Framing Questions Research Articles

Valence-based biases in collective temporal thought: The role of question framing, culture, and age.

Collective temporal thought includes individuals' memories of group experiences and expectations about the group's collective future. Prior studies have found inconsistent valence biases (e.g., positivity) in North American collective memory and consistently negative biases in collective future thought. Discrepancies in collective memory valence biases may be due to different question framing across studies. Moreover, a limited number of studies extend collective temporal thought research beyond Western nations and few studies examine potential age-related differences in this area. Therefore, the present study investigates valence-based biases in collective temporal thought from the perspective of question framing, culture, and participant age. Participants (N = 1,548) included younger (20-39 years) and older (60+ years) adults from the USA and mainland China. Whereas Americans' collective memory biases varied across question framings, Chinese participants consistently displayed positivity biases. The American bias patterns were specific to collective memory and did not carry over to collective future thought ratings. Chinese participants showed higher dialectical thinking than American participants and dialectical thinking positively correlated with the proportion of positive events reported. Older adults generated significantly more positive events than younger adults, more so in collective memory than in collective future thought. Overall, collective temporal thinking is influenced by question framing, cultural context, and participant age.

Enclosures of Wind: Practice-Led Methods for Visualization of Elemental Media

This article engages with the aesthetics of air as it becomes spatialized, managed, and rescaled across different material configurations in the context of an art exhibition. The text builds an argument concerning wind, air currents, and cultural techniques of visualization and circulation through a live curatorial and artistic example of Abelardo Gil-Fournier’s exhibition The Raft: Three Acts for an Exposure to the Elements at the Fundación Cerezales Antonino y Cinia (FCAYC) in León, Spain, in 2023–24. The spatial setting of the exhibition and its relation to the surrounding valley are investigated through imaging, modeling, and acoustic resonance that frame questions of air, atmosphere, and wind through the processual methodology employed. The article thus does not focus on final artworks so much as on the process of constructing an exhibition where issues of curatorial practice, architectural considerations, and practice-led research feature together with an undercurrent of arguments drawing on recent media theory as well as the history of media and science. In focusing on the framing of air and wind, the article asks: How do material limitations and conditions of curatorial practice address multiscalar planetary space? The article is structured around the broader theoretical point that responds to the core questions of this special issue and the three acts that structure the exhibition as an investigation of material methods of movement of bodies and air, spatial enclosures and their outsides.

Research Trend of Science Process Skills in Prospective Physics Teachers: An Analytical Review

It is imperative to research the science process skills of prospective physics teachers in higher education to improve the quality of physics education, support curriculum development, and enhance student understanding. This study examines the research trends regarding the science process skills of prospective physics teachers in physics education at higher education institutions. The review of journal publications from 2019 to 2023 was conducted using content analysis, a qualitative method. A total of 24 journal articles focusing on the science process skills of prospective physics teachers in higher education were identified through Publish or Perish, using the Google Scholar and Scopus databases between 2019 and 2023. The analysis steps included framing review questions, identifying relevant research, assessing study quality, summarizing evidence, and conducting data analysis. The results showed that research on the science process skills of prospective physics teachers has been prevalent since 2019, with quantitative research dominating the field. Basic physics practicum courses are the primary focus for exploring students' science process skills, with tests being the most commonly used instruments. Several interventions, such as Project-Based Learning (PjBL), STEAM, Discovery, and Inquiry, have been implemented to enhance the science process skills of physics teacher candidates. Communication skills, a component of the 21st-century 4C skills, are particularly pertinent to the future challenges that educators will encounter, as evidenced by the science process skills examined in previous research. These skills are critical in fostering collaboration, problem-solving, and effective teaching. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the importance of developing physics teacher candidates' science process skills, particularly communication skills, in higher education. Future research is expected to deepen the understanding and develop more effective learning strategies to improve these essential skills in physics teacher candidates.

Exploring women’s and men’s belonging in STEM

PurposeAs of 2023, the total number of Nobel Prizes granted in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields was roughly 622 and of those, only 26 have been awarded to women. STEM fields have historically excluded women at all levels with increasing impact at the higher levels of the career ladder (NSF, 2010). The study serves to shed light on women’s and men’s experiences of belonging in STEM fields – uncovering similarities and differences between the two groups.Design/methodology/approachThe study is a qualitative phenomenology, investigating the phenomenon of belonging in STEM among 39 workers in STEM fields.FindingsThrough this qualitative study, we uncovered the similarities around the three primary ways that both men and women conceptualized belonging in these spaces – through feeling heard and contributing, through representation and through feeling safe to take risks. We also identified differences in the ways the men and women conceptualized belonging, such as women’s stronger leadership orientation, greater pull toward connection and more negative mindsets around their inclusion in STEM spaces, and men’s strong orientation toward merit and performance, lesser leadership orientation and more positive mindsets about women’s belonging in STEM fields.Originality/valueThe study takes a novel approach by investigating the experiences of belonging in STEM fields, bringing to light new concepts about the different ways that groups experience belonging. The study uses the Appreciative Inquiry framing of questions to highlight the peak experiences of belonging.

