drivers' use of ACC and was based on their gap settings, speed settings, number of warnings issued, and ACC disengaged. The data were then examined on the basis of driving performance measures and drivers' subjective responses to trust in ACC, understanding of system operations, and driving styles. Driving performance measures included minimum time headway, adjusted minimum time to collision, and drivers' reaction time to critical events. Three groups of drivers were observed on the basis of risky behavior, moderately risky behavior, and conservative behavior. Drivers in the conservative group stayed farther behind the lead vehicle than did drivers in the other two groups. Risky drivers responded later to critical events and had more ACC warnings issued. Safety consequences with ACC may be more prevalent in some driver groups than others. The findings suggest that these safety implications are related to trust in automation, driving styles, understanding of system operations, and personalities. Potential applications of this research include enhanced design for next-generation ACC systems and countermeasures to improve safe driving with ACC.

Bayesian latent structure modeling of walking behavior in a physical activity intervention

PubMed Central

Lawson, Andrew B; Ellerbe, Caitlyn; Carroll, Rachel; Alia, Kassandra; Coulon, Sandra; Wilson, Dawn K; VanHorn, M Lee; St George, Sara M

2017-01-01

The analysis of walking behavior in a physical activity intervention is considered. A Bayesian latent structure modeling approach is proposed whereby the ability and willingness of participants is modeled via latent effects. The dropout process is jointly modeled via a linked survival model. Computational issues are addressed via posterior sampling and a simulated evaluation of the longitudinal model’s ability to recover latent structure and predictor effects is considered. We evaluate the effect of a variety of socio-psychological and spatial neighborhood predictors on the propensity to walk and the estimation of latent ability and willingness in the full study. PMID:24741000

Changes in behavior as side effects in methylphenidate treatment: review of the literature

PubMed Central

Konrad-Bindl, Doris Susanne; Gresser, Ursula; Richartz, Barbara Maria

2016-01-01

Background Our review of the scientific literature focused on an analysis of studies describing instances of methylphenidate treatment leading (or not) to behavioral changes in the pediatric, adolescent, and adult populations. Materials and methods We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Medline, and Google using the keywords “methylphenidate”, “behavioral changes”, “adverse effects”, and “side effects”. A total of 44 studies were identified as reporting on the effects and adverse effects of methylphenidate administration, and were included in the analysis. Results Five studies specifically set out to study, record, and discuss changes in behavior. Eight studies did not set out to study behavioral effects, but record and discuss them. A total of 28 studies recorded behavioral effects, but failed to discuss these further. Three studies did not include behavioral effects. Conclusion This review records what data have been published in respect of changes in behavior in association with the use of methylphenidate. While there is some evidence to suggest that methylphenidate causes changes in behavior, the majority of the studies reviewed paid little or no attention to this issue. Based on the available data, it is impossible to determine the point at which such behavioral effects occur. The frequency of occurrence of behavioral effects is also impossible to determine with certainty. Based on the available data, it is not possible to rule out whether behavioral effects may persist or not persist once treatment is discontinued. In conclusion, despite countless publications and extensive administration, especially to children, we have insufficient data to judge the long-term effects and risks of methylphenidate taking. PMID:27789952

Consideration of Dynamical Balances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Errico, Ronald M.

2015-01-01

The quasi-balance of extra-tropical tropospheric dynamics is a fundamental aspect of nature. If an atmospheric analysis does not reflect such balance sufficiently well, the subsequent forecast will exhibit unrealistic behavior associated with spurious fast-propagating gravity waves. Even if these eventually damp, they can create poor background fields for a subsequent analysis or interact with moist physics to create spurious precipitation. The nature of this problem will be described along with the reasons for atmospheric balance and techniques for mitigating imbalances. Attention will be focused on fundamental issues rather than on recipes for various techniques.

Learning from the community to improve maternal-child health and nutrition: the Positive Deviance/Hearth approach.

PubMed

Schooley, Janine; Morales, Linda

2007-01-01

The "traditional" use of the Positive Deviance approach to behavior change involves studying children who thrive despite adversity, identifying uncommon model behaviors among Positive Deviant families, and then designing and implementing an intervention to replicate these behaviors among mothers of malnourished children. This article presents the results of a literature review designed to gather information on the role of the Positive Deviance/Hearth methodology in social and behavior change. Examples of how the methodology has been applied beyond infant and child malnutrition to address other health areas, such as improving pregnancy outcomes, are explored. An analysis of Positive Deviance programming being carried out by Project Concern International in Guatemala and Indonesia is conducted. The role of cultural context in the design and implementation of Positive Deviance/Hearth, as well as the role of Positive Deviance in affecting social and behavior change, require further exploration. The issues related to cultural context and the challenges for monitoring and evaluation of program outcomes are presented.

Factors influencing private and public environmental protection behaviors: results from a survey of residents in Shaanxi, China.

PubMed

Feng, Wang; Reisner, Ann

2011-03-01

Currently one of the largest and most rapidly developing countries, China also has some of the world's most severe environmental problems. China will most likely need to use all of the potential major strategies currently available to solve the country's huge environmental challenges, including promoting individual conservation behavior through educational campaigns and encouraging public environmental advocacy. This paper summarized the findings of a survey of 347 residents of Shaanxi province on environmental attitudes and behaviors. The survey found generally high levels of environmental knowledge and high recognition of the seriousness of environmental issues, moderate levels of individual actions supporting environmental resource conservation and low levels of public environmental behaviors, particularly for organized public advocacy. Further analysis indicated that the perceived importance of environmental protection is the most important factor influencing individual environmental resource conservation, but not public advocacy behaviors. Implications for environmental campaigns are discussed. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting ethical behavior in pediatric occupational therapy: A qualitative study

PubMed Central

Kalantari, Minoo; Kamali, Mohammad; Joolaee, Soodabeh; Shafarodi, Narges; Rassafiani, Mehdi

2015-01-01

Background: It is the responsibility of each occupational therapist to always act ethically and professionally in a clinical setting. However, there is little information available concerning the factors influencing ethical behavior of occupational therapists at work. Since no study has been conducted in Iran on this topic, this qualitative study aimed to identify the factors influencing ethical behavior of pediatric occupational therapists. Methods: Twelve pediatric occupational therapists participated in this study. The sampling was purposeful, and the interviews continued until reaching data saturation. All interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis, and the ethics of qualitative research was considered. Results: The factors influencing ethical behavior were classified into four main categories including organizational factors, therapist related factors, client’s family issues, and social factors. Conclusion: This study identified numerous factors influencing the ethical behavior of pediatric occupational therapists that could be used to train occupational therapists, human resources managers, professional policy makers, and could also be used to conduct future researches, and produce tools. PMID:26913245

The relationship between gaming disorder and addiction requires a behavioral analysis

PubMed Central

James, Richard J. E.; Tunney, Richard J.

2017-01-01

In their position paper, Aarseth et al. (2016) bring to light several timely issues concerning the categorization of gaming disorder as a form of addiction and as a discrete mental disorder. In our commentary, we welcome their caution toward this move and their discussion of the equivocal scientific data in its support and the potential negative consequences for gamers. We suggest that a more heterogeneous approach is required for understanding any behavioral addiction, as concepts from gambling appear to be more relevant for aspects of mobile gaming than for video games more generally. In addition to a greater need for clinical research, we argue that studying gaming at a different level of analysis than the epidemiological study is required to gain a meaningful understanding of the harm video games may or may not entail. PMID:28816498

Responding to the mental health and substance abuse needs of youth in the juvenile justice system: Ohio's Behavioral Health/Juvenile Justice Initiative.

PubMed

Kretschmar, Jeff M; Butcher, Fredrick; Kanary, Patrick J; Devens, Rebecca

2015-11-01

Nearly half a million inmates with mental health issues are housed in our country’s jails and prisons. The majority of juvenile justice-involved (JJI) youth have a history of behavioral health (mental health or substance use) problems. Multiple studies estimate that between 65% to 75% of juvenile justice-involved youth have at least one behavioral health disorder, and 20% to 30% report suffering from a serious behavioral disorder. With so many juveniles with behavioral health issues entering a system that was not designed to provide comprehensive treatment, communities are reevaluating their approach to juvenile justice. This article describes the origins and the results of Ohio’s Behavioral Health Juvenile Justice Initiative (BHJJ), a diversion program for juvenile justice-involved youth with behavioral health issues. The authors also discuss the key components of program success, offer advice to other jurisdictions considering implementing similar programming, and identify ways to take diversion programs to scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Hispanic Behavioral Science Research: Recommendations for Future Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padilla, Amado M.; Lindholm, Kathryn J.

1984-01-01

Presents major developments in Hispanic behavioral science research over the past decade, and provides recommendations for future research, organized into three broad categories: life span issues (childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and elderly, all including some education-related issues), delivery of mental health services, and prevention and…

Service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention in home delivered meals program

PubMed Central

Joung, Hyun-Woo; Yuan, Jingxue Jessica; Huffman, Lynn

2011-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate recipients' perception of service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention in home delivered meals program in the US. Out of 398 questionnaires, 265 (66.6%) were collected, and 209 questionnaires (52.5%) were used for the statistical analysis. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with a maximum likelihood was first conducted to estimate the measurement model by verifying the underlying structure of constructs. The level of internal consistency in each construct was acceptable, with Cronbach's alpha estimates ranging from 0.7 to 0.94. All of the composite reliabilities of the constructs were over the cutoff value of 0.50, ensuring adequate internal consistency of multiple items for each construct. As a second step, a Meals-On-Wheels (MOW) recipient perception model was estimated. The model's fit as indicated by these indexes was satisfactory and path coefficients were analyzed. Two paths between (1) volunteer issues and behavioral intention and (2) responsiveness and behavioral intention were not significant. The path for predicting a positive relationship between food quality and satisfaction was supported. The results show that having high food quality may create recipient satisfaction. The findings suggest that food quality and responsiveness are significant predictors of positive satisfaction. Moreover, satisfied recipients have positive behavioral intention toward MOW programs. PMID:21556231

Service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention in home delivered meals program.

PubMed

Joung, Hyun-Woo; Kim, Hak-Seon; Yuan, Jingxue Jessica; Huffman, Lynn

2011-04-01

This study was conducted to evaluate recipients' perception of service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intention in home delivered meals program in the US. Out of 398 questionnaires, 265 (66.6%) were collected, and 209 questionnaires (52.5%) were used for the statistical analysis. A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) with a maximum likelihood was first conducted to estimate the measurement model by verifying the underlying structure of constructs. The level of internal consistency in each construct was acceptable, with Cronbach's alpha estimates ranging from 0.7 to 0.94. All of the composite reliabilities of the constructs were over the cutoff value of 0.50, ensuring adequate internal consistency of multiple items for each construct. As a second step, a Meals-On-Wheels (MOW) recipient perception model was estimated. The model's fit as indicated by these indexes was satisfactory and path coefficients were analyzed. Two paths between (1) volunteer issues and behavioral intention and (2) responsiveness and behavioral intention were not significant. The path for predicting a positive relationship between food quality and satisfaction was supported. The results show that having high food quality may create recipient satisfaction. The findings suggest that food quality and responsiveness are significant predictors of positive satisfaction. Moreover, satisfied recipients have positive behavioral intention toward MOW programs.

Large Spatial and Temporal Separations of Cause and Effect in Policy Making - Dealing with Non-linear Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCaskill, John

There can be large spatial and temporal separation of cause and effect in policy making. Determining the correct linkage between policy inputs and outcomes can be highly impractical in the complex environments faced by policy makers. In attempting to see and plan for the probable outcomes, standard linear models often overlook, ignore, or are unable to predict catastrophic events that only seem improbable due to the issue of multiple feedback loops. There are several issues with the makeup and behaviors of complex systems that explain the difficulty many mathematical models (factor analysis/structural equation modeling) have in dealing with non-linear effects in complex systems. This chapter highlights those problem issues and offers insights to the usefulness of ABM in dealing with non-linear effects in complex policy making environments.

Effects of Caffeine and Warrior Stress on Behavioral : An Animal Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-14

contributes invaluably to ethical and humane research. A special thank you to Erin Barry for providing statistical expertise and methodological support...of behavioral health in rats. Several ethical and logistical issues prevent the use of humans in true controlled experiments that manipulate stress...play in the development or maintenance of behavioral problems. There are ethical issues associated with exposing humans to high caffeine doses and

Low-income children's reported motivators of and barriers to healthy eating behaviors: a focus group study.

PubMed

Kaye, Lillian B; Tucker, Carolyn M; Bragg, Marie A; Estampador, Angela C

2011-01-01

Despite national attention to the childhood obesity epidemic, there are few US-based studies that directly ask children--especially children from low-income families and from multiple racial/ethnic groups--why they do or do not engage in healthy eating behaviors. The purpose of this study was to identify motivators of and barriers to healthy eating behaviors, as reported by black, Hispanic, and white children from low-income families. Six gender- and race/ethnicity-concordant focus groups were conducted with 37 children who were aged 9 to 12 years and from families with an annual household income of $40000 or less. Multiple strategies were used to employ a culturally sensitive approach to both data collection and data analysis (eg, a team of culturally diverse researchers utilized inductive qualitative analysis to analyze focus group transcripts). The motivators of and barriers to healthy eating behaviors most commonly reported across the 6 focus groups included social influence, taste, issues of availability, weight concerns, and the desire to be healthy. A variety of less commonly reported motivators and barriers were also discussed. Findings were generally similar across gender and race/ethnicity. Children in this age range can indeed identify a variety of motivators and barriers that influence their engagement in healthy eating behaviors. Interventions targeting obesity and eating behaviors should include an assessment of children's own perceived motivators of and barriers to healthy eating.

Predicting organic food consumption: A meta-analytic structural equation model based on the theory of planned behavior.

PubMed

Scalco, Andrea; Noventa, Stefano; Sartori, Riccardo; Ceschi, Andrea

2017-05-01

During the last decade, the purchase of organic food within a sustainable consumption context has gained momentum. Consequently, the amount of research in the field has increased, leading in some cases to discrepancies regarding both methods and results. The present review examines those works that applied the theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991) as a theoretical framework in order to understand and predict consumers' motivation to buy organic food. A meta-analysis has been conducted to assess the strength of the relationships between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention, as well as between intention and behavior. Results confirm the major role played by individual attitude in shaping buying intention, followed by subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Intention-behavior shows a large effect size, few studies however explicitly reported such an association. Furthermore, starting from a pooled correlation matrix, a meta-analytic structural equation model has been applied to jointly evaluate the strength of the relationships among the factors of the original model. Results suggest the robustness of the TPB model. In addition, mediation analysis indicates a potential direct effect from subjective norms to individual attitude in the present context. Finally, some issues regarding methodological aspects of the application of the TPB within the context of organic food are discussed for further research developments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Communicating ALS to the public: The message effectiveness of social-media-based health campaign.

PubMed

Wen, Jing Taylor; Wu, Linwan

2018-01-01

Celebrity endorsement has been proved to be a very powerful tool in health campaigns. This study examined how celebrity-issue matchup presented in utilitarian and hedonic appeals influences attitude toward the video, perceived issue severity, and behavioral intentions in the context of ALS communication. The findings showed that celebrity-issue matchup condition outperformed nonmatchup condition in generating positive attitude and behavioral intentions. The results also indicated that utilitarian appeal with matchup condition triggered significantly greater behavioral intention than that with nonmatchup condition. However, no difference was found in hedonic appeal between matchup and nonmatchup conditions. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

Health Behaviors and Quality of Life Among Colorectal Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Rohan, Elizabeth A.; Townsend, Julie S.; Fairley, Temeika L.; Stewart, Sherri L.

2015-01-01

Purpose To examine, at the population level, health behaviors, comorbidities, and health-related quality of life among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors compared with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. Methods We used data from the 2009 and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System cancer survivor modules. We calculated descriptive statistics, conducted chi-square tests for comparisons, and used multivariable logistic regression analysis to compare CRC survivors with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. Results Of the 52,788 cancer survivors included in this analysis, 4001 reported being CRC survivors. When compared with other cancer survivors, CRC survivors reported higher percentages of obesity and lack of physical activity; however, they had lower levels of current smoking. Adjusted results show that CRC survivors were significantly more likely to report lack of physical activity, fair/poor health, and other chronic health conditions compared with persons without a cancer diagnosis. Conversely, CRC survivors reported lower levels of current smoking than persons without cancer. Conclusions CRC survivors have a higher proportion of heath conditions and behaviors that may significantly increase their risks for recurrence or development of a second cancer. Targeted interventions to address these health issues should be considered. PMID:25736006

Health behaviors and quality of life among colorectal cancer survivors.

PubMed

Rohan, Elizabeth A; Townsend, Julie S; Fairley, Temeika L; Stewart, Sherri L

2015-03-01

To examine, at the population level, health behaviors, comorbidities, and health-related quality of life among colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors compared with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. We used data from the 2009 and 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System cancer survivor modules. We calculated descriptive statistics, conducted chi-square tests for comparisons, and used multivariable logistic regression analysis to compare CRC survivors with other cancer survivors and persons without cancer. Of the 52,788 cancer survivors included in this analysis, 4001 reported being CRC survivors. When compared with other cancer survivors, CRC survivors reported higher percentages of obesity and lack of physical activity; however, they had lower levels of current smoking. Adjusted results show that CRC survivors were significantly more likely to report lack of physical activity, fair/poor health, and other chronic health conditions compared with persons without a cancer diagnosis. Conversely, CRC survivors reported lower levels of current smoking than persons without cancer. CRC survivors have a higher proportion of heath conditions and behaviors that may significantly increase their risks for recurrence or development of a second cancer. Targeted interventions to address these health issues should be considered. Copyright © 2015 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Appealing to fear: A Meta-Analysis of Fear Appeal Effectiveness and Theories

PubMed Central

Tannenbaum, Melanie B.; Hepler, Justin; Zimmerman, Rick S.; Saul, Lindsey; Jacobs, Samantha; Wilson, Kristina; Albarracin, Dolores

2018-01-01

Fear appeals are a polarizing issue, with proponents confident in their efficacy and opponents confident that they backfire. We present the results of a comprehensive meta-analysis investigating fear appeals’ effectiveness for influencing attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. We tested predictions from a large number of theories, the majority of which have never been tested meta-analytically until now. Studies were included if they contained a treatment group exposed to a fear appeal, a valid comparison group, a manipulation of depicted fear, a measure of attitudes, intentions, or behaviors concerning the targeted risk or recommended solution, and adequate statistics to calculate effect sizes. The meta-analysis included 127 papers (9% unpublished) yielding 248 independent samples (NTotal = 27,372) collected from diverse populations. Results showed a positive effect of fear appeals on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors, with the average effect on a composite index being random-effects d¯ = 0.29. Moderation analyses based on prominent fear appeal theories showed that the effectiveness of fear appeals increased when the message included efficacy statements, depicted high susceptibility and severity, recommended one-time only (vs. repeated) behaviors, and targeted audiences that included a larger percentage of female message recipients. Overall, we conclude that (a) fear appeals are effective at positively influencing attitude, intentions, and behaviors, (b) there are very few circumstances under which they are not effective, and (c) there are no identified circumstances under which they backfire and lead to undesirable outcomes. PMID:26501228

Appealing to fear: A meta-analysis of fear appeal effectiveness and theories.

PubMed

Tannenbaum, Melanie B; Hepler, Justin; Zimmerman, Rick S; Saul, Lindsey; Jacobs, Samantha; Wilson, Kristina; Albarracín, Dolores

2015-11-01

Fear appeals are a polarizing issue, with proponents confident in their efficacy and opponents confident that they backfire. We present the results of a comprehensive meta-analysis investigating fear appeals' effectiveness for influencing attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. We tested predictions from a large number of theories, the majority of which have never been tested meta-analytically until now. Studies were included if they contained a treatment group exposed to a fear appeal, a valid comparison group, a manipulation of depicted fear, a measure of attitudes, intentions, or behaviors concerning the targeted risk or recommended solution, and adequate statistics to calculate effect sizes. The meta-analysis included 127 articles (9% unpublished) yielding 248 independent samples (NTotal = 27,372) collected from diverse populations. Results showed a positive effect of fear appeals on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors, with the average effect on a composite index being random-effects d = 0.29. Moderation analyses based on prominent fear appeal theories showed that the effectiveness of fear appeals increased when the message included efficacy statements, depicted high susceptibility and severity, recommended one-time only (vs. repeated) behaviors, and targeted audiences that included a larger percentage of female message recipients. Overall, we conclude that (a) fear appeals are effective at positively influencing attitude, intentions, and behaviors; (b) there are very few circumstances under which they are not effective; and (c) there are no identified circumstances under which they backfire and lead to undesirable outcomes. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Dynamic Modeling of ALS Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry

2002-01-01

The purpose of dynamic modeling and simulation of Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems is to help design them. Static steady state systems analysis provides basic information and is necessary to guide dynamic modeling, but static analysis is not sufficient to design and compare systems. ALS systems must respond to external input variations and internal off-nominal behavior. Buffer sizing, resupply scheduling, failure response, and control system design are aspects of dynamic system design. We develop two dynamic mass flow models and use them in simulations to evaluate systems issues, optimize designs, and make system design trades. One model is of nitrogen leakage in the space station, the other is of a waste processor failure in a regenerative life support system. Most systems analyses are concerned with optimizing the cost/benefit of a system at its nominal steady-state operating point. ALS analysis must go beyond the static steady state to include dynamic system design. All life support systems exhibit behavior that varies over time. ALS systems must respond to equipment operating cycles, repair schedules, and occasional off-nominal behavior or malfunctions. Biological components, such as bioreactors, composters, and food plant growth chambers, usually have operating cycles or other complex time behavior. Buffer sizes, material stocks, and resupply rates determine dynamic system behavior and directly affect system mass and cost. Dynamic simulation is needed to avoid the extremes of costly over-design of buffers and material reserves or system failure due to insufficient buffers and lack of stored material.

Student Discipline Intervention Strategies: A Case Study of Two Institutions' Processes Utilized to Resolve Misconduct of Students Who Concomitantly Experience a Mental Health Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickstein, Gary G.

2011-01-01

This study contributes to the research regarding processes and procedures utilized by two institutions of higher education to respond to students who participate in inappropriate behavior and who are concomitantly experiencing a mental health crisis. A case study analysis of two institutions of higher education was used to examine this issue. The…

Issue Paper on Physiological and Behavioral Changes in Pregnant and Lactating Women and Available Exposure Factors

EPA Science Inventory

This issue paper provides a summary of information from the published literature related to behavioral and physiological changes during pregnancy and lactation that may affect women’s exposure or susceptibility to environmental contaminants, provides potentially useful exposur...

Interpretive repertoires as mirrors on society and as tools for action: reflections on Zeyer and Roth's A mirror of society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milne, Catherine

2009-12-01

I respond to Zeyer and Roth's (Cultural Studies of Science Education, 2009) paper on their use of interpretive repertoire analysis to explicate Swiss middle school students' dialogic responses to environmental issues. I focus on the strategy of interpretive repertoire analysis, making sense of the stance Zeyer and Roth take with this analysis by synthesizing their argument and comparing their analysis with other researchers that have also used this analytic tool. Interpretive repertoires are discourse resources, including mores, tropes, and metaphors that can be evoked by speakers in support of a tenuous claim. So interpretive repertoires have rhetorical character and function. Interpretive repertoire analysis requires looking for patterns in the contradictions in the speech of a collective of participants that can be codified as interpretive repertoires. Interpretive repertoires provide insight into macro-structures that frame, and are used to justify participants' behavior. My response to Zeyer and Roth's argument might also be thought to be contradictory but I think defensible. In this paper, I outline why I am excited by the possibilities I can image for this type of analysis in areas of science education research. However, I also felt the need to identify possible limitations of Zeyer and Roth's exclusive focus on environmental issues to the neglect of other issues, such as those associated with gender, embedded in participants' discourse. I argue that a critical and historical focus, in conjunction with interpretive repertoire analysis, offer a rich strategy for analysis in science education research, especially in the study of macrostructures, such as gender, race, identity and power.

Impact of small groups with heterogeneous preference on behavioral evolution in population evacuation.

PubMed

Wang, Tao; Huang, Keke; Wang, Zhen; Zheng, Xiaoping

2015-01-01

Up to now, there have been a great number of mechanisms to explain the individual behavior and population traits, which seem of particular significance in evolutionary biology and social behavior analysis. Among them, small groups and heterogeneity are two useful frameworks to the above issue. However, vast majority of existing works separately consider both scenarios, which is inconsistent with realistic cases in our life. Here we propose the evolutionary games of heterogeneous small groups (namely, different small groups possess different preferences to dilemma) to study the collective behavior in population evacuation. Importantly, players usually face completely different dilemmas inside and outside the small groups. By means of numerous computation simulations, it is unveiled that the ratio of players in one certain small group directly decides the final behavior of the whole population. Moreover, it can also be concluded that heterogeneous degree of preference for different small groups plays a key role in the behavior traits of the system, which may validate some realistic social observations. The proposed framework is thus universally applicable and may shed new light into the solution of social dilemmas.

Sexual Behaviors of US Women at Risk of HIV Acquisition: A Longitudinal Analysis of Findings from HPTN 064.

