Descriptive Discriminant Analysis Research Articles

Childhood trauma and sex addiction among adult men

AbstractThis study explored the relationship between childhood trauma and sex addiction among a sample of adult men (N = 149). Thirty‐eight (25.5%) men screened positive for sex addiction, whereas 111 (74.5%) did not. Using descriptive discriminant analysis, we found that four subscales of early trauma predicted risk of sex addiction group membership to varying degrees, accounting for 22.3% of the variance explained. Sexual and emotional abuse accounted for the most variance explained in the group differences, whereas physical abuse and, to a lesser extent, general trauma also contributed to the group differences. Implications of the study findings are discussed.

Short-term psychological outcomes of Australia's 2019/20 bushfire season.

We investigated how Australian community members (N = 318) indirectly and/or directly exposed to Australia's 2019/20 bushfire season differed in terms of psychological distress, posttraumatic growth, coping, physical health, and COVID-19 anxiety. This was a cross-sectional study with a nonequivalent groups design. Participants were over 18 years old, English proficient, and Australian permanent residents or citizens living in Australia at some point between June 2019 and February 2020. Participants completed a 10-minute anonymous online survey 5 to 8 weeks following the bushfires. A descriptive discriminant analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between bushfire exposure groups when considering our dependent variables of interest simultaneously and adjusting for prior mental health assistance and prior exposure to natural disasters: F(10, 624) = 2.83, p = .002; V = .087, partial η² = .043. The group centroid for the indirect-only exposure group (-.374) was substantially lower than that for the other 2 groups (direct only: .137; direct + indirect: .224), indicating that the indirect-only exposure group could be differentiated by the fact that they more frequently reported avoidant coping strategies and endorsed lower posttraumatic growth scores than the direct-only and direct + indirect exposure groups. The variance accounted for by these discriminant variables was 8.4%, indicating a very small effect. Our results point to a need to tailor and/or expand disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts such that they might benefit community members both directly and indirectly exposed to bushfire events in Australia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Who is Sitting in the Chair? Job Satisfaction of Women and Men Department Leaders

Abstract: This study explores an understudied yet critically important role in higher education: the academic department chair. Building on research related to the gendered organization of faculty life and using a national sample of department leaders per the COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey (n = 1,173), we use descriptive discriminant analysis to identify the set of factors that differentiate between the job satisfaction of women and men who hold department leadership positions at four-year colleges and universities. Findings indicate a clear difference between women and men department leaders in how satisfied they are with their jobs, particularly when it comes to time spent on research, salary, and beliefs about the importance of mentoring. Recommendations and implications for academic leadership are discussed.

Endurance Versus Non-endurance Athletes: A Descriptive Discriminant Analysis Based On Echocardiography

PURPOSE: To discriminate between endurance and non-endurance athletes according to echocardiographic measures. METHODS: Echocardiographic exams carried out in 201 male and female athletes of diverse sports were studied (Age = 21.7 ± 5.4 years; mean ± SD). A set of fifteen measures was considered: Left ventricular diastolic diameter (LVDD), Left ventricular diastolic diameter index (LVDDI), Interventricular septum thickness (IST), Left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT), Relative wall thickness (RWT), Left ventricular mass (LVM), Left ventricular mass index (LVMI), Left auricular diameter (LAD), Aortic root diameter (ARD), Inferior vena cava diameter (IVCD), E-wave velocity (EV), A-wave velocity (AV), E/A ratio (EAR), E/e′ ratio (Ee′R) and Right ventricular systolic velocity (RVS). The athletes were categorized in two groups based on the characteristics of their sport discipline: “Endurance” (cardiorespiratory endurance) and “Other” (Non-Endurance). Gender-stratified analyses were performed. MANOVA was firstly implemented to evaluate for a significance difference between endurance and non-endurance athletes. Post-hoc analysis was done by means of Descriptive discriminant analysis; in order to obtain a more reduced set of variables, Stepwise variable selection method was previously performed using the Wilk’s Lambda criterion. Statistical significance was fixed at the 0.05 level. RESULTS: MANOVA was statistically significant in men (Wilk's λ = 0.78, F = 1.81, p = 0.04) and in women (Wilk's λ = 0.63, F = 2.82, p = 0.002). The Stepwise procedure selected two variables in the male (IST and LVDDI) and female (LVMI and LVDDI) strata. The discriminant function was highly significant in both cases (males: Wilk's λ = 0.86, F = 8.59, p < 0.001; females: Wilk's λ = 0.77, F = 13.21, p < 0.001). In men, the standardized discriminant coefficient and the structure coefficient were higher for IST (0.96 and 0.81) than for LVDDI (0.60 and 0.36). And in women, the coefficients corresponding to LVMI (0.62 and 0.84) were similar to the ones of LVDDI (0.59 and 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: In the male athletes, IST showed a more important contribution for distinguishing between the endurance and non-endurance groups than LVDDI. And in the female athletes, LVMI and LVDDI had a comparable contribution.