Through the lens of Good Participatory Practice: Findings and lessons learned from the healthcare worker subcommittee of the COVID-19 Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes Registry.

Participant representation, including the Good Participatory Practice guidelines, in the design and execution of clinical research can profoundly affect research structure and process. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, an online registry called the Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO) Registry, was launched to capture the experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) on the pandemic frontlines. It evolved into a program that distributed COVID-19-related information and connected participants with COVID-19-related research opportunities. Furthermore, a subcommittee of HCWs was created to inform the COVID-19-related clinical research, engagement, and communication efforts. This paper, coauthored by the HERO HCW subcommittee, describes how it was formed, the impact of community participation on the HERO Registry and Research Program, reflections on lessons learned, and implications for future research. Engagement of the HCW Subcommittee resulted in representing their lived experience and ensured that their perspectives as HCWs were incorporated into the HERO Research. The strategies not only supported recruitment and retention efforts but also influenced the HERO research team in framing research questions and data collection pertinent to the participant community. This experience demonstrated the importance of having participants' input as expert advisors to an investigative team in their research efforts during a global health emergency.

Real Effect or Bias? Good Practices for Evaluating the Robustness of Evidence From Comparative Observational Studies Through Quantitative Sensitivity Analysis for Unmeasured Confounding.

The assumption of "no unmeasured confounders" is a critical but unverifiable assumption required for causal inference yet quantitative sensitivity analyses to assess robustness of real-world evidence remains under-utilized. The lack of use is likely in part due to complexity of implementation and often specific and restrictive data requirements for application of each method. With the advent of methods that are broadly applicable in that they do not require identification of a specific unmeasured confounder-along with publicly available code for implementation-roadblocks toward broader use of sensitivity analyses are decreasing. To spur greater application, here we offer a good practice guidance to address the potential for unmeasured confounding at both the design and analysis stages, including framing questions and an analytic toolbox for researchers. The questions at the design stage guide the researcher through steps evaluating the potential robustness of the design while encouraging gathering of additional data to reduce uncertainty due to potential confounding. At the analysis stage, the questions guide quantifying the robustness of the observed result and providing researchers with a clearer indication of the strength of their conclusions. We demonstrate the application of this guidance using simulated data based on an observational fibromyalgia study, applying multiple methods from our analytic toolbox for illustration purposes.

How should I know? Lack of confidence biases stock market expectations toward zero

Consumers’ expectations of stock market movements are important for understanding individual decisions about consequential financial outcomes and forming economic policy. Across three studies, we posit a new relationship underlying reported stock market expectations: that respondents lack confidence about their ability to forecast stock market movements and this lack of confidence biases reported probabilities toward 0 %. In Study 1, using 10 years of nationally representative survey data, we show that stock market expectations are more pessimistic than warranted when compared to actual stock market movements. In Study 2, we measure stock market expectations in several nationally representative survey experiments over 12 monthly waves (n = 4,613 participants providing 21,670 survey responses) where participants are randomly assigned to report the chances that the stock market will be “lower” or “higher” over the next month and year. Reported probabilities are biased toward 0 % in each question frame, yielding a “framing effect” gap of >10 percentage points each wave. In Study 3, we find that confidence moderates this framing effect: when we manipulate confidence regarding one's ability to forecast the stock market, there is a smaller gap between “lower” and “higher” frames for those participants who have greater confidence. To our knowledge, this is the first research showing that a lack of confidence biases reported stock market probabilities toward 0 %. It also uncovers a framing effect that is counter to psychological theory on “valence framing” and helps explain prior research showing that people are pessimistic about the stock market.