PubMed

Justman, J; Befus, M; Hughes, J; Wang, J; Golin, C E; Adimora, A A; Kuo, I; Haley, D F; Del Rio, C; El-Sadr, W M; Rompalo, A; Mannheimer, S; Soto-Torres, L; Hodder, S

2015-07-01

We describe the sexual behaviors of women at elevated risk of HIV acquisition who reside in areas of high HIV prevalence and poverty in the US. Participants in HPTN 064, a prospective HIV incidence study, provided information about individual sexual behaviors and male sexual partners in the past 6 months at baseline, 6- and 12-months. Independent predictors of consistent or increased temporal patterns for three high-risk sexual behaviors were assessed separately: exchange sex, unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) and concurrent partnerships. The baseline prevalence of each behavior was >30 % among the 2,099 participants, 88 % reported partner(s) with >1 HIV risk characteristic and both individual and partner risk characteristics decreased over time. Less than high school education and food insecurity predicted consistent/increased engagement in exchange sex and UAI, and partner's concurrency predicted participant concurrency. Our results demonstrate how interpersonal and social factors may influence sustained high-risk behavior by individuals and suggest that further study of the economic issues related to HIV risk could inform future prevention interventions.

Life Prediction Issues in Thermal/Environmental Barrier Coatings in Ceramic Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, Ashwin R.; Brewer, David N.; Murthy, Pappu L. N.

2001-01-01

Issues and design requirements for the environmental barrier coating (EBC)/thermal barrier coating (TBC) life that are general and those specific to the NASA Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) development program have been described. The current state and trend of the research, methods in vogue related to the failure analysis, and long-term behavior and life prediction of EBCITBC systems are reported. Also, the perceived failure mechanisms, variables, and related uncertainties governing the EBCITBC system life are summarized. A combined heat transfer and structural analysis approach based on the oxidation kinetics using the Arrhenius theory is proposed to develop a life prediction model for the EBC/TBC systems. Stochastic process-based reliability approach that includes the physical variables such as gas pressure, temperature, velocity, moisture content, crack density, oxygen content, etc., is suggested. Benefits of the reliability-based approach are also discussed in the report.

Intimate partner violence and health provider training and screening in the news.

PubMed

Manganello, Jennifer A; Webster, Daniel; Campbell, Jacquelyn C

2006-01-01

Intimate partner violence is a significant women's health issue. Since the news media can play a role in policy development, it is important to understand how newspapers have portrayed training and screening. The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency and nature of print news coverage of health issues related to partner violence, specifically, provider training and screening by health providers. We conducted a content analysis on articles obtained from major city and state capital daily newspapers from 20 states. News articles and editorials mentioning intimate partner violence and provider training and screening were examined for the years 1994 through 2001 (N = 188). Results showed that print news coverage was limited and received low levels of attention, indicating little potential to influence either policy or individual behavior. However, when the issue was covered, little debate or controversy was present, and a broad discussion of the issue was generally provided. News coverage of training and screening could be improved by increasing dissemination of research results, illustrating the policy implications of these issues, and offering resource information to women experiencing violence.

Behavioral and Organizational Issues of Office Automation Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regan, Elizabeth A.

1984-01-01

This study addressed behavioral and organizational issues related to office automation technology. Data from a national sample of 383 organizations were analyzed to determine if the manner in which organizations designed and managed office support made a difference in the job satisfaction and productivity of support personnel. Research…

Adolescent Health Issues: State Actions 1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savage, Melissa Hough; Ourada, Joanne

Many adolescents need basic health care and other services that address risky behaviors such as sexual activity, violence, alcohol and other drug abuse, and the consequences of those behaviors. This publication summarizes approximately 250 laws and resolutions concerning adolescent health and related issues passed by the 50 states and the District…

Adolescent Health Issues: State Actions 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kendell, Nicole

Many adolescents need basic health care and other services that address risky behaviors such as sexual activity, violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and the consequences of these behaviors. This publication summarizes laws and resolutions on adolescent health issues passed in 1997 state and territory legislative sessions. No 1997 legislative session…

Family Connections: Addressing Behavior Issues--Practical Tips for Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaCaze, Donna; Kirylo, James D.

2012-01-01

When parents get together, the subject of appropriately addressing the behavior of their children often comes to the forefront of conversations. Parents share various challenges they face with their children, including issues associated with listening, eating vegetables, doing chores, and a host of other discipline-related situations. The plethora…

Mental Health Issues and Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLoach, Kendra P.; Dvorsky, Melissa; Miller, Elaine; Paget, Michael

2012-01-01

Students with emotional and behavioral challenges are significantly impacted by mental health issues. Teachers and other school staff need mental health knowledge to work more effectively with these students. Collaboration with mental health professionals and sharing of information is essential. [For complete volume, see ED539318.

Positive Behavior Support for Students with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Janet

2011-01-01

Due to atypical neurological development, students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are affected by a range of issues on a daily basis--physical pain, confusion about requests, difficulty communicating wants and needs, and sensory issues--that might trigger behavior that interferes with teaching and learning. In addition, students on the autism…

The challenges for scientific publishing, 60 years on.

PubMed

Hausmann, Laura; Murphy, Sean P

2016-10-01

The most obvious difference in science publishing between 'then' and 'now' is the dramatic change in the communication of data and in their interpretation. The democratization of science via the Internet has brought not only benefits but also challenges to publishing including fraudulent behavior and plagiarism, data and statistics reporting standards, authorship confirmation and other issues which affect authors, readers, and publishers in different ways. The wide accessibility of data on a global scale permits acquisition and meta-analysis to mine for novel synergies, and has created a highly commercialized environment. As we illustrate here, identifying unacceptable practices leads to changes in the standards for data reporting. In the past decades, science publishing underwent dramatic changes in the communication of data and in their interpretation, in the increasing pressure and commercialization, and the democratization of science on a global scale via the Internet. This article reviews the benefits and challenges to publishing including fraudulent behavior and plagiarism, data and statistics reporting standards, authorship confirmation and other issues, with the aim to provide readers with practical examples and hands-on guidelines. As we illustrate here, identifying unacceptable practices leads to changes in the standards for data reporting. This article is part of the 60th Anniversary special issue. © 2016 International Society for Neurochemistry.

The Necessity of "Behaviorism."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoenfeld, William N.

1993-01-01

Discusses the theory of behaviorism from a psychological perspective. Three issues are addressed: (1) the datum, including human verbal behavior; (2) the behavior stream; and (3) reduction, including a scientific viewpoint. (Contains two references.) (LRW)

Homework setting in cognitive behavioral therapy: A study of discursive strategies.

PubMed

Beckwith, Andrew; Crichton, Jonathan

2014-01-01

In recent years cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form ofpsychotherapy, has risen to prominence due to a large number of studies attesting to its efficacy. A crucial part of the model of CBT is the use of the therapeutic strategy, homework, in which the client undertakes therapeutic tasks between sessions. The focus of this study is on how homework is implemented in sessions of CBT. This is undertaken through an analysis utilizing theme-orientated discourse analysis of video recorded sessions of CBT of one therapist and a client. Through tracking the focal theme of homework, the analysis focuses on homework as a face-threatening act (Brown and Levinson 1987) and how discursive strategies are employed to manage this issue. Other analytic themes include the use of frames (Goffman 1974) and constructed dialogue (Tannen 2007). It is the expertise of the therapist in putting into practice the therapeutic task of homework that is the subject of this study.

Identifying effective factors on consumers' choice behavior toward green products: the case of Tehran, the capital of Iran.

PubMed

Rahnama, Hassan; Rajabpour, Shayan

2017-01-01

The environment is increasingly turning to a vital and very important issue for all people. By increasing environmental concerns as well as legislating and regulating rules on the protection of the environment and the emergence of green consumers, implementing green marketing approach for organizations seems to be more crucial and essential. As a result, the need for ecological products and green business activities compels companies to combine environmental issues with marketing strategies. The first step in the success of companies and organizations is to identify consumers and their consumption behaviors correctly and accurately. So, the purpose of this study is to identify effective factors for the choice of consumers of green products. We used consumption values (functional value, social value, emotional value, conditional value, epistemic value, and environmental value) as the effective factor for choosing green products. The original place of this research was in Tehran, capital city of Iran, which is one of the most polluted cities in the world due to environmental issues. The results from the survey questionnaires are analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results indicated that functional value-price, functional value-quality, social value, epistemic value, and environmental value had significantly positive effects on the choice of green products; also, conditional value and emotional value had no influence on it. It was concluded that the main influential factors for consumers' choice behavior regarding green products included environmental value and epistemic value. This study emphasized the proper pricing of green products by producers and sellers.

[Adolescence, sexual behavior and risk factors to health].

PubMed

Assis, Simone Gonçalves de; Gomes, Romeu; Pires, Thiago de Oliveira

2014-02-01

To analyze the relationships between sexual behavior and risk factors to physical and mental health in adolescents. Study of 3,195 pupils aged 15 to 19 in secondary education, in public and private schools in 10 state capitals in Brazil between 2007 and 2008. Multi-stage (schools and pupils) cluster sampling was used in each city and public and private educational network. All of the students selected completed a questionnaire on the following items: socioeconomic and demographic data; sexual behavior; having sex with those of the same sex, the opposite sex, or both; alcohol and cannabis use; using condoms; traumatic sexual experiences as a child or adolescent; suicidal thoughts. The analysis included describing frequencies, Chi-square test, analysis of multiple and cluster correspondence. Responses to an open ended question in which the adolescent expressed general comments about themselves and their lives were qualitatively analyzed using content analysis. Around 3.0% of adolescents reported homosexual or bisexual behavior, with no difference according to sex, age, skin color, social status family structure or educational network. Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior, compared to their heterosexual peers, reported: (p < 0.05): getting drunk (18.7% and 10.5%, respectively), frequent cannabis use (6.1% and 2.1%, respectively), suicidal thoughts (42.5% and 18.7%, respectively), and having been the victim of sexual violence (11.7% and 1.5%; respectively). Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior reported that they used condoms less frequently (74.2%) than their heterosexual peers (48.6%, p < 0.001). In the correspondence analysis, three groups were found, one composed of adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior and experiencing risk factors; suffering sexual violence, never using a condom, suicidal thoughts, frequent cannabis use; another composed of occasional cannabis and condom users, who got drunk frequently, and adolescents with heterosexual behavior and none of the risk factors investigated. More of the risk factors were found in adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior compared with those with heterosexual behavior. Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior were more likely to talk about their positive personal experiences and negative relationship experiences that their heterosexual peers, but spoke less about religion. Not only should this issue be studied in more detail, but preventative actions aimed at adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior should be widened.

Adolescence, sexual behavior and risk factors to health

PubMed Central

de Assis, Simone Gonçalves; Gomes, Romeu; Pires, Thiago de Oliveira

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE To analyze the relationships between sexual behavior and risk factors to physical and mental health in adolescents. METHODS Study of 3,195 pupils aged 15 to 19 in secondary education, in public and private schools in 10 state capitals in Brazil between 2007 and 2008. Multi-stage (schools and pupils) cluster sampling was used in each city and public and private educational network. All of the students selected completed a questionnaire on the following items: socioeconomic and demographic data; sexual behavior; having sex with those of the same sex, the opposite sex, or both; alcohol and cannabis use; using condoms; traumatic sexual experiences as a child or adolescent; suicidal thoughts. The analysis included describing frequencies, Chi-square test, analysis of multiple and cluster correspondence. Responses to an open ended question in which the adolescent expressed general comments about themselves and their lives were qualitatively analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS Around 3.0% of adolescents reported homosexual or bisexual behavior, with no difference according to sex, age, skin color, social status family structure or educational network. Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior, compared to their heterosexual peers, reported: (p < 0.05): getting drunk (18.7% and 10.5%, respectively), frequent cannabis use (6.1% and 2.1%, respectively), suicidal thoughts (42.5% and 18.7%, respectively), and having been the victim of sexual violence (11.7% and 1.5%; respectively). Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior reported that they used condoms less frequently (74.2%) than their heterosexual peers (48.6%, p < 0.001). In the correspondence analysis, three groups were found, one composed of adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior and experiencing risk factors; suffering sexual violence, never using a condom, suicidal thoughts, frequent cannabis use; another composed of occasional cannabis and condom users, who got drunk frequently, and adolescents with heterosexual behavior and none of the risk factors investigated. More of the risk factors were found in adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior compared with those with heterosexual behavior. Adolescents with homosexual/bisexual sexual behavior were more likely to talk about their positive personal experiences and negative relationship experiences that their heterosexual peers, but spoke less about religion. CONCLUSIONS Not only should this issue be studied in more detail, but preventative actions aimed at adolescents with homosexual/bisexual behavior should be widened. PMID:24789636

Reflections on societal change, adjustments, and responses.

PubMed

Friedlander, D; Okun, B

2009-04-01

Building on Davis (1963) and subsequent work, we propose a conceptual framework that provides a guide for the organization of empirical demographic research. Our approach is based on the notion that changes in nuptiality, fertility, and migration are not objectives in and of themselves, but means for reducing welfare gaps - defined as the gaps between actual welfare and that which could be attained with altered demographic and/or other behavior. We clarify theoretical issues concerning three levels of analysis. At the highest level, societal change leads to welfare gaps for families and/or individuals. In turn, behavioral adjustments are made to reduce these gaps. Finally, demographic responses at the community level result when large numbers of families and/or individuals adjust behavior in a particular manner. We consider and exemplify relationships among demographic and other responses in historical, agricultural contexts.

Environmental attitudes, knowledge, intentions and behaviors among college students.

PubMed

Levine, Debra Siegel; Strube, Michael J

2012-01-01

College students (N = 90) reported their pro-environment behaviors as well as their pro-environment intentions, their explicit and implicit attitudes about the environment, and their knowledge about environmental issues. Intentions and knowledge significantly and independently predicted behavior. Environmental knowledge was not significantly related to attitudes. Implicit and explicit attitudes were significantly but only moderately related. Only explicit attitudes, however, were strongly related to intentions, and intentions completely mediated the influence of explicit attitudes on behavior. Men were found to be more knowledgeable than women about environmental issues; older students had more favorable implicit and explicit environmental attitudes. This research suggests that knowledge about the environment and explicit attitudes influence behavior through different pathways, which may have implications for interventions seeking to increase environmentally friendly behavior.

Comparison of mosquito control programs in seven urban sites in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.

PubMed

Impoinvil, Daniel E; Ahmad, Sajjad; Troyo, Adriana; Keating, Joseph; Githeko, Andrew K; Mbogo, Charles M; Kibe, Lydiah; Githure, John I; Gad, Adel M; Hassan, Ali N; Orshan, Laor; Warburg, Alon; Calderón-Arguedas, Olger; Sánchez-Loría, Victoria M; Velit-Suarez, Rosanna; Chadee, Dave D; Novak, Robert J; Beier, John C

2007-10-01

Mosquito control programs at seven urban sites in Kenya, Egypt, Israel, Costa Rica, and Trinidad are described and compared. Site-specific urban and disease characteristics, organizational diagrams, and strengths, weaknesses, obstacles and threats (SWOT) analysis tools are used to provide a descriptive assessment of each mosquito control program, and provide a comparison of the factors affecting mosquito abatement. The information for SWOT analysis is collected from surveys, focus-group discussions, and personal communication. SWOT analysis identified various issues affecting the efficiency and sustainability of mosquito control operations. The main outcome of our work was the description and comparison of mosquito control operations within the context of each study site's biological, social, political, management, and economic conditions. The issues identified in this study ranged from lack of inter-sector collaboration to operational issues of mosquito control efforts. A lack of sustainable funding for mosquito control was a common problem for most sites. Many unique problems were also identified, which included lack of mosquito surveillance, lack of law enforcement, and negative consequences of human behavior. Identifying common virtues and shortcomings of mosquito control operations is useful in identifying "best practices" for mosquito control operations, thus leading to better control of mosquito biting and mosquito-borne disease transmission.

Comparison of mosquito control programs in seven urban sites in Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas

PubMed Central

Impoinvil, Daniel E.; Ahmad, Sajjad; Troyo, Adriana; Keating, Joseph; Githeko, Andrew K.; Mbogo, Charles M; Kibe, Lydiah; Githure, John I.; Gad, Adel M.; Hassan, Ali N.; Orshan, Laor; Warburg, Alon; Calderón-Arguedas, Olger; Sánchez-Loría, Victoria M.; Velit-Suarez, Rosanna; Chadee, Dave D.; Novak, Robert J.; Beier, John C.

2007-01-01

Mosquito control programs at seven urban sites in Kenya, Egypt, Israel, Costa Rica, and Trinidad are described and compared. Site-specific urban and disease characteristics, organizational diagrams, and strengths, weaknesses, obstacles and threats (SWOT) analysis tools are used to provide a descriptive assessment of each mosquito control program, and provide a comparison of the factors affecting mosquito abatement. The information for SWOT analysis is collected from surveys, focus group discussions, and personal communication. SWOT analysis identified various issues affecting the efficiency and sustainability of mosquito control operations. The main outcome of our work was the description and comparison of mosquito control operations within the context of each study site’s biological, social, political, management, and economic conditions. The issues identified in this study ranged from lack of inter-sector collaboration to operational issues of mosquito control efforts. A lack of sustainable funding for mosquito control was a common problem for most sites. Many unique problems were also identified, which included lack of mosquito surveillance, lack of law enforcement, and negative consequences of human behavior. Identifying common virtues and shortcomings of mosquito control operations is useful in identifying “best practices” for mosquito control operations, thus leading to better control of mosquito biting and mosquito-borne disease transmission. PMID:17316882

Pitfalls in Persuasion: How Do Users Experience Persuasive Techniques in a Web Service?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Segerståhl, Katarina; Kotro, Tanja; Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila, Kaisa

Persuasive technologies are designed by utilizing a variety of interactive techniques that are believed to promote target behaviors. This paper describes a field study in which the aim was to discover possible pitfalls of persuasion, i.e., situations in which persuasive techniques do not function as expected. The study investigated persuasive functionality of a web service targeting weight loss. A qualitative online questionnaire was distributed through the web service and a total of 291 responses were extracted for interpretative analysis. The Persuasive Systems Design model (PSD) was used for supporting systematic analysis of persuasive functionality. Pitfalls were identified through situations that evoked negative user experiences. The primary pitfalls discovered were associated with manual logging of eating and exercise behaviors, appropriateness of suggestions and source credibility issues related to social facilitation. These pitfalls, when recognized, can be addressed in design by applying functional and facilitative persuasive techniques in meaningful combinations.

Defense Acquisition Research Journal. Volume 21, Number 1, Issue 68

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

Harrison’s game theory model of competition examines the bidding behavior of two equal competitors, but it does not address character- istics that...analysis examines a series of outcomes in both competitive and sole-source acquisition programs, using a statistical model that builds on a game theory ...model- ing, within a game theory framework developed by Todd Harrison, to show that the DoD may actually incur increased costs from competi- tion

Public reproductive health and 'unintended' pregnancies: introducing the construct 'supportability'.

PubMed

Macleod, Catriona Ida

2016-09-01

In this Perspectives paper, I outline the limitations of the concept of 'intentionality' in public reproductive health understandings of pregnancy. 'Intentionality', 'plannedness', 'wantedness' and 'timing' place individual cognitions, psychology and/or behaviors at the center of public health conceptualizations of pregnancies, thereby leaving the underlying social and structural dynamics under-examined. I propose a model that places 'supportability' at the center of thinking about pregnancies and that allows for an analysis of the intersection of individual cognitions, emotions and behavior with micro-level interactive spaces and macro-level issues. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Smallest chimera states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maistrenko, Yuri; Brezetsky, Serhiy; Jaros, Patrycja; Levchenko, Roman; Kapitaniak, Tomasz

2017-01-01

We demonstrate that chimera behavior can be observed in small networks consisting of three identical oscillators, with mutual all-to-all coupling. Three different types of chimeras, characterized by the coexistence of two coherent oscillators and one incoherent oscillator (i.e., rotating with another frequency) have been identified, where the oscillators show periodic (two types) and chaotic (one type) behaviors. Typical bifurcations at the transitions from full synchronization to chimera states and between different types of chimeras have been described. Parameter regions for the chimera states are obtained in the form of Arnold tongues, issued from a singular parameter point. Our analysis suggests that chimera states can be observed in small networks relevant to various real-world systems.

Automatic Classification of Users’ Health Information Need Context: Logistic Regression Analysis of Mouse-Click and Eye-Tracker Data

PubMed Central

Pian, Wenjing; Khoo, Christopher SG

2017-01-01

Background Users searching for health information on the Internet may be searching for their own health issue, searching for someone else’s health issue, or browsing with no particular health issue in mind. Previous research has found that these three categories of users focus on different types of health information. However, most health information websites provide static content for all users. If the three types of user health information need contexts can be identified by the Web application, the search results or information offered to the user can be customized to increase its relevance or usefulness to the user. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of identifying the three user health information contexts (searching for self, searching for others, or browsing with no particular health issue in mind) using just hyperlink clicking behavior; using eye-tracking information; and using a combination of eye-tracking, demographic, and urgency information. Predictive models are developed using multinomial logistic regression. Methods A total of 74 participants (39 females and 35 males) who were mainly staff and students of a university were asked to browse a health discussion forum, Healthboards.com. An eye tracker recorded their examining (eye fixation) and skimming (quick eye movement) behaviors on 2 types of screens: summary result screen displaying a list of post headers, and detailed post screen. The following three types of predictive models were developed using logistic regression analysis: model 1 used only the time spent in scanning the summary result screen and reading the detailed post screen, which can be determined from the user’s mouse clicks; model 2 used the examining and skimming durations on each screen, recorded by an eye tracker; and model 3 added user demographic and urgency information to model 2. Results An analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis found that users’ browsing durations were significantly different for the three health information contexts (P<.001). The logistic regression model 3 was able to predict the user’s type of health information context with a 10-fold cross validation mean accuracy of 84% (62/74), followed by model 2 at 73% (54/74) and model 1 at 71% (52/78). In addition, correlation analysis found that particular browsing durations were highly correlated with users’ age, education level, and the urgency of their information need. Conclusions A user’s type of health information need context (ie, searching for self, for others, or with no health issue in mind) can be identified with reasonable accuracy using just user mouse clicks that can easily be detected by Web applications. Higher accuracy can be obtained using Google glass or future computing devices with eye tracking function. PMID:29269342

Towards Behavioral Reflexion Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackermann, Christopher; Lindvall, Mikael; Cleaveland, Rance

2009-01-01

Software architecture has become essential in the struggle to manage today s increasingly large and complex systems. Software architecture views are created to capture important system characteristics on an abstract and, thus, comprehensible level. As the system is implemented and later maintained, it often deviates from the original design specification. Such deviations can have implication for the quality of the system, such as reliability, security, and maintainability. Software architecture compliance checking approaches, such as the reflexion model technique, have been proposed to address this issue by comparing the implementation to a model of the systems architecture design. However, architecture compliance checking approaches focus solely on structural characteristics and ignore behavioral conformance. This is especially an issue in Systems-of- Systems. Systems-of-Systems (SoS) are decompositions of large systems, into smaller systems for the sake of flexibility. Deviations of the implementation to its behavioral design often reduce the reliability of the entire SoS. An approach is needed that supports the reasoning about behavioral conformance on architecture level. In order to address this issue, we have developed an approach for comparing the implementation of a SoS to an architecture model of its behavioral design. The approach follows the idea of reflexion models and adopts it to support the compliance checking of behaviors. In this paper, we focus on sequencing properties as they play an important role in many SoS. Sequencing deviations potentially have a severe impact on the SoS correctness and qualities. The desired behavioral specification is defined in UML sequence diagram notation and behaviors are extracted from the SoS implementation. The behaviors are then mapped to the model of the desired behavior and the two are compared. Finally, a reflexion model is constructed that shows the deviations between behavioral design and implementation. This paper discusses the approach and shows how it can be applied to investigate reliability issues in SoS.

Understanding Public Engagement in Water Conservation Behaviors and Knowledge of Water Policy: Promising Hints for Extension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Pei-wen; Lamm, Alexa J.

2015-01-01

Sustaining water resources is a primary issue facing Florida Extension. The study reported here identified how experience with water issues and familiarity with water policies affected individuals' engagement in water conservation behaviors. A public opinion survey was conducted online to capture Florida residents' responses. The findings…

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR IN INFANCY--SOME DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES AND PROBLEMS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

RICCIUTI, HENRY N.

INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE NATURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL BEHAVIOR IN HUMAN INFANCY HAVE RAISED MANY RESEARCH ISSUES AND HAVE INDICATED MANY ADDITIONAL AREAS OF INQUIRY. EARLY AND CONTEMPORARY STUDIES HAVE BOTH BEEN CONCERNED WITH PROVIDING MORE PRECISE ANALYSES OF STIMULUS AND SITUATIONAL DETERMINANTS OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL…

Legal Perspectives on Services To Address Child Abuse and Neglect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, David W.

The first and central issue in children's services is the extent to which government may limit or supplant parental action in the control, nurture, and direction of children. Three major governmental approaches include prohibiting behavior; prescribing behavior; and taking direct protective action. There are two legal issues related to prevention…

Teachers Teaching Teachers (T3)[TM]. Volume 4, Number 8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Frank, Valerie, Ed.

2009-01-01

"Teachers Teaching Teachers" ("T3") focuses on coaches' roles in the professional development of teachers. Each issue also explores the challenges and rewards that teacher leaders encounter. This issue includes: (1) Tackling Behavior from All Sides (Valerie von Frank); (2) Tools: Effective Behavior Support Self-Assessment Survey; (3) Lessons from…

Dancing around death: hospitalist-patient communication about serious illness.