A First Approach to Determine If It Is Possible to Delineate In-Season N Fertilization Maps for Wheat Using NDVI Derived from Sentinel-2

Adjusting nitrogen fertilization to the nutritional requirements of crops is one of the major challenges of modern agriculture. The amount of N needed is mainly determined by crop yield, so yield maps can be used to optimize N fertilization. As the adoption of yield monitors is low among farmers, implementation of this approach is still low. However, as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is related to grain yield, the main objective of this work was to identify at which wheat growth stage a moderate agreement between NDVI and yield is obtained. For this, NDVI images obtained from Sentinel-2 were used, and the evolution of concordance was analyzed in 13 classified parcels of wheat employing the Kappa index (KI). In one-third of the plots, a moderate agreement (KI &gt; 0.4) was reached before the stem elongation growth phase (when the last N application was made). In another one-third, moderate agreement was reached later, in more advanced development stages. For the cases in which this agreement did not exist, an attempt was made to find the causes. The MANOVA and subsequent descriptive discriminant analysis (DDA) showed that the NDVI dates that contribute the most to the differentiation between plots with and without agreement between grain yield maps and NDVI images were those corresponding to tillering. The sum of the NDVI values of the tillering phase was significantly lower in the group of plots that did not show concordance. Sentinel-2 imagery was successful on 66% of plots for delineation of management zones after GS 30, and thus is useful for producing fertilization maps for the upcoming season. However, to produce in-season fertilization maps, further studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms that regulate the relation between yield and NDVI at early growth stages (&lt;GS 30).

Exploring the impact of BMI on body dissatisfaction and eating behaviors among Caribbean university women

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the role of BMI in body dissatisfaction and eating pathology among 570, Indo-Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean female university students. Participants, 18–59 years, completed self-reports on body image, weight perceptions and eating behaviors. Data analysis included: analysis of variance, multiple regression, and descriptive discriminant analyses. The majority (67.5%) expressed satisfaction with their bodies. Afro-Caribbean participants reported greater body satisfaction than Indo-Caribbean participants (F(2, 554) = 3.51, p = .031). As BMI increased, so too did body dissatisfaction and disordered eating (F(3, 535) = 19.92, p < .001). Participants with obesity reported more body dissatisfaction and disordered eating (M – F(18, 254 384.046) = 1.580, p = .056). BMI should be considered when examining body dissatisfaction and eating pathology among Caribbean female university students, particularly among those with overweight/obesity. In the Caribbean, previous studies indicate an appreciation for the overweight or ‘fluffy’ female body ideal but more recently the thick ideal, particularly among Black women. More clarity is needed on the current ideal endorsed by BMI and ethnic categories among Caribbean females. Level of evidence Level V: cross-sectional descriptive study.

Spiritual Benefit from Cannabis

ABSTRACT Like many mind-altering plants, cannabis has been part of spiritual practices for thousands of years. It has deep roots in Hinduism, Islam, Rastafarianism, and indigenous traditions in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere. Yet almost no attention has been given to how contemporary adults employ it spiritually. A sample of 1087 participants (mean age = 38.9) completed an online survey assessing their use of cannabis and other substances, as well as spiritual and psychological characteristics. Spiritual benefit from cannabis was reported by 66.1% of the sample, and 5.5% reported it had sometimes been a spiritual hindrance. A MANOVA showed that those who reported spiritual benefit differed significantly from those who did not on several outcome variables, and a post hoc descriptive discriminant analysis revealed that expansiveness motivation, non-theistic daily spiritual experience, meditation frequency, and two mindfulness facets contributed most to differentiating the two groups. The majority of the sample (63%) was free of cannabis use disorder. Compared to disordered groups, the non-disordered group was significantly older and scored lower on experiential avoidance, psychological distress, and several motives for use. Results suggest that spiritual motives for cannabis use may be widespread. Implications for future research on spiritual use of cannabis are discussed.

