Behavioral Science Course Research Articles

Assessing gaps in predoctoral dental curriculum for LGBTQ+ specific content.

Despite growing recognition of health disparities faced by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (or Questioning) (LGBTQ+) population, significant gaps remain for inclusion of LGBTQ+ content in health professions education, particularly dental curricula. This study aims to address these gaps by investigating the integration of LGBTQ+ content in a midwestern dental school curriculum. Curriculum mapping and focus group discussions were utilized to identify gaps and recommend integrating LGBTQ+ content into a predoctoral dental curriculum. The Doctor of Dental Surgery program was mapped to identify LGBTQ+ specific content relevant to cultural competency. A focus group of ninefaculty members provided insights and recommendations, with data transcribed and analyzed for themes. Out of 121 courses, 28 included or had potential for LGBTQ+ content, with 16 already inclusive and 12 involving direct patient interaction. Integration varied, highest in the first year (28.6%) and lowest in the fourth year (5%). Focus group themes included the need for broader awareness and education about LGBTQ+ health, integrating topics into basic and behavioral science courses, and addressing practical clinical skills (e.g., using pronouns). Barriers included personal discomfort, lack of formal training, and potential conflicts with personal or religious beliefs. This study highlighted the need for increased faculty awareness and enhanced inclusion of LGBTQ+ content throughout the predoctoral dental curriculum to prepare future practitioners for culturally competent care.

Do NOT Read this Article: the Effects of Autoclitics and Nudge on Choosing.

The use of autoclitics can influence the behavior of individuals making choices when responding to a survey (e.g., checking or unchecking a box). In two studies, we investigated the effects of autoclitics as "nudges" on choice by manipulating different frames (opt-in and opt-out) and default options (i.e., unchecked and checked boxes). Undergraduate students recruited from behavioral science courses engaged with materials in the study. In study 1, we used an online survey at the beginning of the semester offering the choice of whether to enroll in extra-academic activities (i.e., practice tests) available via the online course platform, Blackboard. We randomly assigned students into one of four groups: 1) option to enroll with an unchecked box, 2) option to not enroll with an unchecked box, 3) option to enroll with a checked box, or 4) option to not enroll with a checked box. Results showed that the option to not enroll with an unchecked box produced higher enrollment to receive extra academic activities. In the middle of the semester, we conducted a within-subject arrangement wherein students who initially opted out of receiving activities had the option to accept them following exposure to the negative autoclitic frame. Most of these students opted into receiving activities. In study 2, we replicated the methods of study 1 in Canvas, a different course platform, and obtained similar results. We briefly discuss the implications of a nudge for ethical consent.

Does Time Matter? Identifying Levels of Community College Student Engagement Based on Length of Instructor-Created Videos in Online Classes

With the rising popularity of online classes in higher education, keeping students engaged and developing effective methods of delivering content has become more challenging. One of the most used teaching and learning tools in online education is instructor-created videos. Various studies show that the majority of students favorably view the integration of instructor-created video content in online courses. Speculation continues to remain about how to effectively design video lessons to maximize their efficiency and increase the level of student engagement and overall academic performance. 
 The current study examines students’ perceptions of instructor-created videos, with an emphasis on the preferred length of the videos. Google survey forms were created and distributed among students who are enrolled in Behavioral Science courses. The survey was completed by a diverse group of 159 online students. Participants were asked to identify academic engagement in their own words and share their personal experience with online classes, as well as answer more specific questions such as if instructor-created videos were used in the course, how long they were, and if the length of the videos determined whether students watched them or not. Findings indicated that while students prefer shorter videos, they would watch longer video lectures as long as they were required for the grade. The majority of responders found the use of instructor-created videos in the course helpful. These findings will allow researchers to offer the faculty a recommendation for the future effective use of instructor-created videos in online courses.

Prerequisites in Behavioral Sciences and Business Revisited a Decade Later: Ongoing Opportunities for Dental Education

Introduction: Ten years ago a study reported on the lack of prerequisites in behavioral sciences and business management for entry into dental college. The primary objective of this follow-up study was to assess the current status of similar prerequisite courses in both U.S. and Canadian dental schools. Materials and Methods: Required and recommended courses in behavioral sciences and in business in each North American dental school’s official online publication were analyzed in December 2019. Admissions requirements were readily available in sixty-five of the sixty-eight U.S. dental schools and in all ten schools in Canada; three U.S. schools were contacted by phone to collect the information. Result: Only nine (13.2%) U.S. and four (40%) Canada schools required at least one behavioral sciences course; however, thirty-nine (57.3%) U.S. and six (60%) Canada schools recommended a behavioral sciences course, most often in psychology, sociology, or communication. Zero (0%) of the total seventy-eight dental schools required a course in business; however, eighteen (26.5%) U.S. and two (20%) Canada schools recommended a business course, most often economics. Conclusion: The authors strongly encourage the dental education community to again reconsider establishment of a minimum core of behavioral sciences and business courses as prerequisites in predoctoral dental education. Doing so will provide a much needed stronger foundation upon which to build upon in the curricula of dental schools.

