Indicators Of Respondents Research Articles

An empirical evaluation of probing questions investigating question comprehensibility in web surveys

ABSTRACT It is essential for the quality of survey data that questions are easy to understand. We developed four variants of comprehensibility probes measuring the comprehensibility of a survey question as a whole or of individual aspects (vocabulary, sentence complexity, content). We compared the probes on four experimental questions in terms of response distributions and mean comprehensibility scores to assess their sensitivity to capture comprehensibility problems at different levels of granularity, as well as nonresponse and response times as indicators of respondents’ willingness and required effort to answer the probes. We found no differences in the response distributions and mean comprehensibility scores, while item nonresponse and response times differed significantly between the probe versions.

Melatonergic antidepressant agomelatine: augmentation of antipsychotic drugs in treatment of post-schizophrenic depression

The article presents an analytical review of the data on the effectiveness of agomelatine as an augmentation of antipsychotics in the treatment of post-schizophrenic depression (PSD). The results of 5 published studies with a total sample size of 137 patients, the duration of therapy from 28 to 180 days with the appointment of agomelatin in combination with antipsychotics, including cases of additional use of drugs of other classes (normotimics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, anticholinergic correctors) were used. As a result, a pronounced effect was established in the indicators of respondents and patients in remission, combined with a favorable tolerability and safety profile, determining the prospects for the use of agomelatin in the therapy of PSD. Certain limitations in the methodology, including open and uncontrolled research design and small sample sizes, determine the relevance of systematic controlled trials to confirm the results obtained.

Parenthood and Gender in Russian Academia

Based on data from a survey conducted in November 2021 involving 2,395 economists working in the academic field, the impact of parenthood on both mothers and fathers on elements of academic careers, such as defending a doctoral thesis and publishing productivity, is being analyzed.
 
 It has been observed that men successfully balance the arrival of their first child with the defense of their doctoral thesis, while for most women, these events occur sequentially with a time gap. Furthermore, the strategies for combining parenthood with building a professional career among young respondents differ from those of their older colleagues. The older the woman in our sample, the more likely she is to prioritize the "child first, then defense" strategy. Over time, priorities have shifted, and now women are more inclined to postpone childbirth.
 
 Using data from the elibrary.ru library, indicators of respondents' publication productivity were obtained, indicating that, on average, men publish more works indexed in RINC and the RINC core. A similar publication gap has been identified in other countries, with researchers suggesting unequal burdens that women and men bear during parenthood as a possible explanation for this gap. The results of the study do not provide grounds to consider the presence or absence of children as a significant factor explaining this gap. The author considers self-selection among respondents due to barriers within the academic environment and differences in career goals as possible reasons for the publication gap. Both women with and without children are relatively more oriented towards a teaching career, and the presence of a child may strengthen this tendency.

The Effectiveness of Historical Memes on High School Students' Interest in Learning History

This research aims to: (1) Understand the history learning process for class in history learning at SMA Jakenan Pati (a High School); (2) Analyzing the effectiveness of history learning using historical memes at SMA Jakenan Pati; and (3) Knowing the influence of the use of historical memes on students' interest in learning history at SMA Jakenan Pati. This research uses a quantitative research method that uses an experimental research design. The research results show (1) teachers are good at teaching history but teachers do not use the facilities provided by the school such as wifi facilities, LCD projectors in each class. Teachers still use the lecture method; (2) The first indicator of respondents was doubtful at 20.75%, strongly agreed and agreed at 76.85%, and a small portion disagreed and strongly disagreed at 2.4%. The second indicator which discusses learning more quickly, effectively and efficiently shows that 29.44% are unsure, 67.56% strongly agree and 3% disagree; and (3) Based on the summery model table which has been analyzed using the SPSS 25 program, it shows that the R Square value is 0.228= 22.8%. These results show that the independent or non-free variable (historical memes) influences the independent variable (interest in learning) in history learning for class Meanwhile, the remaining 77.2% is explained by other factors not covered in this study.