Pattern of local participation in tourism supply business within Kisumu County and its implication on tourism economic impact on poverty

The purpose of the study was to establish pattern of local participation in tourism supply business and its implication on local poverty reduction. The specific objective of the study included finding out the key local commodities that are important driver of tourism backward linkage with local economy of Kisumu County, establish differences in the average score profile among local suppliers and find out the main dimension along which they are separated. The study adopted across sectional and correlation design in which stratified random sampling of 106 tourism enterprises from a target population of 266 enterprises was obtained. Self – administered questionnaires were distributed to managers and collected by researcher. The first, second and third objectives were analysed using descriptive statistics, MANOVA and descriptive discriminant analysis respectively. It was found out that while poultry products, fish and vegetables were main commodities in the trade between local suppliers and tourist industry, fish, beef, and detergent were the most consumed commodities. Secondly, suppliers were different in their mean score profile by the value and quality of their supply, promptness in their delivery of supplies and in the longevity in commercial relationship with the tourist industry. Lastly, the suppliers were separated significantly along two main dimensions: The first dimension was interpreted to be efficiency and effectiveness, being represented by high value of weekly supply and high rating on promptness in making deliveries. The second dimension was experience, which was indicated by suppliers` education level and their longevity in the commercial relation with the tourist industry. The key contribution of the study is the creation of understanding of the main commodities driving tourism backward linkage with local economy and the factors which confer competitive advantage among local traders of Kisumu County in tourist industry.

ICT Uptake as a Determinant of Antenatal Care Utilization in Uganda

Few studies have investigated information and communication technologies (ICTs) as determinants of ANC utilization, yet ICTs in health can improve patient outcome, tackle health systems challenges, and improve client-to-provider relationship. A cross-sectional design using both quantitative and qualitative data collection approaches was used to ascertain whether ICT uptake can determine ANC utilization. Women aged 18-50 years who were pregnant had given birth two years preceding the survey and who had at least a primary school education participated in this study. Data was analyzed using Pearson's Chi-square and descriptive discriminant analysis. Results from this study suggest an association between ICT uptake and ANC utilization (χ2 = 19.3, ρ &lt;0.001) and a statistically significant relationship between the discriminant function and the grouping variable at p=.012 (Wilks's ᴧ = .822; χ2 = 28.62 (14df), p&amp;lt;0.05, valid n = 164). Control measures and interventions should be geared towards integrating ICTs in women's routine antenatal care practices.

Sex determination by osteometric assessment of the mastoid process using Cone Beam Computed Tomography

Objective: Sex determination is one of the most important parameters to identify in forensic science. Because the mastoid process is the most resistant to damage due to its position in the skull base, it can be used for sex determination. The purpose of this study was to measure the dimensions and convexity and internal angles of the mastoid process to present a model of sex determination in Iranian population. Material and methods: This study was performed on three-dimensional images of 190 Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) of 105 women and 85 men. On each CBCT the distance between the porion and the mastoid (PM), mastoid length (ML), the distance between the mastoidale and the mastoid incision (M-I), the mastoid height (MH), the mastoid width (MW), intermastoidale distance (IMD) the lateral surfaces of the left and right mastoids (IMLSD) and the Mastoid medial convergence angle (MMCA) was measured on both the right and the left. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, and discriminant function analysis. Results: Significant differences were found for all variables except MMCA and MF in both sex. All measured variables except MW were greater for men than women. The discriminant model achieved a total accuracy of 93.7%. Among the measured factors IMD and IMSLD had the most influence on sex determination. Conclusion: Measuring the dimensions of the mastoid process is a very good method for sex determination with high accuracy of 90%. KEYWORDS Discriminant model; Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT); Sex determination; Mastoid process.

The relative importance of photodegradation and biodegradation of terrestrially derived dissolved organic carbon across four lakes of differing trophic status

Abstract. Outgassing of carbon dioxide (CO2) from freshwater ecosystems comprises 12 %–25 % of the total carbon flux from soils and bedrock. This CO2 is largely derived from both biodegradation and photodegradation of terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) entering lakes from wetlands and soils in the watersheds of lakes. In spite of the significance of these two processes in regulating rates of CO2 outgassing, their relative importance remains poorly understood in lake ecosystems. In this study, we used groundwater from the watersheds of one subtropical and three temperate lakes of differing trophic status to simulate the effects of increases in terrestrial DOC from storm events. We assessed the relative importance of biodegradation and photodegradation in oxidizing DOC to CO2. We measured changes in DOC concentration, colored dissolved organic carbon (specific ultraviolet absorbance – SUVA320; spectral slope ratio – Sr), dissolved oxygen, and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in short-term experiments from May–August 2016. In all lakes, photodegradation led to larger changes in DOC and DIC concentrations and optical characteristics than biodegradation. A descriptive discriminant analysis showed that, in brown-water lakes, photodegradation led to the largest declines in DOC concentration. In these brown-water systems, ∼ 30 % of the DOC was processed by sunlight, and a minimum of 1 % was photomineralized. In addition to documenting the importance of photodegradation in lakes, these results also highlight how lakes in the future may respond to changes in DOC inputs.