Emory University School of Medicine.

Emory University School of Medicine.

Osposobljavanje liječnika medicine rada i stručnjaka zaštite na radu u SAD-u

SUMMARY: Professionals have been working in occupational safety and health (OS&H) in the United States since at least the advent of the Industrial Revolution. Formal educational in OS&H began in earnest with passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970 that included provisions for funding training in OS&H disciplines. A study conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 2011 estimated that there were over 48,000 (2.3/10,000 working age adults) OS&H professionals working in the US. Employers surveyed in this study reported a need to hire over 25,000 OS&H professionals in the next 5 years. OS&H training programs were projected to graduate less than 13,000 students in that period. Core knowledge and skills in the various OS&H disciplines typically includes academic training in epidemiology, biostatistics, administration & management, behavioral health science, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, and foundation courses in occupational injury and disease prevention. Employers report interest in additional training in communication, technical writing, leadership, cross-disciplinary training, emerging hazards, and knowledge of regulations and compliance. Funding of OS&H programs has been a persistent challenge. A lack of student awareness of training and career opportunities poses additional challenges for recruitment of qualified applicants. While hiring demands and career prospects remain high for most OS&H disciplines, the support for training programs, and the supply of new graduates presents ongoing challenges for OS&H educators.

Explaining the origins and distribution of health and disease: an analysis of epidemiologic theory in core Master of Public Health coursework in the United States

ABSTRACTThis article examines the epidemiologic theories taught most frequently in core social and behavioral science coursework in Master of Public Health (MPH) programs in the United States, identifies lacunae, discusses their implications, and recommends specific pedagogical changes. Course syllabi were identified through online search and instructor outreach between June and December 2016. Content analysis was conducted to identify most commonly taught theories. Analysis continued until theoretical saturation. Behavioral health theories predominate within our sample of core social and behavioral science course syllabi. Behavioral health theory represents 93% of the most commonly taught epidemiologic theories within our sample. Individual health behavior theory was the most commonly encountered, the most prevalent of which were the health belief model and the theory of planned behavior, both appearing in 83% of syllabi (n = 25). Theories of interpersonal health behavior were the second-most commonly observed, including social cognitive theory (77%, n = 23) and social network theory (67%, n = 20). Behavioral-ecological theory was present in 87% (n = 26) of syllabi. The fundamental cause theory (23%, n = 7) was the only commonly taught non-behavioral epidemiologic theory. The social determinants of health were referenced in 60% of syllabi (n = 18). Based on this sample, behavioral health theories drawn from psychological, behavioral science, health education, and medical literatures predominate in US-based core MPH pedagogy concerned with explaining the etiology and distribution of health, morbidity, and mortality. We recommend the inclusion of non-behavioral epidemiologic theory from disciplines more engaged with structural aspects of health.

Impact of a Required Service-Learning Curriculum on Preclinical Students.

The impact of brief service-learning curricula on physician assistant (PA) students is not well reported. This study explores student learning immediately and then one to 2 years after a preclinical service-learning experience through written reflections and a survey. The 16-hour curriculum within a behavioral science course involved community immersion and engagement with underserved clients. Reflections written by students from 3 consecutive classes were coded for major themes, and theme frequency was assessed. We then administered a survey to explore the curricular impact after students completed their clinical clerkships. All students (132/132) completed the required curriculum. We identified 4 major themes from 132 reflections. The themes were (most to least frequent) self-discovery (54/132), patient focus (30/132), community resources (28/132), and patient-provider relationship (20/132). The primary attitude change (self-discovery) was student awareness of their own biases and recognition of the need for cultural humility when caring for underserved clients. In the postcurriculum survey (response 69/95), students recalled community resources as the most important learning, followed by self-discovery. Students viewed the curriculum positively and noted that the exposure increased their comfort with caring for underserved patients in their clerkships. Immersion in a community-based service-learning experience with underserved clients is associated with increased self-awareness and intent to change behavior. Students perceive the experience as important for future clerkships. Preclinical service-learning curricula prepare students to care for underserved patients.