PubMed

Anderson, Wendy G; Kools, Susan; Lyndon, Audrey

2013-01-01

Hospital physicians care for most seriously ill patients in the United States. We employed dimensional analysis to describe communication about death and dying in audio-recorded admission encounters between seriously ill patients and hospitalists. Acknowledging or not acknowledging the possibility of dying emerged as a key process. Acknowledgment was rare, and depended on synergistic communication behaviors between patient and physician. Facilitators included patients cuing for information and disclosing emotional distress, and physicians exploring the patient's understanding of his or her illness and emotional distress. When hospitalists focused on acute issues, stated that they were awaiting test results, and deferred to other physicians, discussion moved away from acknowledgment. Meaningful discussion of end-of-life issues, including goals and values, fears about death and dying, prognosis, and options for palliative care followed open acknowledgment. This acknowledgment process can serve as a guide for providers to sensitively and honestly discuss essential end-of-life issues.

Dancing Around Death: Hospitalist-Patient Communication About Serious Illness

PubMed Central

Anderson, Wendy G.; Kools, Susan; Lyndon, Audrey

2012-01-01

Hospital physicians care for most seriously ill patients in the United States. We employed dimensional analysis to describe communication about death and dying in audio-recorded admission encounters between seriously ill patients and hospitalists. Acknowledging or not acknowledging the possibility of dying emerged as a key process. Acknowledgment was rare, and depended on synergistic communication behaviors between patient and physician. Facilitators included patients cuing for information and disclosing emotional distress, and physicians exploring the patient’s understanding of his or her illness and emotional distress. When hospitalists focused on acute issues, stated that they were awaiting test results, and deferred to other physicians, discussion moved away from acknowledgment. Meaningful discussion of end-of-life issues, including goals and values, fears about death and dying, prognosis, and options for palliative care followed open acknowledgment. This acknowledgment process can serve as a guide for providers to sensitively and honestly discuss essential end-of-life issues. PMID:23034778

Ethical issues associated with the use of animal experimentation in behavioral neuroscience research.

PubMed

Ohl, Frauke; Meijboom, Franck

2015-01-01

This chapter briefly explores whether there are distinct characteristics in the field of Behavioral Neuroscience that demand specific ethical reflection. We argue that although the ethical issues in animal-based Behavioral Neuroscience are not necessarily distinct from those in other research disciplines using animal experimentation, this field of endeavor makes a number of specific, ethically relevant, questions more explicit and, as a result, may expose to discussion a series of ethical issues that have relevance beyond this field of science. We suggest that innovative research, by its very definition, demands out-of-the-box thinking. At the same time, standardization of animal models and test procedures for the sake of comparability across experiments inhibits the potential and willingness to leave well-established tracks of thinking, and leaves us wondering how open minded research is and whether it is the researcher's established perspective that drives the research rather than the research that drives the researcher's perspective. The chapter finishes by introducing subsequent chapters of this book volume on Ethical Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience.

Derivative component analysis for mass spectral serum proteomic profiles.

PubMed

Han, Henry

2014-01-01

As a promising way to transform medicine, mass spectrometry based proteomics technologies have seen a great progress in identifying disease biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and prognosis. However, there is a lack of effective feature selection methods that are able to capture essential data behaviors to achieve clinical level disease diagnosis. Moreover, it faces a challenge from data reproducibility, which means that no two independent studies have been found to produce same proteomic patterns. Such reproducibility issue causes the identified biomarker patterns to lose repeatability and prevents it from real clinical usage. In this work, we propose a novel machine-learning algorithm: derivative component analysis (DCA) for high-dimensional mass spectral proteomic profiles. As an implicit feature selection algorithm, derivative component analysis examines input proteomics data in a multi-resolution approach by seeking its derivatives to capture latent data characteristics and conduct de-noising. We further demonstrate DCA's advantages in disease diagnosis by viewing input proteomics data as a profile biomarker via integrating it with support vector machines to tackle the reproducibility issue, besides comparing it with state-of-the-art peers. Our results show that high-dimensional proteomics data are actually linearly separable under proposed derivative component analysis (DCA). As a novel multi-resolution feature selection algorithm, DCA not only overcomes the weakness of the traditional methods in subtle data behavior discovery, but also suggests an effective resolution to overcoming proteomics data's reproducibility problem and provides new techniques and insights in translational bioinformatics and machine learning. The DCA-based profile biomarker diagnosis makes clinical level diagnostic performances reproducible across different proteomic data, which is more robust and systematic than the existing biomarker discovery based diagnosis. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and power of the proposed DCA-based profile biomarker diagnosis in achieving high sensitivity and conquering the data reproducibility issue in serum proteomics. Furthermore, our proposed derivative component analysis suggests the subtle data characteristics gleaning and de-noising are essential in separating true signals from red herrings for high-dimensional proteomic profiles, which can be more important than the conventional feature selection or dimension reduction. In particular, our profile biomarker diagnosis can be generalized to other omics data for derivative component analysis (DCA)'s nature of generic data analysis.

Methodology Series Module 10: Qualitative Health Research

PubMed Central

Setia, Maninder Singh

2017-01-01

Although quantitative designs are commonly used in clinical research, some studies require qualitative methods. These designs are different from quantitative methods; thus, researchers should be aware of data collection methods and analyses for qualitative research. Qualitative methods are particularly useful to understand patient experiences with the treatment or new methods of management or to explore issues in detail. These methods are useful in social and behavioral research. In qualitative research, often, the main focus is to understand the issue in detail rather than generalizability; thus, the sampling methods commonly used are purposive sampling; quota sampling; and snowball sampling (for hard to reach groups). Data can be collected using in-depth interviews (IDIs) or focus group discussions (FGDs). IDI is a one-to-one interview with the participant. FGD is a method of group interview or discussion, in which more than one participant is interviewed at the same time and is usually led by a facilitator. The commonly used methods for data analysis are: thematic analysis; grounded theory analysis; and framework analysis. Qualitative data collection and analysis require special expertise. Hence, if the reader plans to conduct qualitative research, they should team up with a qualitative researcher. PMID:28794545

Methodology Series Module 10: Qualitative Health Research.

PubMed

Setia, Maninder Singh

2017-01-01

Although quantitative designs are commonly used in clinical research, some studies require qualitative methods. These designs are different from quantitative methods; thus, researchers should be aware of data collection methods and analyses for qualitative research. Qualitative methods are particularly useful to understand patient experiences with the treatment or new methods of management or to explore issues in detail. These methods are useful in social and behavioral research. In qualitative research, often, the main focus is to understand the issue in detail rather than generalizability; thus, the sampling methods commonly used are purposive sampling; quota sampling; and snowball sampling (for hard to reach groups). Data can be collected using in-depth interviews (IDIs) or focus group discussions (FGDs). IDI is a one-to-one interview with the participant. FGD is a method of group interview or discussion, in which more than one participant is interviewed at the same time and is usually led by a facilitator. The commonly used methods for data analysis are: thematic analysis; grounded theory analysis; and framework analysis. Qualitative data collection and analysis require special expertise. Hence, if the reader plans to conduct qualitative research, they should team up with a qualitative researcher.

Parent-Adolescent Sexual Communication and Adolescent Safer Sex Behavior: A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Widman, Laura; Choukas-Bradley, Sophia; Noar, Seth M; Nesi, Jacqueline; Garrett, Kyla

2016-01-01

Parent-adolescent sexual communication has received considerable attention as a factor that can positively affect safer sex behavior among youth; however, the evidence linking such communication to youth contraceptive and condom use has not been empirically synthesized. To examine the effect of parent-adolescent sexual communication on safer sex behavior among youth and explore potential moderators of this association. A systematic search of studies published from database inception through June 30, 2014, using the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Communication & Mass Media Complete databases and relevant review articles yielded 5098 studies, of which 52 studies with 25,314 adolescents met the study eligibility criteria. Analysis was conducted from July 1, 2014, to July 27, 2015. Studies were included if they sampled adolescents (mean sample age ≤18 years), included an adolescent report of sexual communication with one or both parents, measured safer sex behavior, and were published in English. Correlation coefficients (r) and 95% CIs were computed from studies and meta-analyzed using random-effects models. Safer sex behavior, including use of contraceptives or condoms. Fifty-two articles, including 71 independent effects representing more than 3 decades of research on 25,314 adolescents (weighted mean age, 15.2 years) were synthesized. Across studies, there was a significant weighted mean effect (r = 0.10; 95% CI, 0.08-0.13) linking parent-adolescent sexual communication with safer sex behavior, which was statistically heterogeneous (Q = 203.50, P < .001, I2 = 65.60). Moderation analyses revealed larger effects for communication with girls (r = 0.12) than boys (r = 0.04) and among youth who discussed sex with their mothers (r = 0.14) compared with their fathers (r = 0.03). Effects did not differ for contraceptive vs condom use or among longitudinal vs cross-sectional studies, indicating that parent sexual communication had a similar effect across study designs and outcomes. Several methodological issues were identified in the literature; future studies can improve on these issues by measuring parent-adolescent communication with robust, multi-item measures, clearly specifying the target parent, and applying multimethod longitudinal designs. Sexual communication with parents, particularly mothers, plays a small protective role in safer sex behavior among adolescents; this protective effect is more pronounced for girls than boys. We discuss the implications for practice and make suggestions for future research on parent-adolescent sexual communication.

Entertainment-education and recruitment of cornea donors: the role of emotion and issue involvement.

PubMed

Bae, Hyuhn-Suhck

2008-01-01

This study examined the role of emotional responses and viewer's level of issue involvement to an entertainment-education show about cornea donation in order to predict intention to register as cornea donors. Results confirmed that sympathy and empathy responses operated as a catalyst for issue involvement, which emerged as an important intermediary in the persuasion process. Issue involvement also was found to be a common causal antecedent of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, the last two of which predict intentions unlike attitude, which does not. The revised path model confirmed that involvement directly influences intention. The findings of this study suggest that adding emotion and involvement in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) enhances the explanatory power of the theory in predicting intentions, which indicates the possibility of combining the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and the TPB in the prediction of human behaviors.

Validation of US3D for Capsule Aerodynamics using 05-CA Wind Tunnel Test Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwing, Alan

2012-01-01

RANS is ill-suited for analysis of these problems. For transonic and supersonic cases, US3D shows fairly good agreement using DES across all cases. Separation prediction and resulting backshell pressure are problems across all portions of this analysis. This becomes more of an issue at lower Mach numbers: .Stagnation pressures not as large - wake and backshell are more significant .Errors on shoulder act on a large area - small discrepancies manifest as large changes Subsonic comparisons are mixed with regard to integrated loads and merit more attention. Dominant unsteady behavior (wake shedding) resolved well, though.

Risk Assessment of Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities Who Exhibit Sexual Behavior Problems or Sexual Offending Behavior.

PubMed

Blasingame, Gerry D

2018-03-30

Adolescents with intellectual disabilities are known to engage in various sexual behavior problems or sexual offending behaviors. This article provides a review of important aspects of risk assessment within the context of a broader, more comprehensive and holistic assessment of these individuals. Pertinent risk and sexual interest assessment tools are identified along with their strengths and limitations. Issues that are often unattended to are addressed, including consideration of the behavioral implications of the young person's diagnosis and level of cognitive functioning, need for sexual knowledge and sexual interest assessment, and issues related to making a mental health diagnosis. Recommendations for future research are also offered.

How does a specific learning and memory system in the mammalian brain gain control of behavior?

PubMed

McDonald, Robert J; Hong, Nancy S

2013-11-01

This review addresses a fundamental, yet poorly understood set of issues in systems neuroscience. The issues revolve around conceptualizations of the organization of learning and memory in the mammalian brain. One intriguing, and somewhat popular, conceptualization is the idea that there are multiple learning and memory systems in the mammalian brain and they interact in different ways to influence and/or control behavior. This approach has generated interesting empirical and theoretical work supporting this view. One issue that needs to be addressed is how these systems influence or gain control of voluntary behavior. To address this issue, we clearly specify what we mean by a learning and memory system. We then review two types of processes that might influence which memory system gains control of behavior. One set of processes are external factors that can affect which system controls behavior in a given situation including task parameters like the kind of information available to the subject, types of training experience, and amount of training. The second set of processes are brain mechanisms that might influence what memory system controls behavior in a given situation including executive functions mediated by the prefrontal cortex; switching mechanisms mediated by ascending neurotransmitter systems, the unique role of the hippocampus during learning. The issue of trait differences in control of different learning and memory systems will also be considered in which trait differences in learning and memory function are thought to potentially emerge from differences in level of prefrontal influence, differences in plasticity processes, differences in ascending neurotransmitter control, differential access to effector systems like motivational and motor systems. Finally, we present scenarios in which different mechanisms might interact. This review was conceived to become a jumping off point for new work directed at understanding these issues. The outcome of this work, in combination with other approaches, might improve understanding of the mechanisms of volition in human and non-human animals. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physicians' adoption of information technology: a consumer behavior approach.

PubMed

Eger, M S; Godkin, R L; Valentine, S R

2001-01-01

Studies report physician resistance to information technology in a time when the practice of medicine could benefit from technological support. Anecdotally, it is suspected that lack of training, discomfort with technological innovations, a perceived shift in the doctor/patient relationship, or medical/legal issues may account for this circumstance. Empirical studies attribute this lag to age, personality factors, behavioral issues, and occupational influences. This paper integrates the information technology and consumer behavior literatures to discuss physicians' acceptance, adoption, and application of IT.

Identification of repellent odorants to the body louse, Pediculus humanus corporis, in clove essential oil.

PubMed

Iwamatsu, Takuma; Miyamoto, Daisuke; Mitsuno, Hidefumi; Yoshioka, Yoshiaki; Fujii, Takeshi; Sakurai, Takeshi; Ishikawa, Yukio; Kanzaki, Ryohei

2016-04-01

The control of body lice is an important issue for human health and welfare because lice act as vectors of disease such as typhus, relapsing fever, and trench fever. Body lice exhibit avoidance behavior to some essential oils, including clove essential oil. Therefore, odorants containing clove essential oil components may potentially be useful in the development of repellents to body lice. However, such odorants that induce avoidance behavior in body lice have not yet been identified from clove essential oil. Here, we established an analysis method to evaluate the avoidance behavior of body lice to specific odorants. The behavioral analysis of the body lice in response to clove essential oil and its constituents revealed that eugenol, a major component of clove essential oil, has strong repellent effect on body lice, whereas the other components failed to induce obvious avoidance behavior. A comparison of the repellent effects of eugenol with those of other structurally related odorants revealed possible moieties that are important for the avoidance effects to body lice. The repellent effect of eugenol to body lice was enhanced by combining it with the other major component of clove essential oil, β-caryophyllene. We conclude that a synthetic blend of eugenol and β-caryophyllene is the most effective repellent to body lice. This finding will be valuable as the potential use of eugenol as body lice repellent.

Workplace Bullying Prevention: A Critical Discourse Analysis

PubMed Central

JOHNSON, Susan L.

2016-01-01

Aim To analyze the discourses of workplace bullying prevention of hospital nursing unit managers and in the official documents of the organizations where they worked. Background Workplace bullying can be a self-perpetuating problem in nursing units. As such, efforts to prevent this behavior may be more effective than efforts to stop the behavior. There is limited research on how healthcare organizations characterize their efforts to prevent workplace bullying. Design This was a qualitative study. Method Critical discourse analysis and Foucault’s writings on governmentality and discipline were used to analyze data from interviews with hospital nursing unit managers (n=15) and organizational documents (n=22). Data were collected in 2012. Findings The discourse of workplace bullying prevention centered around three themes: prevention of workplace bullying through managerial presence, normalizing behaviors and controlling behaviors. All three are individual level discourses of workplace bullying prevention. Conclusion Current research indicates that workplace bullying is a complex issue with antecedents at the individual, departmental and organizational level. However, the discourse of the participants in this study only focused on prevention of bullying by moulding the behaviors of individuals. The effective prevention of workplace bullying will require departmental and organizational initiatives. Leaders in all types of organizations can use the results of this study to examine their organizations’ discourses of workplace bullying prevention to determine where change is needed. PMID:26010268

Economic Recession and Obesity-Related Internet Search Behavior in Taiwan: Analysis of Google Trends Data

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Background Obesity is highly correlated with the development of chronic diseases and has become a critical public health issue that must be countered by aggressive action. This study determined whether data from Google Trends could provide insight into trends in obesity-related search behaviors in Taiwan. Objective Using Google Trends, we examined how changes in economic conditions—using business cycle indicators as a proxy—were associated with people’s internet search behaviors related to obesity awareness, health behaviors, and fast food restaurants. Methods Monthly business cycle indicators were obtained from the Taiwan National Development Council. Weekly Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) weighted index data were accessed and downloaded from Yahoo Finance. The weekly relative search volumes (RSV) of obesity-related terms were downloaded from Google Trends. RSVs of obesity-related terms and the TWSE from January 2007 to December 2011 (60 months) were analyzed using correlation analysis. Results During an economic recession, the RSV of obesity awareness and health behaviors declined (r=.441, P<.001; r=.593, P<.001, respectively); however, the RSV for fast food restaurants increased (r=−.437, P<.001). Findings indicated that when the economy was faltering, people tended to be less likely to search for information related to health behaviors and obesity awareness; moreover, they were more likely to search for fast food restaurants. Conclusions Macroeconomic conditions can have an impact on people’s health-related internet searches. PMID:29625958

Economic Recession and Obesity-Related Internet Search Behavior in Taiwan: Analysis of Google Trends Data.

PubMed

Wang, Ho-Wei; Chen, Duan-Rung

2018-04-06

Obesity is highly correlated with the development of chronic diseases and has become a critical public health issue that must be countered by aggressive action. This study determined whether data from Google Trends could provide insight into trends in obesity-related search behaviors in Taiwan. Using Google Trends, we examined how changes in economic conditions-using business cycle indicators as a proxy-were associated with people's internet search behaviors related to obesity awareness, health behaviors, and fast food restaurants. Monthly business cycle indicators were obtained from the Taiwan National Development Council. Weekly Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) weighted index data were accessed and downloaded from Yahoo Finance. The weekly relative search volumes (RSV) of obesity-related terms were downloaded from Google Trends. RSVs of obesity-related terms and the TWSE from January 2007 to December 2011 (60 months) were analyzed using correlation analysis. During an economic recession, the RSV of obesity awareness and health behaviors declined (r=.441, P<.001; r=.593, P<.001, respectively); however, the RSV for fast food restaurants increased (r=-.437, P<.001). Findings indicated that when the economy was faltering, people tended to be less likely to search for information related to health behaviors and obesity awareness; moreover, they were more likely to search for fast food restaurants. Macroeconomic conditions can have an impact on people's health-related internet searches. ©Ho-Wei Wang, Duan-Rung Chen. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (http://publichealth.jmir.org), 06.04.2018.

Behavioral Issues Associated With Long Duration Space Expeditions: Review and Analysis of Astronaut Journals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Struster, Jack

2010-01-01

Personal journals maintained by NASA astronauts during six-month expeditions onboard the International Space Station were analyzed to obtain information concerning a wide range of behavioral and human factors issues. Astronauts wrote most about their work, followed by outside communications (with mission control, family, and friends), adjustment to the conditions, interactions with crew mates, recreation/leisure, equipment (installation, maintenance), events (launches, docking, hurricanes, etc.), organization/management, sleep, and food. The study found evidence of a decline in morale during the third quarters of the missions and identified key factors that contribute to sustained adjustment and optimal performance during long-duration space expeditions. Astronauts reported that they benefited personally from writing in their journals because it helped maintain perspective on their work and relations with others. Responses to questions asked before, during, and after the expeditions show that living and working onboard the ISS is not as difficult as the astronauts anticipate before starting their six-month tours of duty. Recommendations include application of study results and continuation of the experiment to obtain additional data as crew size increases and operations evolve.

How regular blood donors explain their behavior.

PubMed

Belda Suárez, Isabel Maria; Fernández-Montoya, Antorio; Rodríguez Fernández, Andrés; López-Berrio, Antorio; Cillero-Peñuela, Manuel

2004-10-01

To understand repeated donation, it is crucial to know its meaning. This issue was explored by asking a sample of regular donors to explain why they maintain this behavior. Discourse analysis was conducted in five groups of regular donors, selected according to the setting and number of their donations (from 1990 to 2001), on their motivation, attitudes, commitment to donation, personality, and self-concept. Three discursive positions were distinguished in relation to the different cultural meanings attributed to blood donation. Blood donation was understood in a rational and evaluative manner by the majority but in an emotional, personalized, and stereotyped manner by a minority. Continual donation as a form of help was rationalized as a function of internal and external factors, notably personal convenience in comparison to other helping behaviors and ease of access to collection points. The discourse referents offered to the donor greatly influence the meanings they attribute to their behavior. Some promotional materials should be revised because they may not connect with the reasons for donating that people find most comprehensible.

The effect of parent involvement in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Thulin, Ulrika; Svirsky, Liv; Serlachius, Eva; Andersson, Gerhard; Ost, Lars-Göran

2014-01-01

Among clinicians, it is common practice to include parents in treatment, and it has been taken for granted that parents' involvement in their children's treatment is beneficial for therapy outcome, although research on this issue is far from clear. A meta-analysis was carried out in order to investigate whether parent involvement potentiates the outcome for children with anxiety disorders when treated with cognitive-behavior therapy. Sixteen studies, which directly compared parent-involved treatments with child-only treatments, were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed a small, nonsignificant effect size of - 0.10 in favor of the child-only treatments. There was no indication of publication bias in the analysis. Implications of the results are discussed.

Supporting Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Understanding and Coping with Complex Social Emotional Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahlers, Kaitlyn P.; Gabrielsen, Terisa P.; Lewis, Danielle; Brady, Anna M.; Litchford, April

2017-01-01

Core deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) center around social communication and behavior. For those with ASD, these deficits complicate the task of learning how to cope with and manage complex social emotional issues. Although individuals with ASD may receive sufficient academic and basic behavioral support in school settings, supports for…

Dialectical Behavior Therapy in College Counseling Centers: Current Literature and Implications for Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chugani, Carla D.

2015-01-01

This article examines the topic of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) applied in college counseling centers. Trends in mental health issues on college campuses are briefly reviewed in support of the increased need for evidence-based treatment of severe mental health issues. The article next presents an overview of the standard DBT model and…

Behavioral Disorders: Practice Concerns and Students with EBD. Advances in Special Education. Volume 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakken, Jeffrey P., Ed.; Obiakor, Festus E., Ed.; Rotatori, Anthony F., Ed.

2012-01-01

Volumes 22 and 23 of the "Advances in Special Education" address the current top perspectives and issues in the field of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) by providing chapters written by active researchers and scholarly university professors who specialize in this area. Volume 22 first delineates legal issues, themes, and dimensions…

Analysis of legal and scientific issues in court challenges to graphic tobacco warnings.

PubMed

Kraemer, John D; Baig, Sabeeh A

2013-09-01

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., yet cigarette health warnings in the U.S. are among the weakest in the world. In 2011, the FDA issued regulations mandating that graphic warnings be displayed on every cigarette pack sold in the U.S. Almost immediately, the tobacco industry challenged the warnings on First Amendment grounds. In March 2013, the FDA withdrew the graphic warning mandate, choosing instead to pursue additional research and then issue requirements for a new set of warnings. These warnings almost certainly will be challenged by the tobacco industry. The current paper describes the legal standards that will be used to assess the warnings, and the empirical questions that must be answered in order to determine whether each standard has been met. The paper also identifies errors the FDA could make in choosing images to be evaluated that would cause the images to be unable to meet the standards, regardless of the scientific evidence the FDA can establish. To be on safest ground, the FDA should adopt images that depict factual health consequences of smoking and should avoid images that could be interpreted as opinions. The FDA will have a high likelihood of prevailing in legal challenges to the warnings if there is evidence demonstrating that graphic warnings are necessary to counter past industry deception or that graphic warnings affect smoking behavior better than textual warnings. Even without evidence of the impact of graphic warnings on behavior, strong evidence that they affect behavioral intent, and that intent predicts behavior, should be sufficient for the warnings to be upheld. Alternatively, evidence that graphic warnings lead to more accurate consumer assessment of smoking risks should also be sufficient. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social marketing: an underutilized tool for promoting adolescent health.

PubMed

Bryant, Carol A; Mayer, Alyssa B; McDermott, Robert J; Panzera, Anthony D; Trainor, John K

2011-12-01

Social marketing applies some of the same principles used in commercial marketing for the analysis, planning, execution, and evaluation of programs designed to motivate voluntary behavioral change. It relies on consumer research for understanding the people they hope to change, including their values, aspirations, fears, lifestyle, and factors that motivate and deter them from adopting desired behaviors. Social marketing has been applied in public health settings since the 1980s for promoting such behaviors as safer sex, hypertension and cholesterol control, reduced occurrence of alcohol-impaired driving, improved utilization of public health prevention and screening services, and enactment of better school nutrition policies in schools. Although most evidence for social marketing's utility comes from interventions directed at adult audiences, its application with adolescents may help to address issues that have been challenging or unresponsive to health behavior change specialists. This article describes the basic tenets of social marketing as a behavior change process, identifies its previously successful applications with adolescent audience segments, and offers both lessons learned and projected future applications that employ emerging communication technologies.

Depiction of food as having drug-like properties in televised food advertisements directed at children: portrayals as pleasure enhancing and addictive.

PubMed

Page, Randy M; Brewster, Aaron

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine food commercials airing during children's TV programming for portrayals of behaviors associated with substance use, violence, disrespect, and stealing. It was hypothesized that these behaviors would be present and would be more frequent in commercials advertising specific products (e.g., ready-to-eat cereals) than for those advertising restaurants (e.g., fast food). A content analysis of 147 food commercials televised during children's TV programming on U.S. broadcast networks examined commercials for behaviors associated with substance use behavior, physical violence, and other problematic behaviors for children. Commercials contained depictions of exaggerated pleasure sensation and dependency/addiction, portrayals of physical violence, trickery, thievery/stealing, fighting and taking extreme measures to obtain a food, and treating adults with disrespect. More portrayals appeared in commercials for high-sugar cereals than in those for fast-food restaurants. Findings raise concern about the presence of this content in televised food advertisements targeting children and serve to alert pediatric health professionals and other child health advocates to take a closer look at this issue.