Roles of Physical Activity Type in Exercise Motivational Profiles and Behavioral Frequencies Among College Freshmen

This study examined the relationships among gender, race/ethnicity, physical activity (PA) type, exercise motivation, and frequencies of various exercise intensities.College freshmen (N = 170; 68 male, 102 female) in the southwestern U.S. completed an online survey on exercise motivation and behavior. Chi-square tests indicated that males generally performed more fitness training and less aerobic exercise than females, whereas no differences were foundamong racial/ethnic groups. Descriptive discriminant analyses revealed that sport participation contributed to the most adaptive motivational profileand highest behavioral frequencies, suggesting that sport participation is the most effective PA type for college freshmen to maintain exercise.

Course Retention in Community Colleges: Demographics, Motivation, Learning Style, and Locus of Control

ABSTRACT Research on the community college student is lacking a full understanding on all the variables that may impact online course success. Researchers in this study examined the effects of student demographics, academic motivation, learning style, and locus of control on retention rates in community college online courses. A descriptive discriminant function analysis revealed one function that was primarily defined by age and ethnicity. Locus of control was not supported, but academic motivation and learning style preferences were retention predictors to a lesser degree. Online course completers tended to be slighter older, White, reported early course satisfaction, and had a sensing and sequential learning style preference.

Sex Trafficking Beliefs in Counselors: Establishing the Need for Human Trafficking Training in Counselor Education Programs

Human trafficking is a transnational crime that counselors must be prepared to address through advocacy efforts and within therapeutic settings. The present study sought to examine whether sex trafficking attitudes were different in counselors based on training specialization, workplace setting, biological sex, and previous human trafficking training. A national sample of 866 licensed professional counselors, clinical counselors, and school counselors participated in the study. Sex trafficking attitudes were measured using the Sex Trafficking Attitudes Scale (STAS). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and post hoc descriptive discriminant analyses (DDA) were used for data analyses. A statistically significant model for training was identified on attitudes related to awareness and efficacy. The present study provides empirical evidence for the importance of incorporating sex trafficking content into counselor education graduate programs. Professional counselors are additionally encouraged to pursue sex trafficking trainings.

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation, Alexithymia, and Social Phobia Are Associated With Disordered Eating in Male and Female Undergraduate Athletes.

Investigations of disordered eating in the athlete population tend to focus on females and the influence of sport level. This leaves unanswered whether, and how, team interdependence (i.e., whether the competition is engaged with one person or as a team) may differentially impact male athletes. In the present study, we recruited a sample of non-athletes, individual athletes, and team athletes and examined the interaction of gender and teammate interdependence on established psychosocial risk factors for disordered eating, including social phobia, alexithymia, and emotion regulation. Although we identified a significant main effect of gender, there was no main effect of team type, nor was there a significant interaction of gender and team type. Using descriptive discriminant analysis, these variables significantly discriminated between genders. Women were defined by higher scores than men on drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and emotion recognition and men were defined by relatively higher scores on emotion dysregulation and binge eating. When we combined all athletes and compared them with non-athletes, a significant interaction of gender and athlete status emerged such that female athletes, compared to male athletes and women non-athletes, were defined by higher scores on drive for thinness, emotion dysregulation, and binge eating. Conversely, male athletes, compared to female athletes, were defined by greater difficulty identifying feelings and body dissatisfaction. Non-athletes were not well defined by the discriminant function. These results highlight that emotional processes convey risk of eating disorders in men and women, particularly in athletes, and these risk factors are not uniform.