Question framing affects accurate-inaccurate discrimination in responses to sharing questions, but not in responses to accuracy questions

Previous research suggests that even when people are capable of judging to the best of their knowledge whether claims are accurate or inaccurate, they do not sufficiently discriminate between accurate and inaccurate information when asked to consider whether they would share stories on social media. However, question framing (“To the best of your knowledge…”, “Would you consider…?”) differed between the questions about accuracy and the questions about sharing. Here we examine the effects of question framing on responses to accuracy questions and responses to sharing questions. The framing of accuracy questions had no effect on accurate-inaccurate discrimination. In contrast, accurate-inaccurate discrimination in response to sharing questions increased when participants were asked to respond, to the best of their knowledge, whether they would share claims compared to when they were asked whether they would consider sharing stories. At a theoretical level, the findings support the inattention-based account, according to which contextual cues shifting the focus toward accuracy can enhance accurate-inaccurate discrimination in sharing responses. At a methodological level, these findings suggest that researchers should carefully attend to the verbal framing of questions about sharing information on social media, as the framing may significantly influence participants’ focus on accuracy.

Framing of sensitive topics in surveys measuring corruption in healthcare

Corruption is a costly, consequential and complex phenomenon facing healthcare systems globally. Measuring the prevalence of petty corruption, such as bribery and informal payments, is challenging due to the hidden and sensitive nature of these exchanges. This paper explores how question framing influences estimates of informal payment prevalence in doctor-patient relationships in two steps. We analyze the responses from the Eurobarometer survey and then conduct a novel survey experiment in Bulgaria and the UK, comparing the effect of ‘neutral’ (avoiding corruption-related terms) versus ‘loaded’ (using corruption-related terms) question wording on individuals' reports of experiences with informal payments. Data from the Special Eurobarometer 397 survey (N = 16,051) fielded in 2013 reveals a notable framing effect: respondents report higher prevalence of informal payments when questions are neutrally framed, as opposed to using corruption-related language. This result is confirmed by a survey experiment we ran between November 2023 and February 2024 in with participants in Bulgaria (N = 428) and the UK (N = 424). Respondents exposed to neutral framing were significantly more likely to admit making informal payments compared to those in the loaded treatment group. The difference in response rates between countries suggests that cultural and normative specificities play a role in willingness to report healthcare corruption. Our results underscore the trade-off between using culturally contextualized terminology to elicit responses on sensitive topics and adopting a universal approach that facilitates cross-country comparisons. We further discuss the behavioral and normative implications of using neutral versus corruption-related language when investigating informal practices in healthcare settings.

Oncointerpreter.ai enables interactive, personalized summarization of cancer diagnostics data.

Cancer diagnosis comes as a shock to many patients, and many of them feel unprepared to handle the complexity of the life-changing event, understand technicalities of the diagnostic reports, and fully engage with the clinical team regarding the personalized clinical decision-making. We develop Oncointerpreter.ai an interactive resource to offer personalized summarization of clinical cancer genomic and pathological data, and frame questions or address queries about therapeutic opportunities in near-real time via a graphical interface. It is built on the Mistral-7B and Llama-2 7B large language models trained on a local database trained using a large, curated corpus. We showcase its utility with case studies, where Oncointerpreter.ai extracted key clinical and molecular attributes from deidentified pathology and clinical genomics reports, summarized their contextual significance and answered queries on pertinent treatment options. Oncointerpreter also provided personalized summary of currently active clinical trials that match the patients' disease status, their selection criteria, and geographic locations. Benchmarking and comparative assessment indicated that the model responses were generally consistent, and hallucination, ie, factually incorrect or nonsensical response was rare; treatment- and outcome related queries led to context-aware responses, and response time correlated with verbosity. The choice of model and domain-specific training also affected the response quality. Oncointerpreter.ai can aid the existing clinical care with interactive, individualized summarization of diagnostics data to promote informed dialogs with the patients with new cancer diagnoses. https://github.com/Siris2314/Oncointerpreter.

Technical specification for developing a clinical practice guideline for the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine.

Developing a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for integrating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine (WM) requires the accurate identification, collation, and integration of all available evidence on TCM and WM in a comprehensive, meaningful, and resource-efficient manner. This entails framing appropriate clinical questions, retrieving and synthesizing evidence from multiple resources, and providing concise and complete recommendations for specific diseases. However, some existing CPGs for integrating TCM and WM lack deep and organic integration. As the effective preparation of a CPG for integrating TCM and WM typically involves a complex set of principles, methodology, and steps, we believe that a cohesive, step-by-step guide on how to prepare a CPG for integrating TCM and WM is essential. To facilitate the design and development of a robust CPG, we present a clear and concise methodology, outlining relevant principles and procedures, supported by references for guidance. This technical specification aims to simplify the methodology for preparing a CPG for integrating TCM and WM; provide healthcare professionals and researchers with methodologically sound tools; and enhance the quality of CPGs for integrating TCM and WM. This technical specification may help elucidate this complex process, facilitate evaluation of the quality of published CPGs for integrating TCM and WM, and improve the understanding and application of recommendations for the combined and integrated use of TCM and WM in a new system.