Inter-rater reliability for movement pattern analysis (MPA): measuring patterning of behaviors versus discrete behavior counts as indicators of decision-making style

PubMed Central

Connors, Brenda L.; Rende, Richard; Colton, Timothy J.

2014-01-01

The unique yield of collecting observational data on human movement has received increasing attention in a number of domains, including the study of decision-making style. As such, interest has grown in the nuances of core methodological issues, including the best ways of assessing inter-rater reliability. In this paper we focus on one key topic – the distinction between establishing reliability for the patterning of behaviors as opposed to the computation of raw counts – and suggest that reliability for each be compared empirically rather than determined a priori. We illustrate by assessing inter-rater reliability for key outcome measures derived from movement pattern analysis (MPA), an observational methodology that records body movements as indicators of decision-making style with demonstrated predictive validity. While reliability ranged from moderate to good for raw counts of behaviors reflecting each of two Overall Factors generated within MPA (Assertion and Perspective), inter-rater reliability for patterning (proportional indicators of each factor) was significantly higher and excellent (ICC = 0.89). Furthermore, patterning, as compared to raw counts, provided better prediction of observable decision-making process assessed in the laboratory. These analyses support the utility of using an empirical approach to inform the consideration of measuring patterning versus discrete behavioral counts of behaviors when determining inter-rater reliability of observable behavior. They also speak to the substantial reliability that may be achieved via application of theoretically grounded observational systems such as MPA that reveal thinking and action motivations via visible movement patterns. PMID:24999336

Inter-rater reliability for movement pattern analysis (MPA): measuring patterning of behaviors versus discrete behavior counts as indicators of decision-making style.

PubMed

Connors, Brenda L; Rende, Richard; Colton, Timothy J

2014-01-01

The unique yield of collecting observational data on human movement has received increasing attention in a number of domains, including the study of decision-making style. As such, interest has grown in the nuances of core methodological issues, including the best ways of assessing inter-rater reliability. In this paper we focus on one key topic - the distinction between establishing reliability for the patterning of behaviors as opposed to the computation of raw counts - and suggest that reliability for each be compared empirically rather than determined a priori. We illustrate by assessing inter-rater reliability for key outcome measures derived from movement pattern analysis (MPA), an observational methodology that records body movements as indicators of decision-making style with demonstrated predictive validity. While reliability ranged from moderate to good for raw counts of behaviors reflecting each of two Overall Factors generated within MPA (Assertion and Perspective), inter-rater reliability for patterning (proportional indicators of each factor) was significantly higher and excellent (ICC = 0.89). Furthermore, patterning, as compared to raw counts, provided better prediction of observable decision-making process assessed in the laboratory. These analyses support the utility of using an empirical approach to inform the consideration of measuring patterning versus discrete behavioral counts of behaviors when determining inter-rater reliability of observable behavior. They also speak to the substantial reliability that may be achieved via application of theoretically grounded observational systems such as MPA that reveal thinking and action motivations via visible movement patterns.

A Qualitative Assessment of Alcohol Consumption and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Transgender Women in Peru.

PubMed

Vagenas, Panagiotis; Brown, Shan-Estelle; Clark, Jesse L; Konda, Kelika A; Lama, Javier R; Sánchez, Jorge; Duerr, Ann C; Altice, Frederick L

2017-06-07

Peruvian men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW) experience the double burden of a highly concentrated HIV epidemic with a high prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Recent research has associated both with risky sexual behaviors, including unprotected sex, having multiple sexual partners, engaging in sex work, having recent sexually transmitted infections, and having HIV-infected partners. AUDs have also been associated in MSM/TGW with being unaware of HIV+ status. This study aims to further examine issues associated with alcohol consumption, HIV infection, and risk behaviors in a qualitative analysis of focus groups conducted with MSM/TGW in Peru. A total of 26 MSM/TGW participants with AUDs participated in three semi-structured focus groups in Lima, Peru. Content analysis was facilitated by software, and specific themes were elucidated. Participants described their drinking patterns, including the types of alcoholic drinks they consumed. They depicted drinking frequently and over multiple-day sessions. Problematic drinking behaviors were described, as well as the perceived characteristics of alcohol dependence. Interestingly, HIV-infected participants who were prescribed antiretroviral therapy did not believe that their drinking affected their medication adherence. These insights can aid in the design of future interventions aiming to reduce problematic drinking as well as HIV-related risk behaviors and, subsequently, HIV incidence. Peruvian MSM/TGW exhibit problematic drinking, which may be associated with risky sexual behaviors and HIV transmission. Interest in reducing alcohol consumption was high, suggesting the need for targeted behavioral and pharmacological interventions.

Analysis of micro-failure behaviors in artificial muscles based on fishing line and sewing thread

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, J. B.; Cheng, K. F.; Tu, S. L.; He, X. M.; Ma, C.; Jin, Y. Z.; Kang, X. N.; Sun, T.; Zhang, Y.

2017-06-01

The aim of the present study was to discuss a new and effective method for testing artificial muscles based on micro-failure behaviors analysis. Thermo-mechanical actuators based on fishing line and sewing thread, also, the capability of responding to ambient temperature variations producing a large amount of shrinkage ratio of a resulting variation in longitudinal length. The minimum micro-failure value is 0.02μm and the maximum value is 1.72μm with nylon twist pattern. The discovery of an innovative effective testing of artificial muscles based on polymeric fibers specimens on micro-failure, rupture, slippage, etc. This research finds out a micro-failure behavior analysis of thermo-mechanical actuators based on fishing line and sewing thread. The specimens show large deformations when heated together with warping performance in terms of shrinkage of energy and densities. With the purpose of providing useful analysis data for the further technology applications, we attempt micrometre-sized artificial muscles which were also tested was readily accessible and also can be applied to other polymeric fibers. Effective use of this technique achievement relies on rotate speed, temperature and tensile direction. The results of the tensile testing experiments were outstanding with respect to some important issues related to the response of micro-structure, twisted polymeric fibers and shrinkage ratio.

Effects of Group Counseling Programs, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Sports Intervention on Internet Addiction in East Asia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Liu, Jun; Nie, Jing; Wang, Yafeng

2017-11-28

To evaluate the effects of group counseling programs, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and sports intervention on Internet addiction (IA), a systematic search in ten databases was performed to identify eligible studies without language restrictions up to January 2017. A meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed, respectively. A total of 58 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which included 2871 participants, were incorporated into our meta-analysis. The results showed that group counseling programs, CBT, and sports intervention could significantly reduce IA levels (group counseling program: standardized mean difference (SMD), -1.37; 95% confidence interval (CI), -1.89 to -0.85; CBT: SMD, -1.88; 95% CI, -2.53 to -1.23; sports intervention: SMD, -1.70; 95% CI, -2.14 to -1.26). For group counseling programs, this treatment was more effective in four dimensions of IA, including time management, interpersonal and health issues, tolerance, and compulsive Internet use. For CBT, this treatment yielded a positive change in depression, anxiousness, aggressiveness, somatization, social insecurity, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism. For sports intervention, the significant effects were also observed in all dimensions of the IA scale. Each of group counseling programs, cognitive behavioral therapy, and sports intervention had a significant effect on IA and psychopathological symptoms. Sports intervention could improve withdrawal symptoms especially.

Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation at 30: Unresolved scientific issues.

PubMed

Reiss, Steven

2005-01-01

The undermining effect of extrinsic reward on intrinsic motivation remains unproven. The key unresolved issues are construct invalidity (all four definitions are unproved and two are illogical); measurement unreliability (the free-choice measure requires unreliable, subjective judgments to infer intrinsic motivation); inadequate experimental controls (negative affect and novelty, not cognitive evaluation, may explain "undermining" effects); and biased metareviews (studies with possible floor effects excluded, but those with possible ceiling effects included). Perhaps the greatest error with the undermining theory, however, is that it does not adequately recognize the multifaceted nature of intrinsic motivation (Reiss, 2004a). Advice to limit the use of applied behavior analysis based on "hidden" undermining effects is ideologically inspired and is unsupported by credible scientific evidence.

Behavior Modification: An Issue for the Teacher?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garland, LaRetta M.

Modern behavioral scientists have emphasized the importance of environmental influences in human behavior. If the basis for behavior development and change rests within the environment, an understanding and use of the methods of control by change agents, especially teachers, can result in more prosocial behavior. Planned reinforcement could…

Behavioral Assessment and Interventions in Youth Sports.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Ronald E.; And Others

1996-01-01

Discusses the use of behavioral assessment for both descriptive and program evaluation purposes. Notes the use of behavioral assessment to study coaching behaviors and their effects on young athletes. Operant and cognitive-behavioral interventions have proven effective in both athletic and psychosocial outcomes. Discusses unresolved issues and…

The eHealth Behavior Management Model: a stage-based approach to behavior change and management.

PubMed

Bensley, Robert J; Mercer, Nelda; Brusk, John J; Underhile, Ric; Rivas, Jason; Anderson, Judith; Kelleher, Deanne; Lupella, Melissa; de Jager, André C

2004-10-01

Although the Internet has become an important avenue for disseminating health information, theory-driven strategies for aiding individuals in changing or managing health behaviors are lacking. The eHealth Behavior Management Model combines the Transtheoretical Model, the behavioral intent aspect of the Theory of Planned Behavior, and persuasive communication to assist individuals in negotiating the Web toward stage-specific information. It is here - at the point of stage-specific information - that behavioral intent in moving toward more active stages of change occurs. The eHealth Behavior Management Model is applied in three demonstration projects that focus on behavior management issues: parent-child nutrition education among participants in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children; asthma management among university staff and students; and human immunodeficiency virus prevention among South African women. Preliminary results have found the eHealth Behavior Management Model to be promising as a model for Internet-based behavior change programming. Further application and evaluation among other behavior and disease management issues are needed.

Phencyclidine and violence: clinical and legal issues.

PubMed

Brecher, M; Wang, B W; Wong, H; Morgan, J P

1988-12-01

Phencyclidine (PCP) abuse has diminished since PCP's intrusion into American culture in the late 1970s. One of its legacies is the assumption that it provokes violent behavior in humans with predictable regularity. This assumption is so accepted that ingestion of the drug both accidentally and knowingly prior to committing a crime has been used as a defense in criminal trials. We reviewed 81 clinical reports of toxicity in humans published chiefly in North American medical journals. We searched for descriptions of violent behavior in these reports and subjected them to the following questions: (1) Was the violent behavior corroborated or only self-reported? (2) Was the presence of PCP confirmed by analysis of bodily fluids or postmortem tissue? (3) Was the presence of other drugs excluded by similar analysis of bodily fluids? We had planned to examine the reports to see whether clinicians sought evidence of previous violent behavior, but such an inquiry was rarely conducted. Of the hundreds of patients described, only three satisfied these criteria. Further, some of the papers offered evidence that reports of violence were exaggerated. These findings plus the pre-1970 prospective evaluation of thousands of patients with PCP, in which violence was never reported, led us to conclude that clinical and forensic assumptions about PCP and violence are not warranted.

Computer-assisted 3D kinematic analysis of all leg joints in walking insects.

PubMed

Bender, John A; Simpson, Elaine M; Ritzmann, Roy E

2010-10-26

High-speed video can provide fine-scaled analysis of animal behavior. However, extracting behavioral data from video sequences is a time-consuming, tedious, subjective task. These issues are exacerbated where accurate behavioral descriptions require analysis of multiple points in three dimensions. We describe a new computer program written to assist a user in simultaneously extracting three-dimensional kinematics of multiple points on each of an insect's six legs. Digital video of a walking cockroach was collected in grayscale at 500 fps from two synchronized, calibrated cameras. We improved the legs' visibility by painting white dots on the joints, similar to techniques used for digitizing human motion. Compared to manual digitization of 26 points on the legs over a single, 8-second bout of walking (or 106,496 individual 3D points), our software achieved approximately 90% of the accuracy with 10% of the labor. Our experimental design reduced the complexity of the tracking problem by tethering the insect and allowing it to walk in place on a lightly oiled glass surface, but in principle, the algorithms implemented are extensible to free walking. Our software is free and open-source, written in the free language Python and including a graphical user interface for configuration and control. We encourage collaborative enhancements to make this tool both better and widely utilized.

Identifying Like-Minded Audiences for Global Warming Public Engagement Campaigns: An Audience Segmentation Analysis and Tool Development

PubMed Central

Maibach, Edward W.; Leiserowitz, Anthony; Roser-Renouf, Connie; Mertz, C. K.

2011-01-01

Background Achieving national reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will require public support for climate and energy policies and changes in population behaviors. Audience segmentation – a process of identifying coherent groups within a population – can be used to improve the effectiveness of public engagement campaigns. Methodology/Principal Findings In Fall 2008, we conducted a nationally representative survey of American adults (n = 2,164) to identify audience segments for global warming public engagement campaigns. By subjecting multiple measures of global warming beliefs, behaviors, policy preferences, and issue engagement to latent class analysis, we identified six distinct segments ranging in size from 7 to 33% of the population. These six segments formed a continuum, from a segment of people who were highly worried, involved and supportive of policy responses (18%), to a segment of people who were completely unconcerned and strongly opposed to policy responses (7%). Three of the segments (totaling 70%) were to varying degrees concerned about global warming and supportive of policy responses, two (totaling 18%) were unsupportive, and one was largely disengaged (12%), having paid little attention to the issue. Certain behaviors and policy preferences varied greatly across these audiences, while others did not. Using discriminant analysis, we subsequently developed 36-item and 15-item instruments that can be used to categorize respondents with 91% and 84% accuracy, respectively. Conclusions/Significance In late 2008, Americans supported a broad range of policies and personal actions to reduce global warming, although there was wide variation among the six identified audiences. To enhance the impact of campaigns, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and businesses seeking to engage the public can selectively target one or more of these audiences rather than address an undifferentiated general population. Our screening instruments are available to assist in that process. PMID:21423743

Analysis of Flow Behavior Within An Integrated Computer-Communication Network,

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-05-01

Howard. Plan today for tomorrows data/voice nets. Data Communications 7, 9 (Sep. 1978), 51-62. 24. F-ark, Howard, and Gitman , Israel. Inteqrated DoD...computer networks. NTC-74, San Diego, CA., (Dec. 2-4, 1974), 1032-1037. 31. Gitman , I., Frank, H., Occhiogrosso, B., and Hsieh, W. Issues in integrated...switched networks agree on standard interface. Data Communications, (May/June 1978), 25)-39. 36. Hsieh, W., Gitman , I., and Occhiogrosso, B. Design of

Military Personnel Dilemmas: Perspectives on Gender-Related Issues. A Selected List of Resource Materials.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-01

34Army Discharges Wornan After MIarriaqe To Alleged Transsexual ." CBS NEWS. July 21, 1977. p.11. (Morning News). "Army Seeks Dismissal Of Woman...Married To Transsexual ." CBS NEWS. June 6, 1977. p.19. (Morninq News) Austen, Roger. "gut For Fate And Can: Homosexual Villains And Victims In The...identity and sexual behavior are markedly aberrant; homosexuality, transsexualism , and transvestism. For each disorder a psychodynamic analysis of the

Toward statistical modeling of saccadic eye-movement and visual saliency.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaoshuai; Yao, Hongxun; Ji, Rongrong; Liu, Xian-Ming

2014-11-01

In this paper, we present a unified statistical framework for modeling both saccadic eye movements and visual saliency. By analyzing the statistical properties of human eye fixations on natural images, we found that human attention is sparsely distributed and usually deployed to locations with abundant structural information. This observations inspired us to model saccadic behavior and visual saliency based on super-Gaussian component (SGC) analysis. Our model sequentially obtains SGC using projection pursuit, and generates eye movements by selecting the location with maximum SGC response. Besides human saccadic behavior simulation, we also demonstrated our superior effectiveness and robustness over state-of-the-arts by carrying out dense experiments on synthetic patterns and human eye fixation benchmarks. Multiple key issues in saliency modeling research, such as individual differences, the effects of scale and blur, are explored in this paper. Based on extensive qualitative and quantitative experimental results, we show promising potentials of statistical approaches for human behavior research.

Racial bias shapes social reinforcement learning.

PubMed

Lindström, Björn; Selbing, Ida; Molapour, Tanaz; Olsson, Andreas

2014-03-01

Both emotional facial expressions and markers of racial-group belonging are ubiquitous signals in social interaction, but little is known about how these signals together affect future behavior through learning. To address this issue, we investigated how emotional (threatening or friendly) in-group and out-group faces reinforced behavior in a reinforcement-learning task. We asked whether reinforcement learning would be modulated by intergroup attitudes (i.e., racial bias). The results showed that individual differences in racial bias critically modulated reinforcement learning. As predicted, racial bias was associated with more efficiently learned avoidance of threatening out-group individuals. We used computational modeling analysis to quantitatively delimit the underlying processes affected by social reinforcement. These analyses showed that racial bias modulates the rate at which exposure to threatening out-group individuals is transformed into future avoidance behavior. In concert, these results shed new light on the learning processes underlying social interaction with racial-in-group and out-group individuals.

Dorsal hippocampus contributes to model-based planning.

PubMed

Miller, Kevin J; Botvinick, Matthew M; Brody, Carlos D

2017-09-01

Planning can be defined as action selection that leverages an internal model of the outcomes likely to follow each possible action. Its neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we adapt recent advances from human research for rats, presenting for the first time an animal task that produces many trials of planned behavior per session, making multitrial rodent experimental tools available to study planning. We use part of this toolkit to address a perennially controversial issue in planning: the role of the dorsal hippocampus. Although prospective hippocampal representations have been proposed to support planning, intact planning in animals with damaged hippocampi has been repeatedly observed. Combining formal algorithmic behavioral analysis with muscimol inactivation, we provide causal evidence directly linking dorsal hippocampus with planning behavior. Our results and methods open the door to new and more detailed investigations of the neural mechanisms of planning in the hippocampus and throughout the brain.

Precision of information, sensational information, and self-efficacy information as message-level variables affecting risk perceptions.

PubMed

Dahlstrom, Michael F; Dudo, Anthony; Brossard, Dominique

2012-01-01

Studies that investigate how the mass media cover risk issues often assume that certain characteristics of content are related to specific risk perceptions and behavioral intentions. However, these relationships have seldom been empirically assessed. This study tests the influence of three message-level media variables--risk precision information, sensational information, and self-efficacy information--on perceptions of risk, individual worry, and behavioral intentions toward a pervasive health risk. Results suggest that more precise risk information leads to increased risk perceptions and that the effect of sensational information is moderated by risk precision information. Greater self-efficacy information is associated with greater intention to change behavior, but none of the variables influence individual worry. The results provide a quantitative understanding of how specific characteristics of informational media content can influence individuals' responses to health threats of a global and uncertain nature. © 2011 Society for Risk Analysis.

Cross-cultural organizational behavior.

PubMed

Gelfand, Michele J; Erez, Miriam; Aycan, Zeynep

2007-01-01

This article reviews research on cross-cultural organizational behavior (OB). After a brief review of the history of cross-cultural OB, we review research on work motivation, or the factors that energize, direct, and sustain effort across cultures. We next consider the relationship between the individual and the organization, and review research on culture and organizational commitment, psychological contracts, justice, citizenship behavior, and person-environment fit. Thereafter, we consider how individuals manage their interdependence in organizations, and review research on culture and negotiation and disputing, teams, and leadership, followed by research on managing across borders and expatriation. The review shows that developmentally, cross-cultural research in OB is coming of age. Yet we also highlight critical challenges for future research, including moving beyond values to explain cultural differences, attending to levels of analysis issues, incorporating social and organizational context factors into cross-cultural research, taking indigenous perspectives seriously, and moving beyond intracultural comparisons to understand the dynamics of cross-cultural interfaces.

Does the portrayal of tanning in Australian women's magazines relate to real women's tanning beliefs and behavior?

PubMed

Dixon, Helen G; Warne, Charles D; Scully, Maree L; Wakefield, Melanie A; Dobbinson, Suzanne J

2011-04-01

Content analysis data on the tans of 4,422 female Caucasian models sampled from spring and summer magazine issues were combined with readership data to generate indices of potential exposure to social modeling of tanning via popular women's magazines over a 15-year period (1987 to 2002). Associations between these indices and cross-sectional telephone survey data from the same period on 5,675 female teenagers' and adults' tanning attitudes, beliefs, and behavior were examined using logistic regression models. Among young women, greater exposure to tanning in young women's magazines was associated with increased likelihood of endorsing pro-tan attitudes and beliefs. Among women of all ages, greater exposure to tanned models via the most popular women's magazines was associated with increased likelihood of attempting to get a tan but lower likelihood of endorsing pro-tan attitudes. Popular women's magazines may promote and reflect real women's tanning beliefs and behavior.

The picture exchange communication system.

PubMed

Bondy, A S; Frost, L A

1998-01-01

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was developed as a means to teach children with autism and related developmental disabilities a rapidly acquired, self-initiating, functional communication system. Its theoretical roots combine principles from applied behavior analysis and guidelines established within the field of alternative and augmentative communication. This approach has several potential advantages relative to imitation-based strategies (both vocal and gestural) and symbol selection strategies. The system begins with the exchange of simple icons but rapidly builds "sentence" structure. The system also emphasizes developing the request function prior to developing responding to simple questions and commenting. The development of requesting with a sentence structure also permits the rapid development of attributes more traditionally taught within a receptive mode. The relationship between the introduction of PECS and various other behavioral issues (i.e., social approach and behavior management) as well as its relationship to the codevelopment of speech are reviewed.

Preliminary evidence that testosterone's association with aggression depends on self-construal.

PubMed

Welker, Keith M; Norman, Rachel E; Goetz, Stefan; Moreau, Benjamin J P; Kitayama, Shinobu; Carré, Justin M

2017-06-01

A contribution to a special issue on Hormones and Human Competition. Previous research and theory suggest testosterone is an important hormone for modulating aggression and self-regulation. We propose that self-construal, a culturally-relevant difference in how individuals define the self in relation to others, may be an important moderator of the relationship between testosterone and behaviors linked to aggression. Within two studies (Study 1 N=80; Study 2 N=237) and an integrated data analysis, we find evidence suggesting that acute testosterone changes in men are positively associated with aggressive behavior for those with more independent self-construals, whereas basal testosterone is negatively associated with aggression when individuals have more interdependent self-construals. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that self-construal moderates the association between testosterone and aggression, thereby paving the way toward future work examining the potential cultural moderation of the behavioral effects of testosterone. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Brief Communication Skills Training for Workers Based on the Principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

PubMed Central

Sasaki, Norio; Somemura, Hironori; Nakamura, Saki; Yamamoto, Megumi; Isojima, Manabu; Shinmei, Issei; Horikoshi, Masaru; Tanaka, Katsutoshi

2017-01-01

Objective: Stimulating communication is an important workplace issue. We investigated the effects of a brief communication skills training (CST) program based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 206 white-collar workers. The intervention group underwent a 2-hour CST group training conducted by an occupational physician. Result: The results of the intention-to-treat analysis using a mixed-effects model showed that there was a significant interaction between group and time observed for the item “thinking together to solve problems and issues” (P = 0.02). The effect size (Cohen d) was 0.35 (95% confidence interval, 0.07 to 0.62). Conclusions: The present study suggests that a brief CST based on the principles of CBT could improve the communication behavior of workers. PMID:28045799

Corrosion Behavior of Steels in Supercritical CO 2 for Power Cycle Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Repukaiti, Richard; Teeter, Lucas; Ziomek-Moroz, Margaret

In order to understand issues with corrosion of heat exchanger materials in direct supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO 2) power cycles, a series of autoclave exposure experiments and electrochemical experiments have been conducted. Corrosion behaviors of 347H stainless steel and P91 martensitic-ferrtic steel in sCO 2 environment have been compared. In autoclave exposure tests performed at 50°C- 245°C and 80 bar. Mass change measurements, surface characterization, and corrosion product analysis have been conducted to understand the corrosion behavior of steels in sCO 2 containing H 2O and O 2. Electrochemical tests performed at room temperature and 50°C, a simulation environment ofmore » water condensation phase with dissolved CO 2 was prepared to evaluate the corrosion resistance of materials. From both types of experiments, generally 347H showed higher corrosion resistance than P91.« less

Survey on eating disorder-related thoughts, behaviors, and their relationship with food intake and nutritional status in female high school students in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chang, Yu-Jhen; Lin, Wei; Wong, Yueching

2011-02-01

Eating disorders are now a global health problem for adolescents and young female adults. The level of eating disorders among young female adults is growing in Asian countries. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate body image, weight concerns, eating attitudes, dietary intake, and nutritional status related to eating disorders of female high school students in Taiwan. A total of 1605 female high school students participated in this study. The written questionnaire included respondents' demographics and weight concerns, the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), and 24-hour dietary recall. Blood chemistry data were also collected. The data were analyzed using a Student t test, χ(2) analysis, and logistic regression. Disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors were found in 17.11% of participants (measured by an EAT-26 score ≥20). Logistic regression analyses showed that disturbed eating attitudes/behaviors were significantly associated with overestimation of body weight, unrealistic body weight goal, dissatisfaction with body weight, and weight loss experiences. The reported intakes of energy, protein, carbohydrate, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12 were significantly lower in participants with disturbed eating patterns than in participants without disturbance issues. Conversely, participants with disturbed eating patterns had higher dietary and crude fiber intake than participants without disturbed eating issues. The percentage of participants with abnormal values of total iron-binding capacity and serum iron was significantly higher in those with disturbed eating patterns than in those without disturbed eating patterns. Disturbed eating attitudes/behaviors exist among female adolescents in Taiwan, and these behaviors jeopardize their nutritional status. The possibility of using the EAT-26 as a reference to predict the quality and quantity of food intake among female adolescents is worthy of further study.