Stigmatization in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey experiment using attribution theory and the familiarity hypothesis

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has created a global health crisis, leading to stigmatization and discriminatory behaviors against people who have contracted or are suspected of having contracted the virus. Yet the causes of stigmatization in the context of COVID-19 remain only partially understood. Using attribution theory, we examine to what extent attributes of a fictitious person affect the formation of stigmatizing attitudes towards this person, and whether suspected COVID-19 infection (vs. flu) intensifies such attitudes. We also use the familiarity hypothesis to explore whether familiarity with COVID-19 reduces stigma and whether it moderates the effect of a COVID-19 infection on stigmatization.MethodsWe conducted a multifactorial vignette survey experiment (28-design, i.e., NVignettes = 256) in Germany (NRespondents = 4,059) in which we experimentally varied signals and signaling events (i.e., information that may trigger stigma) concerning a fictitious person in the context of COVID-19. We assessed respondents’ cognitive (e.g., blameworthiness) and affective (e.g., anger) responses as well as their discriminatory inclinations (e.g., avoidance) towards the character. Furthermore, we measured different indicators of respondents’ familiarity with COVID-19.ResultsResults revealed higher levels of stigma towards people who were diagnosed with COVID-19 versus a regular flu. In addition, stigma was higher towards those who were considered responsible for their infection due to irresponsible behavior. Knowing someone who died from a COVID infection increased stigma. While higher self-reported knowledge about COVID-19 was associated with more stigma, higher factual knowledge was associated with less.ConclusionAttribution theory and to a lesser extent the familiarity hypothesis can help better understand stigma in the context of COVID-19. This study provides insights about who is at risk of stigmatization and stigmatizing others in this context. It thereby allows identifying the groups that require more support in accessing healthcare services and suggests that basic, factually oriented public health interventions would be promising for reducing stigma.

Assessment of the knowledge that forms a conscious need for healthy nutrition in school children as the main element of a healthy lifestyle

Introduction. The authors present the results of a study devoted to the issue of forming the basics of healthy eating for schoolchildren in the Russian Federation, which is the main goal of ‘Demography’ National project, aimed at monitoring schoolchildren’s nutrition and health. An important part of solving this problem is raising schoolchildren’s awareness of and their commitment to the principles of healthy nutrition, as factors reducing the risk of overweight and obesity, which are predictors of alimentary-related diseases. The aim of the research is to examine awareness of and adherence to the principles of healthy eating among schoolchildren with different body mass index in the Russian Federation in order to develop an integrated approach to activities and interventions aimed at developing healthy eating habits and eating behavior according the principles of healthy eating. Materials and Methods. The work used sociological (questionnaires), analytical and statistical research methods. The study was conducted in 66 constituent entities (federal subjects) of the Russian Federation among students in educational institutions and their parents (legal representatives) and heads of educational institutions in accordance with MR 2.3.0167-20, approved by the Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation A.Yu. Popova, March, 20, 2020). The study was conducted in the form of a sociological survey. The assessment of anthropometric indicators given by the respondents during the survey was carried out using the WHO methodology (2007). Statistical processing was conducted using the STATISTICA-10.0 system and Microsoft Excel using descriptive methods of statistics and t-test (in case of normal data distribution) and Fisher (U). Differences were considered statistically significant at p <0.05. Results. When analyzing the data of the survey, the authors found that the majority of schoolchildren and their parents (legal representatives) participating in the study are familiar with the principles of healthy eating, while only about a quarter of them follow these principles. Peculiarities were revealed in indicators of respondents' adherence to the rules of healthy eating depending on nutritional status, indicating a greater proportion of children with overweight and obesity among those who are unfamiliar with the principles of healthy eating. There were no significant differences in age and place of residence. However, all groups demonstrated low consumption of milk and dairy as well as wholemeal bread, which are characterized by large amounts of useful macro- and micronutrients. Priority sources of information about the principles of healthy eating have been established. They include healthcare workers, the Internet and television, respectively. It was revealed that in most educational institutions sanitary and educational work is carried out, aimed at developing skills and the need for a healthy diet. The largest number of children participating in the implementation of educational programs is primary school students with a low proportion of middle and senior school students. Conclusions. The study concludes that implementation of programs aimed at increasing schoolchildren's knowledge about the rules of healthy eating plays a significant role in ensuring healthy nutrition of schoolchildren, which contributes to the formation of adequate adaptive capabilities of the child's body and reducing the risk of alimentary-related pathology. The authors emphasize that when developing and implementing the programs it is necessary to pay attention to the identified features in the awareness of and commitment to the principles of healthy eating among overweight and obese schoolchildren and to increase the participation of middle and senior schoolchildren. The development of a family-associated approach to solving the problem is considered to be promising.