Thematic Trends in Data Curation Literature

ABSTRACTThe field of data curation is rapidly changing due to new developments in technologies and techniques for conducting data work. As the field of data curation evolves, researchers, practitioners, and educators need to be able to respond to these developments. One way to understand trends in a field is by examining published literature. This study first gathered data curation literature through a modified systematic literature review with the framing question, ‘What competencies, skill sets, and proficiencies are needed to conduct data curation activities?’. These literatures were then analyzed using bibliometric analysis, visual analysis of the citation data, and topic modeling to understand trends in the data curation field.

Six personas to adopt when framing theoretical research questions in biology.

Theory is a critical component of the biological research process, and complements observational and experimental approaches. However, most biologists receive little training on how to frame a theoretical question and, thus, how to evaluate when theory has successfully answered the research question. Here, we develop a guide with six verbal framings for theoretical models in biology. These correspond to different personas one might adopt as a theorist: 'Advocate', 'Explainer', 'Instigator', 'Mediator', 'Semantician' and 'Tinkerer'. These personas are drawn from combinations of two starting points (pattern or mechanism) and three foci (novelty, robustness or conflict). We illustrate each of these framings with examples of specific theoretical questions, by drawing on recent theoretical papers in the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology. We show how the same research topic can be approached from slightly different perspectives, using different framings. We show how clarifying a model's framing can debunk common misconceptions of theory: that simplifying assumptions are bad, more detail is always better, models show anything you want and modelling requires substantial maths knowledge. Finally, we provide a roadmap that researchers new to theoretical research can use to identify a framing to serve as a blueprint for their own theoretical research projects.

Beyond frequency: Evaluating the validity of assessing the context, duration, ability, and botherment of depression and anxiety symptoms in South Brazil.

Assessment tools for depression and anxiety usually inquire about the frequency of symptoms. However, evidence suggests that different question framings might trigger different responses. Our aim is to test if asking about symptom's context, ability, duration, and botherment adds validity to Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, and Patient-Related Outcome Measurement Information Systems depression and anxiety. Participants came from two cross-sectional convenience-sampled surveys (N = 1,871) of adults (66% females, aged 33.4 ± 13.2), weighted to approximate with the state-level population. We examined measurement invariance across the different question frames, estimated whether framing affected mean scores, and tested their independent validity using covariate-adjusted and sample-weighted structural equation models. Validity was tested using tools assessing general disability, alcohol use, loneliness, well-being, grit, and frequency-based questions from depression and anxiety questionnaires. A bifactor model was applied to test the internal consistency of the question frames under the presence of a general factor (i.e., depression or anxiety). Measurement invariance was supported across the different frames. Framing questions as ability (i.e., "How easily …") produced a higher score, compared with framing by context (i.e., "In which daily situations …"). Construct and criterion validity analysis demonstrate that variance explained using multiple question frames was similar to using only one. We detected a strong overarching factor for each instrument, with little variances left to be explained by the question frame. Therefore, it is unlikely that using different adverbial phrasings can help clinicians and researchers to improve their ability to detect depression or anxiety. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Time Preferences and Lunar New Year: An Experiment

Abstract We conduct an experiment to examine how the attitude toward time preference changed when there was a time-related occasion, specifically the Lunar New Year. We anticipated that individuals would be more patient as measured by a battery of questions after the New Year. However, we find that individuals only appear more patient when those questions pose the amount of time they have to wait in year increments rather than other units of time. More experimentation is necessary to identify the peculiarities of framing questions around this “New Years Effect.”

Clinicians' Use of Choice Framing in ICU Family Meetings.