Profiles of classroom behavior in high schools: associations with teacher behavior management strategies and classroom composition.

PubMed

Pas, Elise T; Cash, Anne H; O'Brennan, Lindsey; Debnam, Katrina J; Bradshaw, Catherine P

2015-04-01

Although there has been considerable attention to the issue of classroom management and processes in educational reform models, there has been relatively limited research on these factors in high schools. The current study utilized observational data from 1262 classrooms in 52 high schools to examine teacher classroom management strategies and ratings of student compliance, engagement, and social disruption. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to examine specific patterns of classroom-wide student behavior in relation to teachers' use of classroom management strategies and classroom composition. The LPA revealed three distinct classroom behavioral profiles where students consistently met behavioral expectations (71%), inconsistently met expectations (23%), and were noncompliant (6%). Analyses indicated a functional association between patterns of student behavior and teachers' classroom management. In classrooms where students consistently met expectations, teachers provided more opportunities to respond and less disapproval and reactive behavioral management. Classrooms with noncompliant students had teachers who used the most disapproval and reactive behavior management. In addition, classrooms characterized as consistent had fewer males and more White students than classrooms characterized by inconsistent and noncompliant behaviors. These findings highlight the link between student patterns of behavior and teacher classroom management and have important implications for screening and professional development. Copyright © 2014 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trajectories and the influencing factors of behavior problems in preschool children: a longitudinal study in Guangzhou, China.

PubMed

Bao, Peng; Jing, Jin; Jin, Yu; Hu, Xumin; Liu, Buyun; Hu, Min

2016-06-01

Since child mental health problem was a global health issue, many researchers in western countries has focused on the trajectory of it to provide evidence for prevention programs. We designed this study to determine the trajectories of children's behavior problems, and to explore the effect of parent predictors on children's behavior problems in Guangzhou, China. Children (N = 1480) for this longitudinal, population-based survey, were recruited from eight regular kindergartens (October, 2010) across four districts in Guangzhou. Repeated measurement design analysis was used to compare the variation in behavioral problems by gender, only child status, and temperament. Logistic regression was applied to analyze the effect of parents' risks (maternal depression, parenting style) on the change in child problem behaviors. The scores of behavior problems (externalizing, emotional, social communication problems) were stable during the entire preschool period by gender and child number. Children with difficult temperament exhibited more problem behaviors than children with easy temperament in the early years, and the misbehaviors declined significantly over time. Moreover, maternal depression and the increase in excessive interference/over protective or punishing parenting strategies resulted in an increase in child behavior problems. There was no difference between the only-child status and child with siblings in the trajectory of problem behaviors. Parent factors were significant predictions of trajectory of child behavior problem during preschool age.

Eco-driving behavior tendency among Indonesian people: a preliminary study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuraida, Rida; Widjaja, Dimitrius

2017-12-01

Eco-driving behavior can be triggered by many aspects such as economic and environmental awareness. In Indonesia this issue received less attention from citizen, whereas it has significant roles in reducing greenhouse gas emission. This paper initiated a study about eco-driving tendency behavior among Indonesian people, the objective is to see whether current behavior support or not, and does the differences between gender and age exist. Adopted on-line study method using an online form questionnaire„ 27 questions developed consist of 8 items related to individual data, 19 items related to perception and driving behavior. The respond measures using 5 scale option answers (i.e. strongly disagree, disagree, quite agree, agree, and strongly agree). Based on average respondents’ answers, can be concluded that the tendency of behavior somewhat supports to in line with eco-driving behavior. After Q15 and Q18 omitted based on Pearson-product moment correlation, further analysis results showed that most of respondents categorized into mild tendency behavior (109 respondents). However, a mild tendency among female respondents are higher than male, and the strong tendency of males is higher than female respondents. Based on gender, there are no significant tendency behavior differences between male and female (p-value = 0, 320), and also among age groups (30y, 31-40y, 41-50y, and >50y), even though age >50 have a lower tendency to the behavior compare to other groups.

Persuasive appeals in road safety communication campaigns: Theoretical frameworks and practical implications from the analysis of a decade of road safety campaign materials.

PubMed

Guttman, Nurit

2015-11-01

Communication campaigns are employed as an important tool to promote road safety practices. Researchers maintain road safety communication campaigns are more effective when their persuasive appeals, which are central to their communicative strategy, are based on explicit theoretical frameworks. This study's main objectives were to develop a detailed categorization of persuasive appeals used in road safety communication campaigns that differentiate between appeals that appear to be similar but differ conceptually, and to indicate the advantages, limitations and ethical issues associated with each type, drawing on behavior change theories. Materials from over 300 campaigns were obtained from 41 countries, mainly using road safety organizations' websites. Drawing on the literature, five types of main approaches were identified, and the analysis yielded a more detailed categorizations of appeals within these general categories. The analysis points to advantages, limitations, ethical issues and challenges in using different types of appeals. The discussion summarizes challenges in designing persuasive-appeals for road safety communication campaigns. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reprint of "Persuasive appeals in road safety communication campaigns: Theoretical frameworks and practical implications from the analysis of a decade of road safety campaign materials".

PubMed

Guttman, Nurit

2016-12-01

Communication campaigns are employed as an important tool to promote road safety practices. Researchers maintain road safety communication campaigns are more effective when their persuasive appeals, which are central to their communicative strategy, are based on explicit theoretical frameworks. This study's main objectives were to develop a detailed categorization of persuasive appeals used in road safety communication campaigns that differentiate between appeals that appear to be similar but differ conceptually, and to indicate the advantages, limitations and ethical issues associated with each type, drawing on behavior change theories. Materials from over 300 campaigns were obtained from 41 countries, mainly using road safety organizations' websites. Drawing on the literature, five types of main approaches were identified, and the analysis yielded a more detailed categorizations of appeals within these general categories. The analysis points to advantages, limitations, ethical issues and challenges in using different types of appeals. The discussion summarizes challenges in designing persuasive-appeals for road safety communication campaigns. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health Insurance Coverage and Take-Up: Lessons from Behavioral Economics

PubMed Central

Baicker, Katherine; Congdon, William J; Mullainathan, Sendhil

2012-01-01

Context Millions of uninsured Americans ostensibly have insurance available to them—many at very low cost—but do not take it up. Traditional economic analysis is based on the premise that these are rational decisions, but it is hard to reconcile observed enrollment patterns with this view. The policy prescriptions that the traditional model generates may thus fail to achieve their goals. Behavioral economics, which integrates insights from psychology into economic analysis, identifies important deviations from the traditional assumptions of rationality and can thus improve our understanding of what drives health insurance take-up and improved policy design. Methods Rather than a systematic review of the coverage literature, this article is a primer for considering issues in health insurance coverage from a behavioral economics perspective, supplementing the standard model. We present relevant evidence on decision making and insurance take-up and use it to develop a behavioral approach to both the policy problem posed by the lack of health insurance coverage and possible policy solutions to that problem. Findings We found that evidence from behavioral economics can shed light on both the sources of low take-up and the efficacy of different policy levers intended to expand coverage. We then applied these insights to policy design questions for public and private insurance coverage and to the implementation of the recently enacted health reform, focusing on the use of behavioral insights to maximize the value of spending on coverage. Conclusions We concluded that the success of health insurance coverage reform depends crucially on understanding the behavioral barriers to take-up. The take-up process is likely governed by psychology as much as economics, and public resources can likely be used much more effectively with behaviorally informed policy design. PMID:22428694

Effects of a Weighted Vest on Problem Behaviors during Functional Analyses in Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quigley, Shawn P.; Peterson, Lloyd; Frieder, Jessica E.; Peterson, Stephanie

2011-01-01

Weighted vests are a specific form of Sensory Integration Therapy (SIT) (Honaker, 2005a) that are intended to help individuals resolve sensory related issues thereby decreasing the symptoms (e.g., hyperness, lack of attention, etc.) of the sensory issue and are also often recommended as an intervention for problem behaviors exhibited by children…

Drugs and Sex. The Nonmedical Use of Drugs and Sexual Behavior. National Institute on Drugs Research Issues 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Patricia, Ed.; And Others

This report represents the second in a series intended to summarize the empirical research findings and major theoretical approaches relating to the issues of drug use and abuse. This volume reviews some of the major research findings which explore the relationship between nonmedical drug use and sexual behavior. The research is summarized and…

"Why Isn't There a Cure?" Emerging Empathy and Prosocial Behaviors among Middle Childhood Children Responding to Real-World Issue Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bang, Hyeyoung

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore empathy and prosocial behaviors within real-world issues among Korean middle-childhood children living in Australia. Using a qualitative approach, seven students were engaged in six sessions of group or individual activities including five sessions of responding to video vignettes which demonstrated…

Changing Preschool Children's Attitudes into Behavior towards Selected Environmental Issues: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ertürk Kara, Gözde; Aydos, E. Hande; Aydin, Özge

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide the transform of attitudes into behavior of 60-72 month of age children continued early childhood education toward environmental issues. Collaborative action research method of qualitative design was used. The whole participants of the study were 60-72 months of age children who were attending in an early…

A Study of Principals' Instructional Leadership Behaviors and Beliefs of Good Pedagogical Practice among Effective California High Schools Serving Socioeconomically Disadvantaged and English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peariso, Jamon Frederick

2011-01-01

This mixed methods descriptive and causal-comparative study investigates what instructional leadership behaviors effective California high school principals have and what their beliefs are in regards to pedagogy, related issues, and professional issues, either constructivist or instructivist in nature, in the environment of the current NCLB…

Educational Implications of Behavioral Disordered Children's Classifications of Moral, Conventional and Personal Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nucci, Larry P.; Herman, Susan

To investigate how behavioral disordered (BD) children conceptualize moral, conventional, and personal issues, 20 BD and 22 normal fourth graders were asked to respond to a set of cartoon strips in which actions were depicted that violated either an explicitly stated rule or generally held cultural expectation. Ss were asked to rank the acts from…

The Human Behavioral Ecology of Contemporary World Issues : Applications to Public Policy and International Development.

PubMed

Tucker, Bram; Rende Taylor, Lisa

2007-09-01

Human behavioral ecology (HBE) began as an attempt to explain human economic, reproductive, and social behavior using neodarwinian theory in concert with theory from ecology and economics, and ethnographic methods. HBE has addressed subsistence decision-making, cooperation, life history trade-offs, parental investment, mate choice, and marriage strategies among hunter-gatherers, herders, peasants, and wage earners in rural and urban settings throughout the world. Despite our rich insights into human behavior, HBE has very rarely been used as a tool to help the people with whom we work. This article introduces a special issue of Human Nature which explores the application of HBE to significant world issues through the design and critique of public policy and international development projects. The articles by Tucker, Shenk, Leonetti et al., and Neil were presented at the 104th annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) in Washington, D.C., in December 2005, in the first organized session of the nascent Evolutionary Anthropology Section (EAS). We conclude this introduction by summarizing some theoretical challenges to applying HBE, and ways in which evolutionary anthropologists can contribute to solving tough world issues.

'Pro-Family vs. Pro-Woman': Elite-Mass Linkages on Family Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conover, Pamela Johnston; And Others

This paper explores single-issue politics by examining voting patterns on abortion and Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.) issues. The concept of single-issue politics refers to any issue which generates a significant amount of single-minded voting and/or political behavior. Major objectives of the study were to consider factors which were likely to…

Autism Spectrum Disorder

MedlinePlus

... show all behaviors, but most will show several. Social communication / interaction behaviors may include: Making little or inconsistent eye ... The expert will ask about concerns, such as: Social interaction and communication challenges Sensory issues Repetitive behaviors Restricted ...

Research Models in Developmental Behavioral Toxicology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dietrich, Kim N.; Pearson, Douglas T.

Developmental models currently used by child behavioral toxicologists and teratologists are inadequate to address current issues in these fields. Both child behavioral teratology and toxicology scientifically study the impact of exposure to toxic agents on behavior development: teratology focuses on prenatal exposure and postnatal behavior…

Clinimetrics and clinical psychometrics: macro- and micro-analysis.

PubMed

Tomba, Elena; Bech, Per

2012-01-01

Clinimetrics was introduced three decades ago to specify the domain of clinical markers in clinical medicine (indexes or rating scales). In this perspective, clinical validity is the platform for selecting the various indexes or rating scales (macro-analysis). Psychometric validation of these indexes or rating scales is the measuring aspect (micro-analysis). Clinical judgment analysis by experienced psychiatrists is included in the macro-analysis and the item response theory models are especially preferred in the micro-analysis when using the total score as a sufficient statistic. Clinical assessment tools covering severity of illness scales, prognostic measures, issues of co-morbidity, longitudinal assessments, recovery, stressors, lifestyle, psychological well-being, and illness behavior have been identified. The constructive dialogue in clinimetrics between clinical judgment and psychometric validation procedures is outlined for generating developments of clinical practice in psychiatry. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Psychiatrists' relationships with industry: the principal-agent problem.

PubMed

Appelbaum, Paul S; Gold, Azgad

2010-01-01

Psychiatrists' relationships with the pharmaceutical and device industries have been a growing focus of attention, with questions raised about the impact of those relationships on prescribing practices, diagnostic criteria, practice guidelines, continuing education, conduct and reporting of research, and patients' and public trust. Indeed, these concerns exist for the medical profession as a whole, with various remedial measures proposed. We suggest that such relationships can be understood as giving rise to a "principal-agent problem," which occurs when an agent (here, a physician) is engaged to advance the interests of another party, the principal (typically a patient), but also faces incentives to promote other interests. Studies suggest that at least some relationships--which include attending industry-sponsored presentations, meeting with marketing representatives, and accepting samples--can alter psychiatrists' and other physicians' behavior in ways that can compromise patients' interests, and that industry-funded research may create bias in the medical literature. These effects are difficult to detect in specific cases, however, because of asymmetries of information and may not be apparent even to physicians themselves. Principal-agent analysis suggests that the possible responses to such problems, including appeals to ethical principles, monitoring behavior, and managing risk-inducing situations, should include consideration of aligning agents' incentives with principals' interests. This type of analysis underscores the similarity of the issues raised by physicians' relationships with industry to problems that arise more generally in society, thus reducing physicians' potential affective responses to these issues and efforts to address them. Finally, such analysis directs attention to the benefits and costs of each alternative, thereby encouraging reliance on evidence as a basis for policy.

The effect of the behavior of an average consumer on the public debt dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Luca, Roberto; Di Mauro, Marco; Falzarano, Angelo; Naddeo, Adele

2017-09-01

An important issue within the present economic crisis is understanding the dynamics of the public debt of a given country, and how the behavior of average consumers and tax payers in that country affects it. Starting from a model of the average consumer behavior introduced earlier by the authors, we propose a simple model to quantitatively address this issue. The model is then studied and analytically solved under some reasonable simplifying assumptions. In this way we obtain a condition under which the public debt steadily decreases.

School-Wide Positive Behavior Support: Effects on Academics and Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beckley Yeager, Roberta

2016-01-01

Acting out behaviors is a hindrance to learning across the country. The school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) model is a behaviorally-based systems approach to addressing problem behaviors in our school today. The problem this study is designed to address is the issue that student misbehaviors and disruptions cause a loss of valuable…

Contextualizing the "Behavior Gap": Student Prosocial Behavior and Racial Composition in Urban Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voight, Adam M.; Geller, Joanna D.; Nation, Maury

2014-01-01

Encouraging student prosocial behavior (PSB) is a challenge for urban middle schools. The issue of student behavior is a racialized one, as Black students generally evince more negative behavioral outcomes than their White peers. This racial "behavior gap" may be conditional on the school environment. This study examines how one element…

Comparing sexual-minority and heterosexual young women's friends and parents as sources of support for sexual issues.

PubMed

Friedman, Carly K; Morgan, Elizabeth M

2009-08-01

The present study provides a comparative analysis of sexual-minority and heterosexual emerging adult women's experiences seeking support for sexual issues from parents and friends. Participants included 229 college women (88 sexual-minority women; 141 heterosexual women), ranging from 18 to 25 years of age, who provided written responses to an inquiry about a time they went to friends and parents for support for a issue related to their sexuality. Responses indicated that the majority of participants had sought support from either a parent or a friend and that mothers and female friends were more likely involved than fathers or male friends, respectively. Sexual issues that participants reported discussing with parents and friends were inductively grouped into five categories: dating and romantic relationships, sexual behavior, sexual health, identity negotiation, and discrimination and violence. Issues that were discussed differed based on sexual orientation identity and the source of support (parent or friend); they did not differ by age. Participants generally perceived parents and friends' responses as helpful, though sexual-minority participants perceived both parents and friends' responses as less helpful than did heterosexual participants. Overall, results suggest both similarities and differences between sexual-minority and heterosexual young women's experiences seeking support for sexual issues from parents and friends.

A personality trait-based interactionist model of job performance.

PubMed

Tett, Robert P; Burnett, Dawn D

2003-06-01

Evidence for situational specificity of personality-job performance relations calls for better understanding of how personality is expressed as valued work behavior. On the basis of an interactionist principle of trait activation (R. P. Tett & H. A. Guterman, 2000), a model is proposed that distinguishes among 5 situational features relevant to trait expression (job demands, distracters, constraints, releasers, and facilitators), operating at task, social, and organizational levels. Trait-expressive work behavior is distinguished from (valued) job performance in clarifying the conditions favoring personality use in selection efforts. The model frames linkages between situational taxonomies (e.g., J. L. Holland's [1985] RIASEC model) and the Big Five and promotes useful discussion of critical issues, including situational specificity, personality-oriented job analysis, team building, and work motivation.

Drawing simulation by static implicit analysis with the artificial damping method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oide, K.; Mihara, Y.; Kobayashi, T.; Takizawa, H.; Amaishi, T.; Umezu, Y.

2016-08-01

Wrinkling during draw is typically a local instability problem. When the structural instability is localized, there will be a local transfer of strain energy from one part of the structure to neighboring parts, and global solution methods, which is typically represented by the arc length method, may not work. So, this type of problems has to be solved either dynamically or with the artificial damping. On the other hand, the essential nature of the buckling behavior can be regarded as a static problem, even though it may be possible to raise some side issues due to the inertia effect. In this study, we traced the local buckling behavior of anisotropic elasto-plastic thin shells in Numisheet2014 BM4 using the artificial damping method.

Initial CGE Model Results Summary Exogenous and Endogenous Variables Tests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Edwards, Brian Keith; Boero, Riccardo; Rivera, Michael Kelly

The following discussion presents initial results of tests of the most recent version of the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The intent of this is to test and assess the model’s behavioral properties. The test evaluated whether the predicted impacts are reasonable from a qualitative perspective. This issue is whether the predicted change, be it an increase or decrease in other model variables, is consistent with prior economic intuition and expectations about the predicted change. One of the purposes of this effort is to determine whethermore » model changes are needed in order to improve its behavior qualitatively and quantitatively.« less

Health belief model and reasoned action theory in predicting water saving behaviors in yazd, iran.

PubMed

Morowatisharifabad, Mohammad Ali; Momayyezi, Mahdieh; Ghaneian, Mohammad Taghi

2012-01-01

People's behaviors and intentions about healthy behaviors depend on their beliefs, values, and knowledge about the issue. Various models of health education are used in deter¬mining predictors of different healthy behaviors but their efficacy in cultural behaviors, such as water saving behaviors, are not studied. The study was conducted to explain water saving beha¬viors in Yazd, Iran on the basis of Health Belief Model and Reasoned Action Theory. The cross-sectional study used random cluster sampling to recruit 200 heads of households to collect the data. The survey questionnaire was tested for its content validity and reliability. Analysis of data included descriptive statistics, simple correlation, hierarchical multiple regression. Simple correlations between water saving behaviors and Reasoned Action Theory and Health Belief Model constructs were statistically significant. Health Belief Model and Reasoned Action Theory constructs explained 20.80% and 8.40% of the variances in water saving beha-viors, respectively. Perceived barriers were the strongest Predictor. Additionally, there was a sta¬tistically positive correlation between water saving behaviors and intention. In designing interventions aimed at water waste prevention, barriers of water saving behaviors should be addressed first, followed by people's attitude towards water saving. Health Belief Model constructs, with the exception of perceived severity and benefits, is more powerful than is Reasoned Action Theory in predicting water saving behavior and may be used as a framework for educational interventions aimed at improving water saving behaviors.

Health Belief Model and Reasoned Action Theory in Predicting Water Saving Behaviors in Yazd, Iran

PubMed Central

Morowatisharifabad, Mohammad Ali; Momayyezi, Mahdieh; Ghaneian, Mohammad Taghi

2012-01-01

Background: People's behaviors and intentions about healthy behaviors depend on their beliefs, values, and knowledge about the issue. Various models of health education are used in deter¬mining predictors of different healthy behaviors but their efficacy in cultural behaviors, such as water saving behaviors, are not studied. The study was conducted to explain water saving beha¬viors in Yazd, Iran on the basis of Health Belief Model and Reasoned Action Theory. Methods: The cross-sectional study used random cluster sampling to recruit 200 heads of households to collect the data. The survey questionnaire was tested for its content validity and reliability. Analysis of data included descriptive statistics, simple correlation, hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Simple correlations between water saving behaviors and Reasoned Action Theory and Health Belief Model constructs were statistically significant. Health Belief Model and Reasoned Action Theory constructs explained 20.80% and 8.40% of the variances in water saving beha-viors, respectively. Perceived barriers were the strongest Predictor. Additionally, there was a sta¬tistically positive correlation between water saving behaviors and intention. Conclusion: In designing interventions aimed at water waste prevention, barriers of water saving behaviors should be addressed first, followed by people's attitude towards water saving. Health Belief Model constructs, with the exception of perceived severity and benefits, is more powerful than is Reasoned Action Theory in predicting water saving behavior and may be used as a framework for educational interventions aimed at improving water saving behaviors. PMID:24688927

Methodological considerations for observational coding of eating and feeding behaviors in children and their families.

PubMed

Pesch, Megan H; Lumeng, Julie C

2017-12-15

Behavioral coding of videotaped eating and feeding interactions can provide researchers with rich observational data and unique insights into eating behaviors, food intake, food selection as well as interpersonal and mealtime dynamics of children and their families. Unlike self-report measures of eating and feeding practices, the coding of videotaped eating and feeding behaviors can allow for the quantitative and qualitative examinations of behaviors and practices that participants may not self-report. While this methodology is increasingly more common, behavioral coding protocols and methodology are not widely shared in the literature. This has important implications for validity and reliability of coding schemes across settings. Additional guidance on how to design, implement, code and analyze videotaped eating and feeding behaviors could contribute to advancing the science of behavioral nutrition. The objectives of this narrative review are to review methodology for the design, operationalization, and coding of videotaped behavioral eating and feeding data in children and their families, and to highlight best practices. When capturing eating and feeding behaviors through analysis of videotapes, it is important for the study and coding to be hypothesis driven. Study design considerations include how to best capture the target behaviors through selection of a controlled experimental laboratory environment versus home mealtime, duration of video recording, number of observations to achieve reliability across eating episodes, as well as technical issues in video recording and sound quality. Study design must also take into account plans for coding the target behaviors, which may include behavior frequency, duration, categorization or qualitative descriptors. Coding scheme creation and refinement occur through an iterative process. Reliability between coders can be challenging to achieve but is paramount to the scientific rigor of the methodology. Analysis approach is dependent on the how data were coded and collapsed. Behavioral coding of videotaped eating and feeding behaviors can capture rich data "in-vivo" that is otherwise unobtainable from self-report measures. While data collection and coding are time-intensive the data yielded can be extremely valuable. Additional sharing of methodology and coding schemes around eating and feeding behaviors could advance the science and field.

Critical Issues in Crime Control Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flynn, Edith Elisabeth, Ed.

1983-01-01

Entire issue discusses crime control policy in the United States, including such issues as the relation of social and environmental variables to criminal activity, dealing with the career offender, biological correlates of criminal behavior, juvenile delinquency, and white collar crime. (CS)

Childhood Predictors of Deliberate Self-Harm Behavior and Suicide Ideation in Korean Adolescents: A Prospective Population-Based Follow-Up Study

PubMed Central

Shin, Yun Mi; Chung, Young Ki; Lim, Ki Young; Lee, Young Moon; Oh, Eun Young

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate predictors of adolescence suicidality in a longitudinal study. Additionally, the prevalence of deliberate self-harm behavior and suicide ideation at age 7 and during middle school were examined. Initial assessment data was obtained from 1998 to 2000, and a follow-up assessment was performed in 2006 when the original subjects became middle school students. The addresses and names of 1,857 subjects were located from the original data; they were 910 boys and 947 girls. The subjects were evaluated with the Korean version of the Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), which was administered by the parents of the children, and by various demographic and psychosocial factors. They were reassessed using self reports on the Korea Youth Self Report (K-YSR); in particular, replies to items related to self-harm behavior and suicide ideation were recorded. A logistic regression analysis showed that the factors of gender, economic status, the overall amount of behavior problems, the tendency to internalizing and externalizing problems, somatic problems, thought problems, delinquent behavior, and aggressive behavior were independent predictors of adolescent suicide ideation and self-harm behavior. The importance of total behavior problems suggested that adolescent difficulty is a consequence of an accumulation of various risk factors. Accordingly, clinicians must consider a range of internalizing and externalizing issues, especially overall adaptation, for suicide intervention. PMID:19399261

Issues and approach to develop validated analysis tools for hypersonic flows: One perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deiwert, George S.