Tourism Mix Factor: Tourists’ Travel Orientation in Choosing Types of Tourism Objects in Indonesia

The purpose of this research is to analyze the tourism mix factor that differentiates tourists in choosing the type of tourism object as a basis for formulating strategies to attract tourists. This research is a quantitative study using a survey approach. The sample in this study was 200 respondents, consisting of 100 respondents of natural tourism visitors and 100 respondents of artificial tourism visitors. The analytical tool used in this study was descriptive analysis and discriminant analysis with the Stepwise method. The results of this study indicate that the variables that differentiate tourists from choosing natural tourism objects and artificial tourism objects are coolness, advertisements, facilities, prices, locations, travel agents, tourist attractions, transportation facilities and infrastructure, and public hospitality. Tourists who choose natural tourism objects have more positive attitude concerned with the variables of coolness, price, public hospitality, the existence of a travel agency, and the availability of transportation facilities and infrastructure, while visitors who choose artificial tourism objects have more positive attitude or are more concerned with location variables, advertisements, tourist attractions, and completeness of the facilities. This study provides a clear guidance on the tourism mix factor that distinguishes domestic tourists in Indonesia which is still very limited and need further investigation.

Impact Assessment of Devolution Paradigm in Primary Education Sector: Policy Initiatives and Budgetary Allocations in Punjab Province

The study aims to empirically testify the devolution intervention in the budgetary allocations of the primary education sector of the Punjab province. It addresses the question; whether devolution intervention has an impact on primary education policy and input indicators or not? This study is based on Content Analysis to derive a meaningful conclusion about policy interventions. The budgetary interventions are verified by Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Descriptive Discriminant Analysis (DDA) to measure the impact of devolution intervention. The analysis shows that there is no mere shift in policy initiatives and budgetary allocations. However, the primary education sector is relatively better as compared to the pre-devolution period but still, a lot of interventions are required for further improvement.&#x0D;

Making Meaning out of MANOVA: The Need for Multivariate Post Hoc Testing in Gifted Education Research

Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) is a statistical method used to examine group differences on multiple outcomes. This article reports results of a review of MANOVA in gifted education journals between 2011 and 2017 ( N = 56). Findings suggest a number of conceptual and procedural misunderstandings about the nature of MANOVA and its application, including pervasive use of univariate post hoc tests to interpret MANOVA results. Accordingly, this article aims to make MANOVA more accessible to gifted education scholars by clarifying its purpose and introducing descriptive discriminant analysis as a more appropriate post hoc technique. A heuristic data set is used to demonstrate the procedures for running a descriptive discriminant analysis, both in place of a one-way MANOVA and as a post hoc analysis to a factorial design. SPSS and R syntax are provided.

Performance-level indicators of male elite handball teams

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to identify the most relevant variables to characterise the performance level of the teams through Men’s World Championships (2007–2019). Forty-seven attributes from match-related statistics and characteristics of players were analysed in 168 participant teams. Descriptive discriminant analysis classified correctly 69.6% of the cases and selected the height of players, 9-m efficiency, international matches disputed, wing efficiency, blocked shots, 7-m goalkeeper efficiency and 2-min suspensions which were the most relevant indicators. Top-Elite was significantly different (one-way ANOVA) from Middle- and Low-Elite in all variables selected, except for 7-m goalkeeper efficiency. Linear regression shows that wing efficiency and blocked shots were the only variables with a tendency of changes through seven editions. The best teams have the tallest players and with more international matches disputed, were most efficient in 9-m and wing finalisations and block more shots in defence. These findings may guide scientists and sports trainers to select players, prescribe training procedures, analyse opponents and establish match strategies with special attention to these variables.

Key Anthropometric and Physical Determinants for Different Playing Positions During National Basketball Association Draft Combine Test.

Annual draft combine test of National Basketball Association (NBA) is a key player testing process where prospective players with extraordinary athletic abilities are evaluated and the assessment results would further inform the determination of prospective players for the league during draft day. Nonetheless, key attributes from the combine test that distinguished successful players in the draft from those unselected has yet to be investigated. The study was aimed to: (i) compare the difference between NBA drafted and undrafted players from five playing positions, considering anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness ability during draft combine test; and (ii) determine the key combine test factors that most effectively discriminate between draft groups. A total of 3,610 players participating in the 2000–2018 NBA draft combine test were included. Independent t-test was applied to compare difference between drafted and non-drafted players in variables related to anthropometrics, and strength and agility test. A descriptive discriminant analysis was subsequently used to identify which variables could best discriminate between two draft groups in each playing position. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. The drafted players from five positions outperformed the undrafted in height, wingspan, vertical jump height and reach, line agility and three-quarter sprint test (p < 0.01, ES = 0.26–0.87). The discriminant functions for each position (p < 0.001, Λ = 0.81–0.83) were emphasized by specific variables that discriminated both draft groups. The findings revealed that in addition to height and wingspan, leg power served as key determinants for being drafted as guards, as did agility and speed for power forwards and centers.