Examining the relationship between prerequisite grades and types of academic performance in pharmacy school

PurposeTo investigate relationships between different prerequisite course grades and grade point average (GPA) of different types of academic performance in a Canadian entry-to-practice pharmacy program while controlling for important demographic variables. MethodsData from eight years of recently admitted students (2007–2014) were used to conduct a series of multiple linear regression analyses to assess relationships between prerequisite course GPA and eight different pharmacy school academic performance variables including: GPA in each of the first three years of the program, overall Y1-Y3 GPA, and GPA in pharmaceutical science, clinical science, clinical practice, and behavioral, social, and administrative (BSA) science courses. Demographic predictor variables including gender, mature status, and whether students attended ranked versus non-ranked universities were included as control variables. ResultsAnalysis reveals that Biology and Biochemistry prerequisite GPA consistently predicts all eight academic performance variables while prerequisite English GPA was found to predict only clinical practice and BSA GPA. Being female and attending ranked universities were revealed as positively associated with most types of performance. Being classified as a mature student generally predicted lower academic performance. ConclusionsThe consistent relationship between biology-based prerequisites and academic performance warrants consideration for increasing their weight in admissions GPA calculations. The fact that the set of prerequisites and demographic variables are weaker predictors of clinical practice and BSA performance than pharmaceutical science performance provides empirical support for recent moves to include non-traditional admission criteria.

Physician Assimilation in Medical Schools: Dualisms of Biomedical and Biopsychosocial Ideologies in the Discourse of Physician Educators

ABSTRACTAlthough health communication research and popular literature on physicians have heightened awareness of the dualisms physicians face, research is yet to focus on the discourse of physician educators who assimilate students into medicine for dualisms of the biomedical (BMD) and biopsychosocial (BPS) ideologies. The study drew on a dualism-centered model to analyze the discourse of 19 behavioral science course directors at 10 medical schools for the emergence of dualisms in instantiations of BPS ideologies and for the management of dualism in discourse that instantiated both BMD and BPS ideologies as part of the curriculum. Dualism emerged in the BPS ideologies of “patient-centeredness” and “cultural competence.” While a dualism between “patients’ data” and “patients’ stories” emerged in the patient-centeredness ideology, a dualism between enhancing “interaction skill” and “understanding” emerged in the cultural competence ideology. Moreover, the study found educator discourse managing dualism between BMD and BPS ideologies through the strategies of “connection” and “separation.” The study concludes with a discussion and the implications for theory and research.

Gender Roles and Stereotypes about Science Careers Help Explain Women and Men’s Science Pursuits

Diverse perspectives in science promote innovation and creativity, and represent the needs of a diverse populace. However, many science fields lack gender diversity. Although fewer women than men pursue careers in physical science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pSTEM), more women than men pursue careers in behavioral science. The current work measured the relationship between first-year college students’ stereotypes about science professions and course completion in science fields over the next 3 years. pSTEM careers were more associated with self-direction and self-promotion (i.e., agency) than with working with and for the betterment of others (i.e., communion). On the flip side, behavioral science careers were associated with communion to a greater degree than with agency. Women completed a lower proportion of pSTEM courses than did men, but this gender disparity disappeared when women perceived high opportunity for communion in pSTEM. Men pursued behavioral science courses to a lesser degree than did women; this disparity did not exist when men perceived ample opportunity for agency in behavioral science. These results suggest highlighting the communal nature of pSTEM and the agentic nature of behavioral science in pre-college settings may promote greater gender diversity across science fields.

Entrepreneurship Is a General Education Course! The Why, How and Transferability of the Concept