1993-01-01

Critical issues concerning the modeling of low density hypervelocity flows where thermochemical nonequilibrium effects are pronounced are discussed. Emphasis is on the development of validated analysis tools, and the activity in the NASA Ames Research Center's Aerothermodynamics Branch is described. Inherent in the process is a strong synergism between ground test and real gas computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Approaches to develop and/or enhance phenomenological models and incorporate them into computational flowfield simulation codes are discussed. These models were partially validated with experimental data for flows where the gas temperature is raised (compressive flows). Expanding flows, where temperatures drop, however, exhibit somewhat different behavior. Experimental data for these expanding flow conditions is sparse and reliance must be made on intuition and guidance from computational chemistry to model transport processes under these conditions. Ground based experimental studies used to provide necessary data for model development and validation are described. Included are the performance characteristics of high enthalpy flow facilities, such as shock tubes and ballistic ranges.

Issues and approach to develop validated analysis tools for hypersonic flows: One perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deiwert, George S.

1992-01-01

Critical issues concerning the modeling of low-density hypervelocity flows where thermochemical nonequilibrium effects are pronounced are discussed. Emphasis is on the development of validated analysis tools. A description of the activity in the Ames Research Center's Aerothermodynamics Branch is also given. Inherent in the process is a strong synergism between ground test and real-gas computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Approaches to develop and/or enhance phenomenological models and incorporate them into computational flow-field simulation codes are discussed. These models have been partially validated with experimental data for flows where the gas temperature is raised (compressive flows). Expanding flows, where temperatures drop, however, exhibit somewhat different behavior. Experimental data for these expanding flow conditions are sparse; reliance must be made on intuition and guidance from computational chemistry to model transport processes under these conditions. Ground-based experimental studies used to provide necessary data for model development and validation are described. Included are the performance characteristics of high-enthalpy flow facilities, such as shock tubes and ballistic ranges.

A Categorical Content Analysis of Highly Cited Literature Related to Trends and Issues in Special Education.

PubMed

Arden, Sarah V; Pentimonti, Jill M; Cooray, Rochana; Jackson, Stephanie

2017-07-01

This investigation employs categorical content analysis processes as a mechanism to examine trends and issues in a sampling of highly cited (100+) literature in special education journals. The authors had two goals: (a) broadly identifying trends across publication type, content area, and methodology and (b) specifically identifying articles with disaggregated outcomes for students with learning disabilities (LD). Content analyses were conducted across highly cited (100+) articles published during a 20-year period (1992-2013) in a sample ( n = 3) of journals focused primarily on LD, and in one broad, cross-categorical journal recognized for its impact in the field. Results indicated trends in the article type (i.e., commentary and position papers), content (i.e., reading and behavior), and methodology (i.e., small proportions of experimental and quasi-experimental designs). Results also revealed stability in the proportion of intervention research studies when compared to previous analyses and a decline in the proportion of those that disaggregated data specifically for students with LD.

CaseMIDAS - A reactive planning architecture for the man-machine integration design and analysis system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pease, R. Adam

1995-01-01

MIDAS is a set of tools which allow a designer to specify the physical and functional characteristics of a complex system such as an aircraft cockpit, and analyze the system with regard to human performance. MIDAS allows for a number of static analyses such as military standard reach and fit analysis, display legibility analysis, and vision polars. It also supports dynamic simulation of mission segments with 3d visualization. MIDAS development has incorporated several models of human planning behavior. The CaseMIDAS effort has been to provide a simplified and unified approach to modeling task selection behavior. Except for highly practiced, routine procedures, a human operator exhibits a cognitive effort while determining what step to take next in the accomplishment of mission tasks. Current versions of MIDAS do not model this effort in a consistent and inclusive manner. CaseMIDAS also attempts to address this issue. The CaseMIDAS project has yielded an easy to use software module for case creation and execution which is integrated with existing MIDAS simulation components.

Heavy Sexual Content Versus Safer Sex Content: A Content Analysis of the Entertainment Education Drama Shuga.

PubMed

Booker, Nancy Achieng'; Miller, Ann Neville; Ngure, Peter

2016-12-01

Extremely popular with Kenyan youth, the entertainment-education drama Shuga was designed with specific goals of promoting condom use, single versus multiple sexual partners, and destigmatization of HIV. Almost as soon as it aired, however, it generated controversy due to its extensive sexual themes and relatively explicit portrayal of sexual issues. To determine how safer sex, antistigma messages, and overall sexual content were integrated into Shuga, we conducted a content analysis. Results indicated that condom use and HIV destigmatization messages were frequently and clearly communicated. Negative consequences for risky sexual behavior were communicated over the course of the entire series. Messages about multiple concurrent partnerships were not evident. In addition, in terms of scenes per hour of programming, Shuga had 10.3 times the amount of sexual content overall, 8.2 times the amount of sexual talk, 17.8 times the amount of sexual behavior, and 9.4 times the amount of sexual intercourse as found in previous analysis of U.S. entertainment programming. Research is needed to determine how these factors may interact to influence adolescent viewers of entertainment education dramas.

The Aeronautical Data Link: Decision Framework for Architecture Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, A. Terry; Goode, Plesent W.

2003-01-01

A decision analytic approach that develops optimal data link architecture configuration and behavior to meet multiple conflicting objectives of concurrent and different airspace operations functions has previously been developed. The approach, premised on a formal taxonomic classification that correlates data link performance with operations requirements, information requirements, and implementing technologies, provides a coherent methodology for data link architectural analysis from top-down and bottom-up perspectives. This paper follows the previous research by providing more specific approaches for mapping and transitioning between the lower levels of the decision framework. The goal of the architectural analysis methodology is to assess the impact of specific architecture configurations and behaviors on the efficiency, capacity, and safety of operations. This necessarily involves understanding the various capabilities, system level performance issues and performance and interface concepts related to the conceptual purpose of the architecture and to the underlying data link technologies. Efficient and goal-directed data link architectural network configuration is conditioned on quantifying the risks and uncertainties associated with complex structural interface decisions. Deterministic and stochastic optimal design approaches will be discussed that maximize the effectiveness of architectural designs.

Some spectral approximation of one-dimensional fourth-order problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernardi, Christine; Maday, Yvon

1989-01-01

Some spectral type collocation method well suited for the approximation of fourth-order systems are proposed. The model problem is the biharmonic equation, in one and two dimensions when the boundary conditions are periodic in one direction. It is proved that the standard Gauss-Lobatto nodes are not the best choice for the collocation points. Then, a new set of nodes related to some generalized Gauss type quadrature formulas is proposed. Also provided is a complete analysis of these formulas including some new issues about the asymptotic behavior of the weights and we apply these results to the analysis of the collocation method.

The Relationship between Sexual Behavior and Non-sexual Risk Behaviors among Unmarried Youth in Three Asian Cities

PubMed Central

Tu, Xiaowen; Lou, Chaohua; Gao, Ersheng; Li, Nan; Zabin, Laurie S.

2014-01-01

Background: Health risk behaviors in adolescents and youth such as smoking, alcohol, drug use, violence, suicide, and unprotected sexual behavior are issues of major public health concern. Addressing the relationship between sexual behavior and non-sexual risk behaviors will make a significant contribution to the design of effective intervention programs for this population of adolescents and unmarried youth. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in three Asian cities with a common heritage of Confucian values: Hanoi, Shanghai and Taipei. Data were collected in 2006 from 17,016 youth aged 15-24 years residing in both urban and rural districts of the three settings. The relationships between sexual behavior and seven non-sexual risk behaviors among unmarried adolescents were examined using χ2 tests, logistic regression models, Cox regression models, and cluster analysis. Results: Sexual behavior was associated with seven non-sexual risk behaviors, especially with smoking, drinking, drug use and running away from home. In terms of the age at initiation of risk behaviors, smoking and drinking were usually initiated before sexual intercourse. Sexual behavior and non-sexual risk behaviors co-occurred in the high risk group in all three cities. Youth having the highest risk of sexual behavior were more likely to have the highest risk of nearly all non-sexual risk behaviors, with the exception of fighting in Hanoi, and gambling in Shanghai and Taipei. Conclusion: Sexual behavior among unmarried youth is correlated with non-sexual risk behaviors but with different patterns across the three settings. Interventions aimed at reducing unprotected sex generally focus only on the sexual behavior; however, considering the correlations found here between sexual and non-sexual risk behaviors, they should target multiple risk behaviors. PMID:22340860

The relationship between sexual behavior and nonsexual risk behaviors among unmarried youth in three Asian cities.

PubMed

Tu, Xiaowen; Lou, Chaohua; Gao, Ersheng; Li, Nan; Zabin, Laurie S

2012-03-01

Health risk behaviors in adolescents and youth, such as smoking, alcohol, drug use, violence, suicide, and unprotected sexual behavior, are issues of major public health concern. Addressing the relationship between sexual behavior and nonsexual risk behaviors will make a significant contribution to the design of effective intervention programs for this population of adolescents and unmarried youth. This cross-sectional study was conducted in three Asian cities with a common heritage of Confucian values: Hanoi, Shanghai, and Taipei. Data were collected in 2006 from 17,016 youth aged 15-24 years residing in both urban and rural districts of the three settings. The relationships between sexual behavior and seven nonsexual risk behaviors among unmarried adolescents were examined using χ(2) tests, logistic regression models, Cox regression models, and cluster analysis. Sexual behavior was associated with seven nonsexual risk behaviors, especially with smoking, drinking, drug use, and running away from home. In terms of the age at initiation of risk behaviors, smoking and drinking were usually initiated before sexual intercourse. Sexual behavior and nonsexual risk behaviors co-occurred in the high-risk group in all three cities. Youth having the highest risk of sexual behavior were more likely to have the highest risk of nearly all nonsexual risk behaviors, with the exception of fighting in Hanoi and gambling in Shanghai and Taipei. Sexual behavior among unmarried youth is correlated with nonsexual risk behaviors but with different patterns across the three settings. Interventions aimed at reducing unprotected sex generally focus only on the sexual behavior; however, considering the correlations found here between sexual and nonsexual risk behaviors, they should target multiple risk behaviors. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence-based treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a preschool-age child: a case study.

PubMed

Verduin, Timothy L; Abikoff, Howard; Kurtz, Steven M S

2008-04-01

This case study illustrates a behavioral treatment of "Peter," a 4-year-old male with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder. Multiple evidence-based treatment procedures were implemented, affording the opportunity to explore issues common to the clinical application of empirically supported interventions. Among the strategies utilized were behavioral parent training, school consultation and behavioral training of educators, school-based contingency management, and a behavioral daily report card. Numerous issues are discussed, including the limited evidence regarding interventions for preschool-age children with ADHD, factors influencing treatment planning and sequencing, collaboration with schools and parents, and evidence-based assessment of treatment gains.

Methodological Issues Related to the Use of P Less than 0.05 in Health Behavior Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duryea, Elias; Graner, Stephen P.; Becker, Jeremy

2009-01-01

This paper reviews methodological issues related to the use of P less than 0.05 in health behavior research and suggests how application and presentation of statistical significance may be improved. Assessment of sample size and P less than 0.05, the file drawer problem, the Law of Large Numbers and the statistical significance arguments in…

Education of the Early Adolescent with Behavioral Disorders. Proceedings for the Annual Nebraska Symposium on Current Issues (1st, Omaha, Nebraska, May 9-11, 1979).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eyde, Donna R., Ed.; And Others

The collection of 12 papers from the 1979 First Annual Nebraska Symposium focuses on the problem of educating the secondary school aged disturbed student. Entries include the following titles and authors: "Issues in Diagnosis and Programming for Socio-Emotionally Impaired Early Adolescents" (W. Morse); "Adolescent Behavior--The…

Applicability of an Activity Based Cost System in Government Service Organizations

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

126 Other Implications of the Research ............................. 126 Issue 1. Personnel Behavior and Attitudes ................... 127...34 * We will discuss your questinso regarding ABC. * Meor time and redource cosuming activitla of your branchiuectlo..only the S to 8 algaiflcau 0 The...Issue: Impact of ABC interviews on personnel behavior and attitudes. Finding: Reactions to the personnel interview and data gathering phase of the

A Privacy-Protecting Authentication Scheme for Roaming Services with Smart Cards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Kyungho; Han, Dong-Guk; Won, Dongho

In this work we propose a novel smart card based privacy-protecting authentication scheme for roaming services. Our proposal achieves so-called Class 2 privacy protection, i.e., no information identifying a roaming user and also linking the user's behaviors is not revealed in a visited network. It can be used to overcome the inherent structural flaws of smart card based anonymous authentication schemes issued recently. As shown in our analysis, our scheme is computationally efficient for a mobile user.

Family Adjustment of Single Parents in the U. S. Army: An Empirical Analysis of Work Stressors and Adaptive Resources

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-01

families, offer more informal support to vii families through unit and community support organizations, increase training on family-related issues for...paralleled increasing rates of marital separation and divorce as well as unwed parenthood (Bowen & Orthner, 1986). As a consequence, the military’s behavioral...first, Army policy support, was determined by eight items that asked soldiers to rate the helpfulness of a number of Army policies that may affect

Innovative Forms Supporting Safe Methods of Work in Safety Engineering for the Development of Intelligent Specializations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gembalska-Kwiecień, Anna

2016-12-01

The article discusses innovative forms of participation of employees in the work safety system. It also presents the advantages of these forms of employees' involvement. The aim of empirical studies was the analysis of their behavior and attitude towards health and safety at work. The issues considered in the article have a significant impact on the improvement of methods of prevention related to work safety and aided the creation of a healthy society.

Editorial: 2nd Special Issue on behavior change, health, and health disparities.

PubMed

Higgins, Stephen T

2015-11-01

This Special Issue of Preventive Medicine (PM) is the 2nd that we have organized on behavior change, health, and health disparities. This is a topic of fundamental importance to improving population health in the U.S. and other industrialized countries that are trying to more effectively manage chronic health conditions. There is broad scientific consensus that personal behavior patterns such as cigarette smoking, other substance abuse, and physical inactivity/obesity are among the most important modifiable causes of chronic disease and its adverse impacts on population health. As such behavior change needs to be a key component of improving population health. There is also broad agreement that while these problems extend across socioeconomic strata, they are overrepresented among more economically disadvantaged populations and contribute directly to the growing problem of health disparities. Hence, behavior change represents an essential step in curtailing that unsettling problem as well. In this 2nd Special Issue, we devote considerable space to the current U.S. prescription opioid addiction epidemic, a crisis that was not addressed in the prior Special Issue. We also continue to devote attention to the two largest contributors to preventable disease and premature death, cigarette smoking and physical inactivity/obesity as well as risks of co-occurrence of these unhealthy behavior patterns. Across each of these topics we included contributions from highly accomplished policy makers and scientists to acquaint readers with recent accomplishments as well as remaining knowledge gaps and challenges to effectively managing these important chronic health problems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Managing Difficult Behaviour in Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slee, June

2003-01-01

Managing antisocial behavior is a critical issue facing those who work with young children, as the presence of early socialization problems is the single greatest predictor of adolescent and adult antisocial behavior. This booklet highlights the effectiveness of behavior management strategies that introduce and reinforce positive behaviors, rather…

Proposal for an Update of the Definition and Scope of Behavioral Medicine.

PubMed

Dekker, Joost; Stauder, Adrienne; Penedo, Frank J

2017-02-01

We aim to provide an update of the definition and scope of behavioral medicine in the Charter of ISBM, as the present version was developed more than 25 years ago. We identify issues which need clarification or updating. This leads us to propose an update of the definition and scope of behavioral medicine. Issues in need of clarification or updating include the scope of behavioral medicine (biobehavioral mechanisms, clinical diagnosis and intervention, and prevention and health promotion); research as an essential characteristic of all three areas of behavioral medicine; the application of behavioral medicine; the terminology of behavioral medicine as a multidisciplinary field; and the relationship and distinction between behavioral medicine, mental health, health psychology, and psychosomatic medicine. We propose the following updated definition and scope of behavioral medicine: "Behavioral medicine can be defined as the multidisciplinary field concerned with the development and integration of biomedical and behavioral knowledge relevant to health and disease, and the application of this knowledge to prevention, health promotion, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and care. The scope of behavioral medicine extends from biobehavioral mechanisms (i.e., the interaction of biomedical processes with psychological, social, societal, cultural, and environmental processes), to clinical diagnosis and intervention, and to public health."

A systematic review and content analysis of bullying and cyber-bullying measurement strategies

PubMed Central

Vivolo-Kantor, Alana M.; Martell, Brandi N.; Holland, Kristin M.; Westby, Ruth

2015-01-01

Bullying has emerged as a behavior with deleterious effects on youth; however, prevalence estimates vary based on measurement strategies employed. We conducted a systematic review and content analysis of bullying measurement strategies to gain a better understanding of each strategy including behavioral content. Multiple online databases (i.e., PsychInfo, MedLine, ERIC) were searched to identify measurement strategies published between 1985 and 2012. Included measurement strategies assessed bullying behaviors, were administered to respondents with ages of 12 to 20, were administered in English, and included psychometric data. Each publication was coded independently by two study team members with a pre-set data extraction form, who subsequently met to discuss discrepancies. Forty-one measures were included in the review. A majority used differing terminology; student self-report as primary reporting method; and included verbal forms of bullying in item content. Eleven measures included a definition of bullying, and 13 used the term “bullying” in the measure. Very few definitions or measures captured components of bullying such as repetition, power imbalance, aggression, and intent to harm. Findings demonstrate general inconsistency in measurement strategies on a range of issues, thus, making comparing prevalence rates between measures difficult. PMID:26752229

Automatic Classification of Users' Health Information Need Context: Logistic Regression Analysis of Mouse-Click and Eye-Tracker Data.

PubMed

Pian, Wenjing; Khoo, Christopher Sg; Chi, Jianxing

2017-12-21

Users searching for health information on the Internet may be searching for their own health issue, searching for someone else's health issue, or browsing with no particular health issue in mind. Previous research has found that these three categories of users focus on different types of health information. However, most health information websites provide static content for all users. If the three types of user health information need contexts can be identified by the Web application, the search results or information offered to the user can be customized to increase its relevance or usefulness to the user. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of identifying the three user health information contexts (searching for self, searching for others, or browsing with no particular health issue in mind) using just hyperlink clicking behavior; using eye-tracking information; and using a combination of eye-tracking, demographic, and urgency information. Predictive models are developed using multinomial logistic regression. A total of 74 participants (39 females and 35 males) who were mainly staff and students of a university were asked to browse a health discussion forum, Healthboards.com. An eye tracker recorded their examining (eye fixation) and skimming (quick eye movement) behaviors on 2 types of screens: summary result screen displaying a list of post headers, and detailed post screen. The following three types of predictive models were developed using logistic regression analysis: model 1 used only the time spent in scanning the summary result screen and reading the detailed post screen, which can be determined from the user's mouse clicks; model 2 used the examining and skimming durations on each screen, recorded by an eye tracker; and model 3 added user demographic and urgency information to model 2. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis found that users' browsing durations were significantly different for the three health information contexts (P<.001). The logistic regression model 3 was able to predict the user's type of health information context with a 10-fold cross validation mean accuracy of 84% (62/74), followed by model 2 at 73% (54/74) and model 1 at 71% (52/78). In addition, correlation analysis found that particular browsing durations were highly correlated with users' age, education level, and the urgency of their information need. A user's type of health information need context (ie, searching for self, for others, or with no health issue in mind) can be identified with reasonable accuracy using just user mouse clicks that can easily be detected by Web applications. Higher accuracy can be obtained using Google glass or future computing devices with eye tracking function. ©Wenjing Pian, Christopher SG Khoo, Jianxing Chi. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 21.12.2017.

Functional-Based Assessment of Social Behavior: Introduction and Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Timothy J.; Sugai, George

1994-01-01

This introduction to and overview of a special issue on social behavior assessment within schools discusses the impact of function-based methodologies on assessment and intervention practices in identification and remediation of challenging social behaviors. (JDD)

Ethical, Legal, Social, and Policy Implications of Behavioral Genetics

PubMed Central

Berryessa, Colleen M.; Cho, Mildred K.

2015-01-01

The field of behavioral genetics has engendered a host of moral and social concerns virtually since its inception. The policy implications of a genetic basis for behaviors are widespread and extend beyond the clinic to the socially important realms of education, criminal justice, childbearing, and child rearing. The development of new techniques and analytic approaches, including whole-genome sequencing, noninvasive prenatal genetic testing, and optogenetics, has clearly changed the study of behavioral genetics. However, the social context of biomedical research has also changed profoundly over the past few decades, and in ways that are especially relevant to behavioral genetics. The ever-widening scope of behavioral genetics raises ethical, legal, social, and policy issues in the potential new applications to criminal justice, education, the military, and reproduction. These issues are especially critical to address because of their potentially disproportionate effects on vulnerable populations such as children, the unborn, and the incarcerated. PMID:23452225

Issue Paper on Physiological and Behavioral Changes in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This issue paper provides a summary of information from the published literature related to behavioral and physiological changes during pregnancy and lactation that may affect women’s exposure or susceptibility to environmental contaminants, provides potentially useful exposure factor data for this population of women, and highlights data gaps. Background Exposures to environmental contaminants can pose a risk to pregnant women’s health, the developing fetus, children, and adults later in their lives. Assessing risks to this potentially susceptible population requires an understanding of the physiological and behavioral changes that occur during pregnancy and lactation. Many physiological and anatomical changes occur in a woman’s organ systems during the course of pregnancy and lactation. For example, blood volume and cardiac output increase during pregnancy, and other metabolic functions are altered to provide for the demands of the fetus. Nutritional demands are greater during pregnancy and lactation. There also are changes in behavior during both pregnancy and lactation. For example, water consumption during pregnancy and lactation increases. These behavioral and physiological changes can lead to different environmental exposures than these women might otherwise experience in the absence of pregnancy or lactation. The purpose of the issue paper is to provide a summary of data available on physiological and behavioral changes in pregnant a

The relationship between sexual abuse and risky sexual behavior among adolescent boys: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Homma, Yuko; Wang, Naren; Saewyc, Elizabeth; Kishor, Nand

2012-07-01

Childhood and adolescent sexual abuse has been shown to lead to increased odds of sexual behaviors that lead to sexually transmitted infections and early pregnancy involvement. Research, meta-analyses, and interventions, however, have focused primarily on girls and young women who have experienced abuse, yet some adolescent boys are also sexually abused. We performed a meta-analysis of the existing studies to assess the magnitudes of the link between a history of sexual abuse and each of the three risky sexual behaviors among adolescent boys in North America. The three outcomes were (a) unprotected sexual intercourse, (b) multiple sexual partners, and (c) pregnancy involvement. Weighted mean effect sizes were computed from ten independent samples, from nine studies published between 1990 and 2011. Sexually abused boys were significantly more likely than nonabused boys to report all three risky sexual behaviors. Weighted mean odds ratios were 1.91 for unprotected intercourse, 2.91 for multiple sexual partners, and 4.81 for pregnancy involvement. Our results indicate that childhood and adolescent sexual abuse can substantially influence sexual behavior in adolescence among male survivors. To improve sexual health for all adolescents, even young men, we should strengthen sexual abuse prevention initiatives, raise awareness about male sexual abuse survivors' existence and sexual health issues, improve sexual health promotion for abused young men, and screen all people, regardless of gender, for a history of sexual abuse. Copyright © 2012 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Relationship Between Sexual Abuse and Risky Sexual Behavior Among Adolescent Boys: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Homma, Yuko; Wang, Naren; Saewyc, Elizabeth; Kishor, Nand

2016-01-01

Purpose Childhood and adolescent sexual abuse has been shown to lead to increased odds of sexual behaviors that lead to sexually transmitted infections and early pregnancy involvement. Research, meta-analyses, and interventions, however, have focused primarily on girls and young women who have experienced abuse, yet some adolescent boys are also sexually abused. We performed a meta-analysis of the existing studies to assess the magnitudes of the link between a history of sexual abuse and each of three risky sexual behaviors among adolescent boys in North America. Methods The three outcomes were a) unprotected sexual intercourse, b) multiple sexual partners, and c) pregnancy involvement. Weighted mean effect sizes were computed from 10 independent samples, from nine studies published between 1990 and 2011. Results Sexually abused boys were significantly more likely than non-abused boys to report all three risky sexual behaviors. Weighted mean odds ratios were 1.91 for unprotected intercourse, 2.91 for multiple sexual partners, and 4.81 for pregnancy involvement. Conclusions Our results indicate that childhood and adolescent sexual abuse can substantially Influence sexual behavior in adolescence among male survivors. To improve sexual health for all adolescents, even young men, we should strengthen sexual abuse prevention initiatives, raise awareness about male sexual abuse survivors’ existence and sexual health issues, improve sexual health promotion for abused young men, and screen all people, regardless of gender, for a history of sexual abuse. PMID:22727072

Alcohol Use Severity Among Hispanic Emerging Adults in Higher Education: Understanding the Effect of Cultural Congruity.