To quantify the frequency and patterns of clinicians' use of choice frames when discussing preference-sensitive care with surrogate decision-makers in the ICU. Secondary sequential content analysis. One hundred one audio-recorded and transcribed conferences between surrogates and clinicians of incapacitated, critically ill adults from a prospective, multicenter cohort study. Surrogate decision-makers and clinicians. None. Four coders identified preference-sensitive decision episodes addressed in the meetings, including topics such as mechanical ventilation, renal replacement, and overall goals of care. Prior critical care literature provided specific topics identified as preference-sensitive specific to the critical care context. Coders then examined each decision episode for the types of choice frames used by clinicians. The choice frames were selected a priori based on decision science literature. In total, there were 202 decision episodes across the 101 transcripts, with 20.3% of the decision episodes discussing mechanical ventilation, 19.3% overall goals of care, 14.4% renal replacement therapy, 14.4% post-discharge care (i.e., discharge location such as a skilled nursing facility), and the remaining 32.1% other topics. Clinicians used default framing, in which an option is presented that will be carried out if another option is not actively chosen, more frequently than any other choice frame (127 or 62.9% of decision episodes). Clinicians presented a polar interrogative, or a "yes or no question" to accept or reject a specific care choice, in 43 (21.3%) decision episodes. Clinicians more frequently presented options emphasizing both potential losses and gains rather than either in isolation. Clinicians frequently use default framing and polar questions when discussing preference-sensitive choices with surrogate decision-makers, which are known to be powerful nudges. Future work should focus on designing interventions promoting the informed use of these and the other most common choice frames used by practicing clinicians.

Framing Assessment Questions in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Evidence from ChatGPT 3.5

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), higher education faces a significant challenge in learning assessment. The emergence of tools like ChatGPT raises concerns regarding the potential for cheating and the reliability of assessment outcomes. This paper aims to address these concerns by proposing a methodology for framing questions that effectively measures learning outcomes while reducing the risk of AI-enabled cheating. To achieve this objective, we employ a methodological approach that involves getting responses from ChatGPT 3.5 to various question prompts across different domains. These responses are then evaluated by faculty members specializing in management education. Through this process, we aim to identify question-framing strategies that effectively assess learning outcomes while minimizing susceptibility to AI Cheating. Our analysis reveals several key findings. Certain question Types (Decision Making, Recent Events, and Experiential Learning) demonstrate greater resilience against AI-generated responses, indicating their potential effectiveness in assessing student learning. This study offers original insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with learning assessment in the context of AI integration. The paper tries to provide valuable guidance for Policymakers, educators & students seeking to enhance the integrity and reliability of their assessment practices. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-03-09 Full Text: PDF

Systematic Review of Models Usedto Handle Class Imbalance in Anomaly Detection for Energy Consumption

The widespread integration of Smart technologies into energy consumption systems has brought about a transformative shift in monitoring and managing electricity usage. The imbalanced nature of anomaly data often results in suboptimal performance in detecting rare anomalies. This literature review analyzes models designed to address this challenge. The methodology involves a systematic literature review based on the five-step framework proposed by Khan, encompassing framing research questions, identifying relevant literature, assessing article quality, conducting a critical review, and interpreting results. The findings show that classical machine learning models like Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Random Forests (RF) are commonly used. In conclusion, classical machine learning models like SVM and RF struggle to recognize rare anomalies, while deep learning models, notably Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), show promise for automatically learning elaborate representations and improving performance while dealing with class imbalance.

SFL as a socially accountable praxis: who and what are we working for?

Abstract In this paper we explore the concept of socially accountable SFL praxis in designing, conducting, and disseminating participatory work with minoritized youth and communities. Using a reflexive methodology, we explore our often-failed attempts at developing a socially accountable SFL praxis in the southeast of the United States to support minoritized youth and their educators. Specifically, we reflect on (1) our biases, theoretical predispositions, assumptions, and power relations vis-à-vis the researched, and (2) on how these aspects affected every stage of the research, from the disciplinary framing of the research questions, the choice of the research methodology, to how we presented our findings. The article concludes with an emphasis on socially accountable SFL praxis as a pivotal approach to strengthen and support minoritized communities within the context of structural inequality.

Implementation of a countywide adult suicide review commission: Development, lessons learned, and recommendations.

Fatality review is a public health approach designed to inform efforts to prevent fatalities of a certain kind (e.g., suicide, homicide) or in a specific setting or population (e.g., hospitals, youth). Despite extensive literature on fatality review generally, the literature on suicide review teams specifically is scant. The aim of this paper is to: describe the implementation of a local adult suicide review commission, detail examples of initial outcomes and recommendations developed by the commission, and provide recommendations and/or best practices for how to develop and implement an adult suicide review team. We utilize framing questions from the American Association of Suicidology's psychological autopsy framework. By using these guiding questions in the discussion, members are invited to explore not only the stressors that may have more immediately preceded the suicide event itself, but to situate those stressors in the context of the individual's life course. Several recommendations proposed by our commission have resulted in tangible outcomes and are detailed using Haddon's Matrix as a guiding prevention planning tool. We have highlighted the need to move beyond looking at individual-level help-seeking to focus on structural/systemic issues that result in stress or create unsafe environments for at-risk individuals.