We describe the development and implementation of an innovative university undergraduate course entitled Entrepreneurship and Innovation (E&I). Our purpose is to explain and justify how the new E&I course adds a fresh dimension to undergraduate general education by emphasizing student integrative learning of opportunity recognition and creativity knowledge and skills within a classroom of students from many academic disciplines and majors. We describe the lengthy and ultimately successful university approval process that we traversed to create the first entrepreneurship course in the United States to be granted university general education (usually consisting of liberal arts and sciences courses) degree graduation requirement status. The E&I course was included as an approved general education social and behavioral science course in 2004. We view the designation of an introductory entrepreneurship course as a general education course as a significant milestone for college and university entrepreneurship education. The core general education curricula of most U.S. colleges and universities have been limited to conventional liberal arts courses and thus exclude professional school courses. We propose that the core concepts of entrepreneurial thinking are consistent with the purpose of university general education and therefore belong in the core undergraduate curriculum model. Our proposals in this article are supported by recent studies undertaken by the American Association of University Professors, the Association of American Colleges and Universities and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. These studies address significant gaps in U.S. undergraduate general education and liberal arts core curriculum. Traditional general education courses typically are designed as introductory courses for liberal arts and sciences majors and as such are understandably less likely to assimilate ideas across disciplines and integrate multidisciplinary learning. Our E&I course, by contrast, is inherently multidisciplinary and designed to present and integrate ideas and concepts from divergent academic disciplines and sources as its subject focus. The E&I course adds new capacity to university general education by emphasizing opportunity recognition, creativity knowledge and skills, and integrative learning and thus fills an educational gap defined by educational leaders who seek to reinvigorate general and liberal education and thereby prepare university students for leadership in the 21st Century. We conclude the article with recommendations suggesting faculty at other colleges and universities can utilize our concepts and experience to create their own variation of an E&I course to improve their undergraduate curriculum initiatives.

Applied Behavioral Science Goes to Scale: A Review of Biglan’s The Nurture Effect

Take Baer, Wolf, and Risley’s dimensions of behavior analysis (1968), sprinkle in Wolf’s social validity (1978), garnish with Hayes’ ACT (2004) while taking it to scale using Seekins and Fawcett’s recommendations (1989) and you get The Nurture Effect. If that’s not a recipe for a behavior analytic homerun, I clearly don’t understand behavior analysis. Anthony Biglan has cooked up this recipe—adding his own public health and prevention science zest—throughout his career. The resulting compendium of his work is impressive to any social scientist, public health advocate, or epidemiologist. It is thereby a treat to read Biglan’s account and views on the shaping of our culture and what must be done to turn degeneration around to a prosocial and healthy evolution. We have the science, the data, and the know-how to make big changes to our lives and our world. The Nurture Effect is perfect for inclusion in any survey level behavioral science course, and would make for a great resource in advanced courses on community interventions or behavioral systems. Likewise, this book is a strategic way to introduce someone to the field of behavioral science, if not ABA. (As I indicated at the beginning of this review, I will be suggesting that students hoping to pursue a career in our field share this book with their family and friends.) The accessible writing, colorful examples, and personal descriptions of behavioral science paint our field in a way we have not yet seen in a popular press book. If there are any regrets regarding the book, it is simply that “behavior analysis” was not specifically referenced. Outside of the terms “Association for Behavior Analysis” or “Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,” “behavior analysis” appears only once in the 226 pages of Biglan’s text. Moreover, Biglan references Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis only three times in the entire book. Counting the frequency of the term, “behavior analysis,” may seem petty, but the low occurrence is unfortunate, as a large and diverse audience will likely read this book. The Nurture Effect is nevertheless very supportive of behavior analysis—Biglan is a behavior analyst, after all—but naive readers won’t associate the content with this term. Nonetheless, Skinner advocated that we teach function before form (1957); hooking readers with the promise of behavioral success would be a fantastic outcome of The Nurture Effect. Only time will tell whether this outcome is realized. With The Nurture Effect, Biglan has provided the perfect primer for the rest of us to launch behavioral science beyond the pages of our safe and friendly behavioral journals. Let’s do our best—and our part, as behavior analysts—to nurture the momentum from this book to improve lives, as well as the world.

Preparing Future Physicians in Medical Ethics: A Tension-Centered Study of Institutional and Situational Dualities

Communication research on physician socialization has been silent on physician preparation in medical ethics. To develop knowledge in this area, I drew on a tension-centered model from organizational studies to analyze transcripts of interviews with 20 behavioral science course directors at 11 medical schools. I found participants describing ethics as situational dilemmas requiring resolution and as the equipping of students with the resources of ethics skills and, to a lesser extent, ethical character. I also found actors managing tension between the ethics-as-skill and ethics-as-character institutions of medical ethics education through a strategy of separation; skills were discussed as short-term course outcomes and character as long-term visions of who participants hoped students would one day become beyond their pre-clinical training. I conclude with discussions on the study's substantive and theoretical contributions and the implications for future research and training of medical students.