PubMed

Cano, Miguel Ángel; Vaughan, Ellen L; de Dios, Marcel A; Castro, Yessenia; Roncancio, Angelica M; Ojeda, Lizette

2015-01-01

Identifying and understanding determinants of alcohol use behavior among Hispanic college students is an increasingly important public health issue, particularly during emerging adulthood. Studies examining ethnocultural determinants of alcohol use behavior among Hispanic college students have focused on direct associations with cultural orientation (e.g., acculturation and enculturation); yet there is a need for research that accounts for the complex interplay of other culturally relevant sociocultural factors. This study examined associations of behavioral acculturation, behavioral enculturation, and cultural congruity (perception of cultural fit between the values of the academic environment and the student's personal values) with alcohol use severity (AUS); and tested if gender moderated those associations. A hierarchical linear regression and moderation analysis were conducted on a sample of 167 Hispanic emerging adults (ages 18-25) enrolled in college. All predictor variables entered in the regression model accounted for 20.9% of the variance in AUS. After controlling for demographic variables and depressive symptoms, behavioral acculturation and enculturation did not have a statistically significant association with AUS. Further, gender did not moderate either of these associations. Conversely, greater cultural congruity was associated with lower reports of AUS. A moderation analysis suggested that cultural congruity predicted lower reports of AUS among men, but not among women. This was the first known study to examine the association of cultural congruity with alcohol use. Findings highlight the value of examining contextual factors of culture and moving beyond reductive measures of cultural orientation.

Transitions between superstatistical regimes: Validity, breakdown and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jizba, Petr; Korbel, Jan; Lavička, Hynek; Prokš, Martin; Svoboda, Václav; Beck, Christian

2018-03-01

Superstatistics is a widely employed tool of non-equilibrium statistical physics which plays an important rôle in analysis of hierarchical complex dynamical systems. Yet, its "canonical" formulation in terms of a single nuisance parameter is often too restrictive when applied to complex empirical data. Here we show that a multi-scale generalization of the superstatistics paradigm is more versatile, allowing to address such pertinent issues as transmutation of statistics or inter-scale stochastic behavior. To put some flesh on the bare bones, we provide a numerical evidence for a transition between two superstatistics regimes, by analyzing high-frequency (minute-tick) data for share-price returns of seven selected companies. Salient issues, such as breakdown of superstatistics in fractional diffusion processes or connection with Brownian subordination are also briefly discussed.

Spectral Properties of Limit-Periodic Schrödinger Operators (PhD Thesis)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gideonse, Hendrik David, XIX

The Acoustic Ramp is a wedge-shaped, number-theoretical quadratic-residue-type acoustic diffuser. Since the late 1970's, several methodologies for the testing and analysis of diffusers have been developed including, the ISO Scattering Coefficient and the AES Diffusion Coefficient. These coefficients are the source of some controversy today and this paper makes the attempt to investigate the benefits and weaknesses of these tools by using them to research and test the Acoustic Ramp. Several issues are exposed in using the coefficients, the most important of which being the validity of the comparison of the diffuser's behavior to that of a like sized flat panel. Further issues comprise of an intuitive disconnect between the perceived merits of polar plots and the numerical value of coefficients derived from the plots.

Differences and similarities in cross-cultural perceptions of boundaries: a comparison of results from two studies.

PubMed

Miller, Patrice Marie; Bener, Abdulbari; Ghuloum, Suhaila; Commons, Michael Lamport; Burgut, F Tuna

2012-01-01

There has been substantial literature on boundary excursions in clinician-patient relationships; however, very little empirical research exists. Even less information exists on how perceptions of this issue might differ across cultures. Prior to this study, empirical data on various kinds of boundary excursions were collected in different cultural contexts. First, clinicians from the U.S. and Brazil were asked to rate 173 boundary excursions for both their perceived harmfulness and their professional unacceptability (Miller et al., 2006). In a second study, colleagues from Qatar administered a slightly modified version to mental health care professional staff of a hospital in Doha, Qatar (Ghuloum et al., 2011). In this paper, the results of these two separate studies are compared. The results showed some similarities and some differences in perceptions of the boundary behaviors. For example, both sets of cultures seem to agree that certain behaviors are seriously harmful and/or professionally unacceptable. These behaviors include some frankly sexual behavior, such as having sexual intercourse with a patient, as well as behavior related to doing business with the patient, and some disclosing behavior. There are also significant cultural differences in perceptions of how harmful some of the behaviors are. Qatari practitioners seemed to rate certain behaviors that within therapy mix disclosing or personal behavior with therapy as more harmful, but behaviors that involved interacting with patients outside of therapy as less serious. A factor analysis suggested that participants in U.S./Brazil saw a much larger number of behaviors as making up a set of Core Boundary Violations, whereas Qatari respondents separated sexual behaviors from others. Finally, a Rasch analysis showed that both cultures perceived a continuum of boundary behaviors, from those that are least harmful or unprofessional to those that are highly harmful or unprofessional. One interpretation is that cultural factors may be most influential on those kinds of behaviors that are perceived as relatively less serious. Implications for training and supervision are also discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design Effectiveness Analysis of a Media Literacy Intervention to Reduce Violent Video Games Consumption Among Adolescents: The Relevance of Lifestyles Segmentation.

PubMed

Rivera, Reynaldo; Santos, David; Brändle, Gaspar; Cárdaba, Miguel Ángel M

2016-04-01

Exposure to media violence might have detrimental effects on psychological adjustment and is associated with aggression-related attitudes and behaviors. As a result, many media literacy programs were implemented to tackle that major public health issue. However, there is little evidence about their effectiveness. Evaluating design effectiveness, particularly regarding targeting process, would prevent adverse effects and improve the evaluation of evidence-based media literacy programs. The present research examined whether or not different relational lifestyles may explain the different effects of an antiviolence intervention program. Based on relational and lifestyles theory, the authors designed a randomized controlled trial and applied an analysis of variance 2 (treatment: experimental vs. control) × 4 (lifestyle classes emerged from data using latent class analysis: communicative vs. autonomous vs. meta-reflexive vs. fractured). Seven hundred and thirty-five Italian students distributed in 47 classes participated anonymously in the research (51.3% females). Participants completed a lifestyle questionnaire as well as their attitudes and behavioral intentions as the dependent measures. The results indicated that the program was effective in changing adolescents' attitudes toward violence. However, behavioral intentions toward consumption of violent video games were moderated by lifestyles. Those with communicative relational lifestyles showed fewer intentions to consume violent video games, while a boomerang effect was found among participants with problematic lifestyles. Adolescents' lifestyles played an important role in influencing the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at changing behavioral intentions toward the consumption of violent video games. For that reason, audience lifestyle segmentation analysis should be considered an essential technique for designing, evaluating, and improving media literacy programs. © The Author(s) 2016.

Direct Behavior Rating: A Review of the Issues and Research in Its Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chafouleas, Sandra M.

2011-01-01

The conceptual foundation for Direct Behavior Rating as a behavior assessment method is reviewed. A contemporary definition of Direct Behavior Rating is framed as combining strengths of systematic direct observation and behavior rating scales, which may result in a usable and defensible assessment tool for educators engaged in formative purposes.…

What Does Quantum Physics Have to Do with Behavior Disorders?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center, David B.

This paper argues that human agency as a causal factor in behavior must be considered in any model of behavior and behavior disorders. Since human agency is historically tied to the issue of consciousness, to argue that consciousness plays a causal role in behavior requires a plausible explanation of consciousness. This paper proposes that…

Behavioral Approach to Assessment of Youth with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders: A Handbook for School-Based Practitioners. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breen, Michael J., Ed.; Fiedler, Craig R., Ed.

The 15 chapters in this book address behavioral approaches to the assessment of youth with emotional and/or behavioral disorders. Chapters have the following titles and authors: (1) "Behavioral Assessment: An Overview" (Catherine Stanger); (2) "Legal and Ethical Issues in the Educational Assessment and Programming for Youth with…

Improving Behavior with Preschool Consultation: A Pilot Study of the TOTS Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGoey, Kara E.; Rispoli, Kristin; Schneider, Dana L.; Clark, Barbara; Portz Novak, Kandi J.

2013-01-01

Preschool children may exhibit a range of problematic behaviors that may impede development and disrupt classroom functioning. As a result, preschool children are often expelled from programs when behavioral issues cannot be adequately addressed. Preschool behavioral consultation serves as a promising alternative to expulsion, as consultants can…

Severe Behavior Disorders of Children and Youth. Monograph in Behavioral Disorders, Volume 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutherford, Robert B., Jr., Ed.; Mathur, Sarup R., Ed.

This volume presents 13 papers focusing on definition and assessment, interventions, comprehensive systems for services, and teacher training issues related to students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Papers include: "The State of the Art in Behavioral Disorders: Changing Problems, Populations, and Paradigms--Keynote Paper"…

Exploring Filipino Adolescents' Perceptions of the Legitimacy of Parental Authority over Academic Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernardo, Allan B. I.

2010-01-01

Filipino adolescents' perceptions regarding the legitimacy of parental control over academic behaviors was investigated. It was assumed that the adolescents would differentiate between the issues inherent in various types or domains of academic behaviors. The results revealed three domains of academic behaviors: learning processes, college major…

Cultural Mechanisms in the Exchange of Social Support Among Puerto Ricans After a Natural Disaster

PubMed Central

Rivera, Fernando I.

2012-01-01

In this study, I uncovered the dynamics involved in the exchange (or lack) of social support among a group of Puerto Ricans who experienced a natural disaster. I coded and analyzed 12 semistructured qualitative interviews. My analysis of the interviews revealed that a reported high degree of need was not associated with any type of help seeking from the respondents' social support networks. Relevant issues that arose in explaining the lack of social support exchanges were level of comfort in help seeking and cultural issues. My findings point to the importance of culture in shaping patterns of help-seeking behavior in the aftermath of a disaster. Two of the most salient cultural explanations as to why disaster victims were reluctant to ask for help from family and friends were the issues of confianza (trust) and pena (embarrassment). I discuss the results with reference to how they might help in planning and establishing programs to maximize help seeking among Latinos/as in an emergency situation. PMID:22232298

Cultural mechanisms in the exchange of social support among Puerto Ricans after a natural disaster.

PubMed

Rivera, Fernando I

2012-06-01

In this study, I uncovered the dynamics involved in the exchange (or lack) of social support among a group of Puerto Ricans who experienced a natural disaster. I coded and analyzed 12 semistructured qualitative interviews. My analysis of the interviews revealed that a reported high degree of need was not associated with any type of help seeking from the respondents' social support networks. Relevant issues that arose in explaining the lack of social support exchanges were level of comfort in help seeking and cultural issues. My findings point to the importance of culture in shaping patterns of help-seeking behavior in the aftermath of a disaster. Two of the most salient cultural explanations as to why disaster victims were reluctant to ask for help from family and friends were the issues of confianza (trust) and pena (embarrassment). I discuss the results with reference to how they might help in planning and establishing programs to maximize help seeking among Latinos/as in an emergency situation.

Gynecologic issues of adolescents with Down syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Burke, Lori M; Kalpakjian, Claire Z; Smith, Yolanda R; Quint, Elisabeth H

2010-02-01

The gynecologic issues of adolescents with disabilities are understudied. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the presenting complaints, treatments, and follow-up of adolescent girls with Down syndrome (DS), autism, and cerebral palsy (CP) presenting to a specialized gynecologic clinic for women with developmental disabilities. Outpatient gynecology clinic. Forty four adolescents (<21 y); 13 with DS, 14 with autism, and 17 with CP who presented to the clinic from 1999 to 2006. None. A retrospective review of the electronic medical records to collect data on age at presentation to clinic, ethnicity, menstrual history, chief complaint, treatment, and follow-up. Mean age at presentation to clinic was 15+/-3.5 years, and age of menarche was 12.5+/-2 years; age at menarche did not significantly differ between groups. The most frequent complaints were irregular bleeding (n=10) and mood/behavioral changes (n=6). Girls with autism were significantly (chi(2)=8.89, P=.012) more likely to present with behavioral issues than the other 2 groups. Initial management for the behavior issues in the autism group included nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), oral contraceptives, and education. The most common gynecologic complaints of adolescent girls with DS, autism, and CP centered on menstruation and mood disorders. Patients with autism were more likely to present with behavioral issues related to the onset of periods. Copyright 2010 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hybrid pairwise likelihood analysis of animal behavior experiments.

PubMed

Cattelan, Manuela; Varin, Cristiano

2013-12-01

The study of the determinants of fights between animals is an important issue in understanding animal behavior. For this purpose, tournament experiments among a set of animals are often used by zoologists. The results of these tournament experiments are naturally analyzed by paired comparison models. Proper statistical analysis of these models is complicated by the presence of dependence between the outcomes of fights because the same animal is involved in different contests. This paper discusses two different model specifications to account for between-fights dependence. Models are fitted through the hybrid pairwise likelihood method that iterates between optimal estimating equations for the regression parameters and pairwise likelihood inference for the association parameters. This approach requires the specification of means and covariances only. For this reason, the method can be applied also when the computation of the joint distribution is difficult or inconvenient. The proposed methodology is investigated by simulation studies and applied to real data about adult male Cape Dwarf Chameleons. © 2013, The International Biometric Society.

Analytical issues in the evaluation of food deprivation and sucrose concentration effects on the microstructure of licking behavior in the rat.

PubMed

Spector, A C; Klumpp, P A; Kaplan, J M

1998-06-01

A microstructural analysis of licking behavior in nondeprived and 23-hr food-deprived rats (n = 15) presented with various sucrose solutions (0.03-1.0 M) in daily single-bottle, 1-hr sessions was conducted. Food deprivation and concentration interacted to increase total licks. The effects of food deprivation and concentration on burst size (BS), burst number (BN), and other parameters varied as a function of the pause criterion (PC; 0.3-100 s) used to define licking bursts. A rationale for selecting a 1-s PC for further analysis is presented. Despite the lack of correlations between temporally contiguous burst and pause combinations, mean BS decreased and pause duration increased as meals progressed. At the 1-s PC, BS increased linearly with concentration, implying that this microstructural parameter is influenced in part by taste. Food deprivation did not affect BS but rather increased BN and proportionally extended the meal duration.

Single-Case Experimental Designs to Evaluate Novel Technology-Based Health Interventions

PubMed Central

Cassidy, Rachel N; Raiff, Bethany R

2013-01-01

Technology-based interventions to promote health are expanding rapidly. Assessing the preliminary efficacy of these interventions can be achieved by employing single-case experiments (sometimes referred to as n-of-1 studies). Although single-case experiments are often misunderstood, they offer excellent solutions to address the challenges associated with testing new technology-based interventions. This paper provides an introduction to single-case techniques and highlights advances in developing and evaluating single-case experiments, which help ensure that treatment outcomes are reliable, replicable, and generalizable. These advances include quality control standards, heuristics to guide visual analysis of time-series data, effect size calculations, and statistical analyses. They also include experimental designs to isolate the active elements in a treatment package and to assess the mechanisms of behavior change. The paper concludes with a discussion of issues related to the generality of findings derived from single-case research and how generality can be established through replication and through analysis of behavioral mechanisms. PMID:23399668

Physicians' decision process for drug prescription and the impact of pharmaceutical marketing mix instruments.

PubMed

Campo, Katia; De Staebel, Odette; Gijsbrechts, Els; van Waterschoot, Walter

2005-01-01

This paper provides an in-depth, qualitative analysis of the physicians' decision process for drug prescription. Drugs in the considered therapeutic classes are mainly prescribed by specialists, treating patients with obligatory medical insurance, for a prolonged period of time. The research approach is specifically designed to capture the full complexity and sensitive nature of the physician's choice behavior, which appears to be more hybrid and less rational in nature than is often assumed in quantitative, model-based analyses of prescription behavior. Several interesting findings emerge from the analysis: (i) non-compensatory decision rules seem to dominate the decision process, (ii) consideration sets are typically small and change-resistant, (iii) drug cost is not a major issue for most physicians, (iv) detailing remains one of the most powerful pharmaceutical marketing instruments and is highly appreciated as a valuable and quick source of information, and (v) certain types of non-medical marketing incentives (such as free conference participation) may in some situations also influence drug choices.

Social media interventions to prevent HIV: A review of interventions and methodological considerations.

PubMed

Tso, Lai Sze; Tang, Weiming; Li, Haochu; Yan, H Yanna; Tucker, Joseph D

2016-06-01

Persistent new HIV infections and risky behaviors underscore the need for enhanced HIV prevention. Social media interventions may promote safe sexual behaviors, increase HIV testing uptake, and promote safe injection behaviors. This review discusses how social media interventions tap into the wisdom of crowds through crowdsourcing, build peer-mentored communities, and deliver interventions through social networks. Social media HIV prevention interventions are constrained by ethical issues, low social media usage among some key populations, and implementation issues. Comprehensive measurement of social media interventions to prevent HIV is necessary, but requires further development of metrics.

Boosting wisdom: distance from the self enhances wise reasoning, attitudes, and behavior.

PubMed

Kross, Ethan; Grossmann, Igor

2012-02-01

Although humans strive to be wise, they often fail to do so when reasoning over issues that have profound personal implications. Here we examine whether psychological distance enhances wise reasoning, attitudes and behavior under such circumstances. Two experiments demonstrate that cueing people to reason about personally meaningful issues (Study 1: Career prospects for the unemployed during an economic recession; Study 2: Anticipated societal changes associated with one's chosen candidate losing the 2008 U.S. Presidential election) from a distanced perspective enhances wise reasoning (dialecticism; intellectual humility), attitudes (cooperation-related attitude assimilation), and behavior (willingness to join a bipartisan group).

Social media interventions to prevent HIV: A review of interventions and methodological considerations

PubMed Central

Tso, Lai Sze; Tang, Weiming; Li, Haochu; Yan, H. Yanna; Tucker, Joseph D.

2015-01-01

Persistent new HIV infections and risky behaviors underscore the need for enhanced HIV prevention. Social media interventions may promote safe sexual behaviors, increase HIV testing uptake, and promote safe injection behaviors. This review discusses how social media interventions tap into the wisdom of crowds through crowdsourcing, build peer-mentored communities, and deliver interventions through social networks. Social media HIV prevention interventions are constrained by ethical issues, low social media usage among some key populations, and implementation issues. Comprehensive measurement of social media interventions to prevent HIV is necessary, but requires further development of metrics. PMID:26516632

Sex differences in principal farm operators' tractor driving safety beliefs and behaviors.

PubMed

Cole, H P; Westneat, S C; Browning, S R; Piercy, L R; Struttmann, T

2000-01-01

To examine the widely accepted hypothesis that farm women are more concerned with safety issues and behaviors than their male counterparts are. A telephone survey was administered to a random sample of Kentucky principal farm operators, 90 of whom were women. Participants were questioned about their tractor safety beliefs and practices. No significant sex differences in tractor safety perceptions and behavior were observed. Socialization of women to the role of principal farm operator may override their typically greater sensitivity to safety issues, an important consideration when designing safety campaigns for this population.

Time out

MedlinePlus

... but no more than 5 minutes. Once your child shows bad behavior, explain clearly what the unacceptable behavior is, and ... a grudge -- let the issue go. Since your child has done the time out, there is no need to continue to discuss the bad behavior.

Motivational interviewing: helping patients move toward change.

PubMed

Richardson, Luann

2012-01-01

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a valuable tool for nurses to help patients address behavior change. MI has been found effective for helping patients with multiple chronic conditions, adherence issues, and lifestyle issues change their health behaviors. For Christian nurses, MI is consistent with biblical principles and can be seen as a form of ministry. This article overviews the process of MI, stages of change, and offers direction for further learning.

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977-78. Issue No. 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experience as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the sixteenth in a series of 19 hearings dating…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977-78. Issue No. 14.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experience as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the fourteenth in a series of 19 hearings dating…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977-78. Issue No. 19.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the last in a series of 19 hearings dating from…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977-78. Issue No. 18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the eighteenth in a series of 19 hearings dating…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977. Issue No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science, Senate of Canada. This issue, the fourth in a series of 19…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977. Issue No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the first in a series of 19 hearings dating from…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977-78. Issue No. 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders of criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experience as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the thirteenth in a series of 19 hearings dating…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977. Issue No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Cause of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the second in a series of 19 hearings dating from…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977-78. Issue No. 10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the tenth in a series of 19 hearings dating from…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977-78. Issue No. 15.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experience as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the fifteenth in a series of 19 hearings dating…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977-78. Issue No. 12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experience as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the twelveth in a series of 19 hearings dating…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977. Issue No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science, Senate of Canada. This issue, the third in a series of 19…

The Impact of a Combined Cognitive-Affective Intervention on Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes, Knowledge, and Anticipated Professional Behaviors regarding Homosexuality and Gay and Lesbian Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riggs, Angela D.; Rosenthal, Amy R.; Smith-Bonahue, Tina

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a cognitive-affective intervention the attitudes, knowledge, and anticipated professional behaviors regarding homosexuality and gay and lesbian issues of pre-service teachers in the United States. Sixty-seven participants were randomly assigned either to a control group (n=34) or an…

Proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behaviour, Senate of Canada, Third Session, Thirtieth Parliament, 1977-78. Issue No. 11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Senate Committee of Canada (Ontario). Standing Senate Committee on Health, Welfare and Science.

Experiences in prenatal life and early childhood that may cause personality disorders or criminal behavior in later life are examined in these proceedings of the Subcommittee on Childhood Experiences as Causes of Criminal Behavior of the Standing Committee on Health, Welfare and Science. This issue, the eleventh in a series of 19 hearings dating…

The Good Behavior Game: a best practice candidate as a universal behavioral vaccine.

PubMed

Embry, Dennis D

2002-12-01

A "behavioral vaccine" provides an inoculation against morbidity or mortality, impacting physical, mental, or behavior disorders. An historical example of a behavioral vaccine is antiseptic hand washing to reduce childbed fever. In current society, issues with high levels of morbidity, such as substance abuse, delinquency, youth violence, and other behavioral disorders (multiproblems), cry out for a low-cost, widespread strategy as simple as antiseptic hand washing. Congruent research findings from longitudinal studies, twin studies, and other investigations suggest that a possibility might exist for a behavioral vaccine for multiproblem behavior. A simple behavioral strategy called the Good Behavior Game (GBG), which reinforces inhibition in a group context of elementary school, has substantial previous research to consider its use as a behavioral vaccine. The GBG is not a curriculum but rather a simple behavioral procedure from applied behavior analysis. Approximately 20 independent replications of the GBG across different grade levels, different types of students, different settings, and some with long-term follow-up show strong, consistent impact on impulsive, disruptive behaviors of children and teens as well as reductions in substance use or serious antisocial behaviors. The GBG, named as a "best practice" for the prevention of substance abuse or violent behavior by a number of federal agencies, is unique because it is the only practice implemented by individual teachers that is documented to have long-term effects. Presently, the GBG is only used in a small number of settings. However, near universal use of the GBG, in major political jurisdictions during the elementary years, could substantially reduce the incidence of substance use, antisocial behavior, and other adverse developmental or social consequences at a very modest cost, with very positive cost-effectiveness ratios.

Social Issue Entertainment 2.0: How pop culture, behavioral science and impact evaluation can motivate social and environmental change (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shome, D.

2010-12-01

Mainstream entertainment’s influence on our cognition, emotions, and behavior is often profound. Mass media permeates both the public and private spheres of society, saturating communities with messages from a diverse range of sources. While advertisers regularly take advantage of the extensive reach and influence of the media, social scientists, policy makers, and nonprofits have seen little success in incorporating social and environmental messaging into entertainment. Harmony Institute’s goal is to harness the power of mainstream media to provide US audiences with entertainment that educates on social and environmental issues and increases both individual and community action. The entertainment the Institute helps to produce connects with viewers on both a cognitive and emotional level. The Institute uses innovative methods across disciplines in order to measure entertainment’s impact and influence. Since its founding two years ago, the Institute has worked on a wide range of projects that have helped to establish its methodology for measured impact that applies behavioral science theory and entertainment to social and environmental issues. Projects spanning media platforms and social/environmental issues have included a web serial drama incorporating issues of water conservation and ocean stewardship into the narrative and a fotonovela for Hispanic youth in Houston focused on local environmental issues. In summer 2010, the Harmony Institute released FTW! Net Neutrality For The Win: How Entertainment and the Science of Influence Can Save Your Internet, an issue-specific communications guide about open Internet access that explains how to craft a communications strategy that connects with audiences using behavioral science research findings. In 2010-2011, the Institute will focus on measuring the impact and influence that media can have on social and environmental issues. The Institute has developed a comprehensive media evaluation methodology that employs three broad categories (comprehension, attitude, response) for evaluation. This framework accommodates evaluation standards developed across the academic, policy, nonprofit, and commercial worlds and offers a framework for assessing the outcomes and impact of media. I will discuss why narrative and storytelling are the missing links to impactful messaging, why impact evaluation is vital, and how the Harmony Institute’s unique methodology incorporates social and environmental messaging into narrative using behavioral science theory.

Psychometric validation of the Columbia-Suicide Severity rating scale in Spanish-speaking adolescents.

PubMed

Serrani Azcurra, Daniel

2017-12-30

Adolescent suicide is a major public health issue, and early and accurate detection is of great concern. There are many reliable instruments for this purpose, such as the Columbia-Suicide severity rating scale (C-SSRS), but no validation exists for Spanish speaking Latin American adolescents. To assess psychometric properties and cut-off scores of the C-SSRS in Spanish speaking adolescents. Exploratory assessment with principal component analysis (PCA) and Varimax rotation, and confirmatory analysis (CFA) were performed on two groups with 782 and 834 participants respectively (N=1616). Mean age was 24.8 years. A Receiver operator analysis was applied to distinguish between control and suicide-risk subgroups adolescents. Promax rotation yielded two 10-items factors, for suicide ideation and behavior respectively. C-SSRS was positively correlated with other suicide risk scales, such as Beck Depression Inventory-II, Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, or PHQ-9. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution as the best goodness of fit model. C-SSRS showed adequate ability to detect suicide risk group with positive predictive value of 68.3%. ROC analyses showed cutoff scores of ≥ 6 and ≥ 4 for suicide ideation and behavior scales respectively. This research offers data supporting psychometric validity and reliability of C-SSRS in nonclinical Spanish-speaking students. Added benefits are flexible scoring and management easiness. This questionnaire yields data on distinct aspects of suicidality, being more parsimonious than separate administration of a bunch of questionnaires.