Virtue Training in Medical Schools: The Perspective of Behavioral Science Course Directors

Although the multidisciplinary research on physician socialization has focused on areas such as developments in learners’ ideological commitments and ethics knowledge and skills, the literature on physician virtues has been anecdotal. To contribute empirical knowledge of virtue development during socialization, I performed constant comparisons on interviews with 20 directors of preclinical behavioral science courses. In discussing their courses, participants revealed foci on virtues involved in making intimate connections with patients (e.g., empathy) and “being professional” with colleagues (e.g., trustworthiness). To cultivate virtues for intimate connections, participants used the strategies of learner engagement with patients’ narratives of illness, service in underserved communities, and shadowing and observing role models. To develop virtues for being professional, participants used the strategy of small learner groups, which consisted of discussions, project collaborations, and group evaluations. I conclude with implications for training students of various health sciences and managing health care teams.

Design and Implementation of a Novel Behavioral Sciences Course for First Year Medical Students

Design and Implementation of a Novel Behavioral Sciences Course for First Year Medical Students

Dental Students’ Reflections on Their Experiences with a Diverse Patient Population

Recent developments, including national reports and new accreditation standards, have emphasized the need for dental students to be prepared to address the needs of a diverse patient population. The purpose of this study was to explore students' descriptions of and reflections on their day-to-day interactions with a diverse patient population in the clinical setting, using a qualitative approach. All dental students (sixty-six) enrolled in the third year of the D.M.D. program at a Midwestern dental school were required to write a paper reflecting on their experiences working with a diverse patient population in the general dental clinic of the school as part of a behavioral sciences course. All third-year dental students were invited to participate in the study. The students' papers were deidentified prior to data analysis. Forty-two students' papers describing a total of 126 patient-student interactions were reviewed. Data analysis resulted in identification of three key themes: 1) development of cultural awareness and recognition of the need to understand each patient as a unique individual, 2) desire to build rapport with all patients, and 3) realization that the development of cultural competence is a lifelong learning process requiring ongoing experiences working with a diverse patient population. Review of student reflection papers is valuable in providing faculty with an understanding of students' degree of development of cultural competence. A greater understanding of students' day-to-day experiences with a diverse patient population can provide insights for dental educators who develop cultural competence curricula.

Does empathy change in first‐year dental students?

AbstractIntroduction: Professionalism is a central tenet of the dental undergraduate curriculum. Dental undergraduate curricula and standards expect the dentist to put the patient’s interests first, and in this respect, an important attitude is empathy.Objective: This study examined the self‐reported empathy levels of first‐year dental students before and after an early analytical exposure to behavioural sciences and the clinical encounter.Method: First‐year dental undergraduates were given an attitudinal questionnaire to complete before and after the behavioural science course. The questionnaire consisted of the HP version of the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy and the Patient‐Practitioner Orientation Scale. Paired non‐parametric tests and Spearman’s Rho correlations, along with simple descriptive statistics, were used to test the statistical significance of observations.Results: A total of 66 paired questionnaires were returned, giving a response rate of 75%. There were no correlations between age and total mean score of JSPE or PPOS, and no gender differences. There was a significant increase (P < 0.01) in empathy as measured by the JSPE between pre‐ and post‐course scores. The PPOS did not record any significant change in the sharing, caring or total scale scores pre‐ to post‐course.Conclusion: The modified JSPE has potential utility in assessing the cognitive‐affective aspect of dental students’ empathy. Using the JSPE, short‐term measurable empathy changes can be detected in first‐year dental undergraduates after the structured and assessed analytical introduction to the clinical encounter and environment.

Ponce School of Medicine

Ponce School of Medicine

S04-04 - The teaching of the behavioural sciences and psychiatry in Malta

The development of the medical student is not based solely on the acquisition of knowledge but also on development of skills and appropriate attitude. This requires ability to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues, sensitivity to patient needs, and the capability to influence patients to take the appropriate decisions and maintain behaviour change.Recent years have seen marked changes in medical school curricula to support this and greater emphasis has also been made post Shipman.The Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Malta has moved strongly in this direction. The Department of Psychiatry has led this and developed new courses, longitudinally throughout the curriculum.The course in Behavioural Sciences was developed with emphasis on student-centred learning in small groups. It focuses on interpersonal communication, teamwork, reflective experience, holistic and patient-centred care, personal development and avoidance of burn out.A vertical course in Psychology and Sociology in Relation to Health Care has also been introduced and the Course in Psychiatry has been redeveloped in accordance with recommendations of the World Federation of Medical Education and the World Psychiatric Association.These new developments in the curriculum are described and explored.