Psychometric validation of the Columbia-Suicide Severity rating scale in Spanish-speaking adolescents

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: Adolescent suicide is a major public health issue, and early and accurate detection is of great concern. There are many reliable instruments for this purpose, such as the Columbia-Suicide severity rating scale (C-SSRS), but no validation exists for Spanish speaking Latin American adolescents. Objetive: To assess psychometric properties and cut-off scores of the C-SSRS in Spanish speaking adolescents. Methods: Exploratory assessment with principal component analysis (PCA) and Varimax rotation, and confirmatory analysis (CFA) were performed on two groups with 782 and 834 participants respectively (N=1616). Mean age was 24.8 years. A Receiver operator analysis was applied to distinguish between control and suicide-risk subgroups adolescents. Results: Promax rotation yielded two 10-items factors, for suicide ideation and behavior respectively. C-SSRS was positively correlated with other suicide risk scales, such as Beck Depression Inventory-II, Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised, or PHQ-9. Confirmatory factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution as the best goodness of fit model. C-SSRS showed adequate ability to detect suicide risk group with positive predictive value of 68.3%. ROC analyses showed cutoff scores of ≥ 6 and ≥ 4 for suicide ideation and behavior scales respectively Conclusion: This research offers data supporting psychometric validity and reliability of C-SSRS in nonclinical Spanish-speaking students. Added benefits are flexible scoring and management easiness. This questionnaire yields data on distinct aspects of suicidality, being more parsimonious than separate administration of a bunch of questionnaires. PMID:29662259

Ethical challenges with hemodialysis patients who lack decision-making capacity: behavioral issues, surrogate decision-makers, and end-of-life situations.

PubMed

Feely, Molly A; Albright, Robert C; Thorsteinsdottir, Björg; Moss, Alvin H; Swetz, Keith M

2014-09-01

Hemodialysis (HD) is routinely offered to patients with end-stage renal disease in the United States who are ineligible for other renal replacement modalities. The frequency of HD among the US population is greater than all other countries, except Taiwan and Japan. In US, patients are often dialyzed irrespective of age, comorbidities, prognosis, or decision-making capacity. Determination of when patients can no longer dialyze is variable and can be dialysis-center specific. Determinants may be related to progressive comorbidities and frailty, mobility or access issues, patient self-determination, or an inability to tolerate the treatment safely for any number of reasons (e.g., hypotension, behavioral issues). Behavioral issues may impact the safety of not only patients themselves, but also those around them. In this article the authors present the case of an elderly patient on HD with progressive cognitive impairment and combative behavior placing him and others at risk of physical harm. The authors discuss the medical, ethical, legal, and psychosocial challenges to care of such patients who lack decision-making capacity with a focus on variable approaches by regions and culture. This manuscript provides recommendations and highlights resources to assist nephrologists, dialysis personnel, ethics consultants, and palliative medicine teams in managing such patients to resolve conflict.

Characteristics and underlying meaning of hoarding behavior in elders with Alzheimer's dementia: caregivers' perspective.

PubMed

Wang, Jing-Jy; Feldt, Karen; Cheng, Wen-Yun

2012-09-01

Dementia and its associated problem behaviors remain bothersome to family and professional caregivers. Exploring characteristics and the underlying meaning of disruptive behaviors in elders with Alzheimer's dementia can be a first step to pursuing patient-centered care. Although hoarding is relatively harmless, unattended excessive hoarding can create health and safety issues for both patients and caregivers. This study examined the characteristics and underlying meaning of hoarding behavior among Taiwanese elders with Alzheimer's dementia from the perspective of family caregivers. We used an exploratory research design and purposive sampling. A total of 12 family caregivers of elders with Alzheimer's dementia received qualitative interview. We used one-on-one in-depth interviews to collect data and content analysis to analyze data. Three main characteristics related to hoarding behavior emerged from the data were "influence of former and current symptoms," "recurrence of the original personal characteristics and habits," and "re-experiencing past economic crises." These three characteristics reflected patients' past social and family background and the current life situation. We elicited "a desire for security" as the underlying meaning of hoarding behavior. Findings of this study provide a reference for family and professional care providers to understand dementia-related problem behaviors. Improved caregiver understanding of dementia patient behaviors may help improve caregiver-patient interaction and communication and help caregivers better meet patient needs.

Systemic Analysis Approaches for Air Transportation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conway, Sheila

2005-01-01

Air transportation system designers have had only limited success using traditional operations research and parametric modeling approaches in their analyses of innovations. They need a systemic methodology for modeling of safety-critical infrastructure that is comprehensive, objective, and sufficiently concrete, yet simple enough to be used with reasonable investment. The methodology must also be amenable to quantitative analysis so issues of system safety and stability can be rigorously addressed. However, air transportation has proven itself an extensive, complex system whose behavior is difficult to describe, no less predict. There is a wide range of system analysis techniques available, but some are more appropriate for certain applications than others. Specifically in the area of complex system analysis, the literature suggests that both agent-based models and network analysis techniques may be useful. This paper discusses the theoretical basis for each approach in these applications, and explores their historic and potential further use for air transportation analysis.

Changing personnel behavior to promote quality care practices in an intensive care unit

PubMed Central

Cooper, Dominic; Farmery, Keith; Johnson, Martin; Harper, Christine; Clarke, Fiona L; Holton, Phillip; Wilson, Susan; Rayson, Paul; Bence, Hugh

2005-01-01

The delivery of safe high quality patient care is a major issue in clinical settings. However, the implementation of evidence-based practice and educational interventions are not always effective at improving performance. A staff-led behavioral management process was implemented in a large single-site acute (secondary and tertiary) hospital in the North of England for 26 weeks. A quasi-experimental, repeated-measures, within-groups design was used. Measurement focused on quality care behaviors (ie, documentation, charting, hand washing). The results demonstrate the efficacy of a staff-led behavioral management approach for improving quality-care practices. Significant behavioral change (F [6, 19] = 5.37, p < 0.01) was observed. Correspondingly, statistically significant (t-test [t] = 3.49, df = 25, p < 0.01) reductions in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were obtained. Discussion focuses on implementation issues. PMID:18360574

Structural zeroes and zero-inflated models.

PubMed

He, Hua; Tang, Wan; Wang, Wenjuan; Crits-Christoph, Paul

2014-08-01

In psychosocial and behavioral studies count outcomes recording the frequencies of the occurrence of some health or behavior outcomes (such as the number of unprotected sexual behaviors during a period of time) often contain a preponderance of zeroes because of the presence of 'structural zeroes' that occur when some subjects are not at risk for the behavior of interest. Unlike random zeroes (responses that can be greater than zero, but are zero due to sampling variability), structural zeroes are usually very different, both statistically and clinically. False interpretations of results and study findings may result if differences in the two types of zeroes are ignored. However, in practice, the status of the structural zeroes is often not observed and this latent nature complicates the data analysis. In this article, we focus on one model, the zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression model that is commonly used to address zero-inflated data. We first give a brief overview of the issues of structural zeroes and the ZIP model. We then given an illustration of ZIP with data from a study on HIV-risk sexual behaviors among adolescent girls. Sample codes in SAS and Stata are also included to help perform and explain ZIP analyses.

Rising youth suicide and the changing cultural context in South Korea.

PubMed

Park, B C Ben; Soo Im, Jeong; Strother Ratcliff, Kathryn

2014-01-01

South Korean society faces a serious challenge in the increasing rates of youth suicidal behavior. There is a need both to gain a better understanding of the causes of this behavior and to develop strategies for responding to this critical public health issue. This article analyzes how psychological, sociopsychological, and subcultural factors influence suicidal proneness among Korean youth as well as makes suggestions for developing social policies that could reduce Korean youth suicidal behaviors. Correlation and multivariate regression analyses on suicide proneness and depression were employed using a sample of 172 South Korean youths (aged 18-24) selected from the 2009 General Social Survey collected through face-to-face interviews. Young people's suicidal proneness is associated with depression, a tolerant attitude toward suicide, strained family relations, living in rural areas, being female, and being closely related to survivors of suicide or potential suicides. The findings from this study reveal the significance of social and cultural factors as influences on recent youth suicidal behavior in Korea. The analysis suggests that the underlying risk factors of suicidal behavior are embedded in the changing social and cultural context of Korean society. Thus, suicide prevention efforts should involve more than merely treating any underlying psychiatric disorders.

Development and psychometric testing of a new instrument to measure factors influencing women's breast cancer prevention behaviors (ASSISTS).

PubMed

Khazaee-Pool, Maryam; Majlessi, Fereshteh; Montazeri, Ali; Pashaei, Tahereh; Gholami, Ali; Ponnet, Koen

2016-07-22

Breast cancer preventive behaviors have an extreme effect on women's health. Despite the benefits of preventive behaviors regarding breast cancer, they have not been implemented as routine care for healthy women. To assess this health issue, a reliable and valid scale is needed. The aim of the present study is to develop and examine the psychometric properties of a new scale, called the ASSISTS, in order to identify factors that affect women's breast cancer prevention behaviors. A multi-phase instrument development method was performed to develop the questionnaire from February 2012 to September 2014. The item pool was generated based on secondary analyses of previous qualitative data. Then, content and face validity were applied to provide a pre-final version of the scale. The scale validation was conducted with a sample of women recruited from health centers affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The construct validity (both exploratory and confirmatory), convergent validity, discriminate validity, internal consistency reliability and test-retest analysis of the questionnaire were tested. Fifty-eight items were initially extracted from the secondary analysis of previous qualitative data. After content validity, this was reduced to 49 items. The exploratory factor analysis revealed seven factors (Attitude, supportive systems, self-efficacy, information seeking, stress management, stimulant and self-care) containing 33 items that jointly accounted for 60.62 % of the observed variance. The confirmatory factor analysis showed a model with appropriate fitness for the data. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the subscales ranged from 0.68 to 0.85, and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) ranged from 0.71 to 0.98; which is well above the acceptable thresholds. The findings showed that the designed questionnaire was a valid and reliable instrument for assessing factors affecting women's breast cancer prevention behaviors that can be used both in practice and in future studies.

Visual Analysis of Cloud Computing Performance Using Behavioral Lines.

PubMed

Muelder, Chris; Zhu, Biao; Chen, Wei; Zhang, Hongxin; Ma, Kwan-Liu

2016-02-29

Cloud computing is an essential technology to Big Data analytics and services. A cloud computing system is often comprised of a large number of parallel computing and storage devices. Monitoring the usage and performance of such a system is important for efficient operations, maintenance, and security. Tracing every application on a large cloud system is untenable due to scale and privacy issues. But profile data can be collected relatively efficiently by regularly sampling the state of the system, including properties such as CPU load, memory usage, network usage, and others, creating a set of multivariate time series for each system. Adequate tools for studying such large-scale, multidimensional data are lacking. In this paper, we present a visual based analysis approach to understanding and analyzing the performance and behavior of cloud computing systems. Our design is based on similarity measures and a layout method to portray the behavior of each compute node over time. When visualizing a large number of behavioral lines together, distinct patterns often appear suggesting particular types of performance bottleneck. The resulting system provides multiple linked views, which allow the user to interactively explore the data by examining the data or a selected subset at different levels of detail. Our case studies, which use datasets collected from two different cloud systems, show that this visual based approach is effective in identifying trends and anomalies of the systems.

Antarctic Space Analog Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palinkas, Lawrence A; Gunderson, E. K. Eric; Johnson, Jeffrey C.; Holland, Albert W.

1998-01-01

The primary aim of this project was to examine group dynamics and individual performance in extreme, isolated environments and identify human factors requirements for long-duration space missions using data collected in an analog environment. Specifically, we wished to determine: 1) the characteristics of social relations in small groups of individuals living and working together in extreme, isolated environments, and 2) the environmental, social and psychological determinants of performance effectiveness in such groups. These two issues were examined in six interrelated studies using data collected in small, isolated research stations in Antarctica from 1963 to the present. Results from these six studies indicated that behavior and performance on long-duration space flights is likely to be seasonal or cyclical, situational, social, and salutogenic in nature. The project responded to two NASA program emphases for FY 1997 as described in the NRA: 1) the primary emphasis of the Behavior and Performance Program on determining long-term individual and group performance responses to space, identifying critical factors affecting those responses and understanding underlying mechanisms involved in behavior and performance, and developing and using ground-based models and analogs for studying space-related behavior and performance; and 2) the emphasis of the Data Analysis Program on extended data analysis. Results from the study were used to develop recommendations for the design and development of pre-flight crew training and in-flight psychological countermeasures for long-duration manned space missions.

Using statistical process control to make data-based clinical decisions.

PubMed

Pfadt, A; Wheeler, D J

1995-01-01

Applied behavior analysis is based on an investigation of variability due to interrelationships among antecedents, behavior, and consequences. This permits testable hypotheses about the causes of behavior as well as for the course of treatment to be evaluated empirically. Such information provides corrective feedback for making data-based clinical decisions. This paper considers how a different approach to the analysis of variability based on the writings of Walter Shewart and W. Edwards Deming in the area of industrial quality control helps to achieve similar objectives. Statistical process control (SPC) was developed to implement a process of continual product improvement while achieving compliance with production standards and other requirements for promoting customer satisfaction. SPC involves the use of simple statistical tools, such as histograms and control charts, as well as problem-solving techniques, such as flow charts, cause-and-effect diagrams, and Pareto charts, to implement Deming's management philosophy. These data-analytic procedures can be incorporated into a human service organization to help to achieve its stated objectives in a manner that leads to continuous improvement in the functioning of the clients who are its customers. Examples are provided to illustrate how SPC procedures can be used to analyze behavioral data. Issues related to the application of these tools for making data-based clinical decisions and for creating an organizational climate that promotes their routine use in applied settings are also considered.

Explanation Capabilities for Behavior-Based Robot Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huntsberger, Terrance L.

2012-01-01

A recent study that evaluated issues associated with remote interaction with an autonomous vehicle within the framework of grounding found that missing contextual information led to uncertainty in the interpretation of collected data, and so introduced errors into the command logic of the vehicle. As the vehicles became more autonomous through the activation of additional capabilities, more errors were made. This is an inefficient use of the platform, since the behavior of remotely located autonomous vehicles didn't coincide with the "mental models" of human operators. One of the conclusions of the study was that there should be a way for the autonomous vehicles to describe what action they choose and why. Robotic agents with enough self-awareness to dynamically adjust the information conveyed back to the Operations Center based on a detail level component analysis of requests could provide this description capability. One way to accomplish this is to map the behavior base of the robot into a formal mathematical framework called a cost-calculus. A cost-calculus uses composition operators to build up sequences of behaviors that can then be compared to what is observed using well-known inference mechanisms.

Online Social Networks for Crowdsourced Multimedia-Involved Behavioral Testing: An Empirical Study

PubMed Central

Choi, Jun-Ho; Lee, Jong-Seok

2016-01-01

Online social networks have emerged as effective crowdsourcing media to recruit participants in recent days. However, issues regarding how to effectively exploit them have not been adequately addressed yet. In this paper, we investigate the reliability and effectiveness of multimedia-involved behavioral testing via social network-based crowdsourcing, especially focused on Facebook as a medium to recruit participants. We conduct a crowdsourcing-based experiment for a music recommendation problem. It is shown that different advertisement methods yield different degrees of efficiency and there exist significant differences in behavioral patterns across different genders and different age groups. In addition, we perform a comparison of our experiment with other multimedia-involved crowdsourcing experiments built on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), which suggests that crowdsourcing-based experiments using social networks for recruitment can achieve comparable efficiency. Based on the analysis results, advantages and disadvantages of social network-based crowdsourcing and suggestions for successful experiments are also discussed. We conclude that social networks have the potential to support multimedia-involved behavioral tests to gather in-depth data even for long-term periods. PMID:26793137

A content analysis of the prevalence and portrayal of sexual activity in adolescent literature.

PubMed

Callister, Mark; Coyne, Sarah M; Stern, Lesa A; Stockdale, Laura; Miller, Malinda J; Wells, Brian M

2012-01-01

Most research on sexual content in the media has focused on visual images such as those in TV, film, advertisements, and magazines. However, researchers have largely overlooked sexual content in novels. The popularity of novels and the potential for such literature to educate teens on sexual behaviors merits a closer examination into the sexual messages contained in popular adolescent literature. This study content analyzes the top 40 novels targeting adolescents. Results show that adolescent novels are replete with sex-related information, especially in novels targeted to girls. These sexual behaviors range from passionate kissing and romantic ideation to sexual intercourse. Over one third of the instances focus on references to sex, suggestive innuendos, or sexual descriptions; and an additional one third of sexual behavior involved sexual affection in the form of passionate kissing, intimate touching, and playful sexual behavior. Across the 40 books, there were 56 instances of sexual intercourse, most of which involved unmarried couples (94%); and many were in non-committal relationships. Moreover, sexual material rarely dealt with issues of abstinence, safe sex practices, and the health risks associated with sex.

Risky sexual behaviors of adolescents in rural Malawi: evidence from focus groups.

PubMed

Dancy, Barbara L; Kaponda, Chrissie P N; Kachingwe, Sitingawawo I; Norr, Kathleen F

2006-07-01

Little is known about rural Malawian adolescents' perceptions of their sexual behavior and what would constitute an effective HIV risk-reduction program. This study explored the perceptions of Malawain adolescents using qualitative description research with focus groups. A purposive sample of 144 adolescents, ranging from 10 to 19 years of age was obtained. Subjects were then placed in focus groups separated by gender Qualitative content analysis revealed that adolescents were at risk for HIV based on the select behaviors These included early sexual debut, multiple partners, non-use of condoms and among girls older partners These adolescents acknowledged peer pressure and lack of parental supervision as factors that perpetuated these behaviors and identified two components of HIV prevention programs. For example, parental involvement and support for sexual abstinence were among the issues discussed. It is essential that HIV risk-reduction programs create ways of involving parents and of enhancing adolescents' HIV risk-reduction skills by helping them to change peer norms and to develop negotiation and assertiveness skills to in order to resist peer pressure.

Skinny Is Not Enough: A Content Analysis of Fitspiration on Pinterest.

PubMed

Simpson, Courtney C; Mazzeo, Suzanne E

2017-05-01

Fitspiration is a relatively new social media trend nominally intended to promote health and fitness. Fitspiration messages are presented as encouraging; however, they might also engender body dissatisfaction and compulsive exercise. This study analyzed fitspiration content (n = 1050) on the image-based social media platform Pinterest. Independent raters coded the images and text present in the posts. Messages were categorized as appearance- or health-related, and coded for Social Cognitive Theory constructs: standards, behaviors, and outcome expectancies. Messages encouraged appearance-related body image standards and weight management behaviors more frequently than health-related standards and behaviors, and emphasized attractiveness as motivation to partake in such behaviors. Results also indicated that fitspiration messages include a comparable amount of fit praise (i.e., emphasis on toned/defined muscles) and thin praise (i.e., emphasis on slenderness), suggesting that women are not only supposed to be thin but also fit. Considering the negative outcomes associated with both exposure to idealized body images and exercising for appearance reasons, findings suggest that fitspiration messages are problematic, especially for viewers with high risk of eating disorders and related issues.

Online Social Networks for Crowdsourced Multimedia-Involved Behavioral Testing: An Empirical Study.

PubMed

Choi, Jun-Ho; Lee, Jong-Seok

2015-01-01

Online social networks have emerged as effective crowdsourcing media to recruit participants in recent days. However, issues regarding how to effectively exploit them have not been adequately addressed yet. In this paper, we investigate the reliability and effectiveness of multimedia-involved behavioral testing via social network-based crowdsourcing, especially focused on Facebook as a medium to recruit participants. We conduct a crowdsourcing-based experiment for a music recommendation problem. It is shown that different advertisement methods yield different degrees of efficiency and there exist significant differences in behavioral patterns across different genders and different age groups. In addition, we perform a comparison of our experiment with other multimedia-involved crowdsourcing experiments built on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), which suggests that crowdsourcing-based experiments using social networks for recruitment can achieve comparable efficiency. Based on the analysis results, advantages and disadvantages of social network-based crowdsourcing and suggestions for successful experiments are also discussed. We conclude that social networks have the potential to support multimedia-involved behavioral tests to gather in-depth data even for long-term periods.

Adolescents' Demonstrative Behavior Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parfilova, Gulfiya G.; Karimova, Lilia Sh.

2016-01-01

The problem of demonstrative behavior is very topical among teenagers and this issue has become the subject of systematic scientific research. Demonstrative manifestations in adolescents disrupt the favorable socialization; therefore, understanding, prevention and correction of demonstrative behavior at this age is relevant and requires special…

School Refusal Behavior: Classification, Assessment, and Treatment Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Marcella I.; Miltenberger, Raymond G.

1996-01-01

Discusses diagnostic and functional classification, assessment, and treatment approaches for school refusal behavior. Diagnostic classification focuses on separation anxiety disorder, specific phobia, social phobia, depression, and truancy. Functional classification focuses on the maintaining consequences of the behavior, such as avoidance of…

Pathways to potentially preventable hospitalizations for diabetes and heart failure: a qualitative analysis of patient perspectives.

PubMed

Sentell, Tetine L; Seto, Todd B; Young, Malia M; Vawer, May; Quensell, Michelle L; Braun, Kathryn L; Taira, Deborah A

2016-07-26

Potentially preventable hospitalizations (PPH) for heart failure (HF) and diabetes mellitus (DM) cost the United States over $14 billion annually. Studies about PPH typically lack patient perspectives, especially across diverse racial/ethnic groups with known PPH health disparities. English-speaking individuals with a HF or DM-related PPH (n = 90) at the largest hospital in Hawai'i completed an in-person interview, including open-ended questions on precipitating factors to their PPH. Using the framework approach, two independent coders identified patient-reported factors and pathways to their PPH. Seventy-two percent of respondents were under 65 years, 30 % were female, 90 % had health insurance, and 66 % had previously been hospitalized for the same problem. Patients' stories identified immediate, precipitating, and underlying reasons for the admission. Underlying background factors were critical to understanding why patients had the acute problems necessitating their hospitalizations. Six, non-exclusive, underlying factors included: extreme social vulnerability (e.g., homeless, poverty, no social support, reported by 54 % of respondents); health system interaction issues (e.g., poor communication with providers, 44 %); limited health-related knowledge (42 %); behavioral health issues (e.g., substance abuse, mental illness, 36 %); denial of illness (27 %); and practical problems (e.g., too busy, 6 %). From these findings, we developed a model to understand an individual's pathways to a PPH through immediate, precipitating, and underlying factors, which could help identify potential intervention foci. We demonstrate the model's utility using five examples. In a young, predominately insured population, factors well outside the traditional purview of the hospital, or even clinical medicine, critically influenced many PPH. Patient perspectives were vital to understanding this issue. Innovative partnerships and policies should address these issues, including linkages to social services and behavioral health.

Graph theory and cognition: A complementary avenue for examining neuropsychological status in epilepsy.

PubMed

Garcia-Ramos, Camille; Lin, Jack J; Kellermann, Tanja S; Bonilha, Leonardo; Prabhakaran, Vivek; Hermann, Bruce P

2016-11-01

The recent revision of the classification of the epilepsies released by the ILAE Commission on Classification and Terminology (2005-2009) has been a major development in the field. Papers in this section of the special issue explore the relevance of other techniques to examine, categorize, and classify cognitive and behavioral comorbidities in epilepsy. In this review, we investigate the applicability of graph theory to understand the impact of epilepsy on cognition compared with controls and, then, the patterns of cognitive development in normally developing children which would set the stage for prospective comparisons of children with epilepsy and controls. The overall goal is to examine the potential utility of this analytic tool and approach to conceptualize the cognitive comorbidities in epilepsy. Given that the major cognitive domains representing cognitive function are interdependent, the associations between neuropsychological abilities underlying these domains can be referred to as a cognitive network. Therefore, the architecture of this cognitive network can be quantified and assessed using graph theory methods, rendering a novel approach to the characterization of cognitive status. We first provide fundamental information about graph theory procedures, followed by application of these techniques to cross-sectional analysis of neuropsychological data in children with epilepsy compared with that of controls, concluding with prospective analysis of neuropsychological development in younger and older healthy controls. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "The new approach to classification: Rethinking cognition and behavior in epilepsy". Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Big data and tactical analysis in elite soccer: future challenges and opportunities for sports science.

PubMed

Rein, Robert; Memmert, Daniel

2016-01-01

Until recently tactical analysis in elite soccer were based on observational data using variables which discard most contextual information. Analyses of team tactics require however detailed data from various sources including technical skill, individual physiological performance, and team formations among others to represent the complex processes underlying team tactical behavior. Accordingly, little is known about how these different factors influence team tactical behavior in elite soccer. In parts, this has also been due to the lack of available data. Increasingly however, detailed game logs obtained through next-generation tracking technologies in addition to physiological training data collected through novel miniature sensor technologies have become available for research. This leads however to the opposite problem where the shear amount of data becomes an obstacle in itself as methodological guidelines as well as theoretical modelling of tactical decision making in team sports is lacking. The present paper discusses how big data and modern machine learning technologies may help to address these issues and aid in developing a theoretical model for tactical decision making in team sports. As experience from medical applications show, significant organizational obstacles regarding data governance and access to technologies must be overcome first. The present work discusses these issues with respect to tactical analyses in elite soccer and propose a technological stack which aims to introduce big data technologies into elite soccer research. The proposed approach could also serve as a guideline for other sports science domains as increasing data size is becoming a wide-spread phenomenon.