Impacts of economic inequality on healthcare worker safety at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: cross-sectional analysis of a global survey

ObjectivesTo assess the extent to which protection of healthcare workers (HCWs) as COVID-19 emerged was associated with economic inequality among and within countries.DesignCross-sectional analysis of associations of perceptions of workplace...

Representation of the Rules for Living in Personal Narratives of Adolescents with Hearing Impairments

The article is focused on the study of personal narratives of adolescents with hearing impairments. The aim of the study was to determine narrative indicators of respondents’ rules for living. To achieve this goal, there were analysed personal narratives of adolescents with hearing impairments. Besides, there were identified specific categories that reflect their rules for living. In addition, there was studied the level of subjective well-being of respondents and the relationship between the presentation of certain rules for living in personal narratives and the level of subjective satisfaction with life. The research methods were content analysis of personal narratives and subjective scaling. Statistical data processing was performed with the help of recursive division trees method. The results of the study show that rules for living typical for adolescents with hearing impairments are reflected in their narratives and can be divided into three groups. The first group includes self-focusing rules, the second – focusing on others, and the third – focusing on the out-world. Each of these groups is divided into two subgroups, and each subgroup includes the behaviour of supercompensation or avoidance. The most common among adolescents with hearing impairments are rules for living related to the focusing on others and self-focusing both by the type of avoidance. At the same time, the highest level of subjective satisfaction with life is connected with self-focusing rules for living by type of supercompensation. The obtained data allow us to conclude that the analysis of personal narratives of adolescents with hearing impairments allows to determine their rules for living. On the other hand, typical rules for living determine the level of person’s subjective well-being. Prospects for further researches in this area are to study the representation in adolescents’ narratives not only separate rules for living, but also core beliefs, the existence of which is ensured by these rules.

Attention Centrality and Audience Fragmentation: An Approach for Bridging the Gap Between Selective Exposure and Audience Overlap

Abstract Scholarship on audience fragmentation typically takes one of two approaches: The micro-level analysis of individuals’ selective exposure to partisan news, or the macro-level analysis of audience overlap. To bridge the gap between these levels of analysis, we introduce the concept of attention centrality as a set of macro-to-micro measures that characterize how individual news media selection is situated within networks of public attention. Relying on an online panel survey conducted in the United States (N = 1,493), we examine the relationship between three indicators of respondents’ attention centrality (closeness, betweenness, and reach) and the partisan valence of their news selections. The study finds different patterns of results for the three indicators of attention centrality, indicating that partisan news media are not uniformly isolated to the periphery of public attention. Results are discussed in light of conversations about selective exposure and audience overlap in the United States and around the world.

Стрессоустойчивость лиц опасных профессий в условиях локального вооруженного конфликта

The purpose of the study is to study professionally significant psychological features of persons of hazardous occupations (OP) in the conditions of an incomplete local armed conflict (LVK), to identify maladaptation states and to develop recommendations for improving the work of the medical and psychological service. Materials and methods of research. The study was conducted by specialists of the laboratory of Psychophysiological Support (PFO) on the basis of the Luhansk Republican Center for Emergency Medical Care and Disaster Medicine. The object of the study – 590 respondents representatives of OP (470 - men, 120 - women) aged 20 to 60 years. All respondents have been working under the conditions of incomplete LVK since 2014 to the present. To study neuropsychiatric stability and anxiety, the "Level of Neuropsychiatric Stability" method and the Spielberger-Hanin method were used. To identify significant differences in the psychological characteristics of persons of hazardous occupations, the Student's t-test was used. The results of the study and their analysis. Professionally significant psychological features of persons of hazardous occupations working in the conditions of incomplete LVK are analyzed. A comparative analysis of the obtained data is carried out, taking into account the biological age and gender differences. The results of the study can be used in further study of the psychological indicators of respondents working in the conditions of LVK, and for the development of programs aimed at maintaining, correcting and forming the psychological health of the participants of LVK who are in high-risk conditions.

Городской вандализм в восприятии молодежи: эмпирическое исследование атрибуции его причин

The research is devoted to the attribution of the reasons of vandal behavior by urban youth. Quantitative content analysis of respondents' statements (text-mining) on the presented photos of vandalized urban environment, the indicators of respondents' perception of "negative assessment of vandalism" and "explanation of vandal behavior reasons" formed on its basis, as well as the scale of "World image" assessment formed for research purposes are the information collection method. The research sample includes young people from the cities of Yekaterinburg and Moscow. Yekaterinburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg (N=193), aged from 18 to 35 years (M=21.2 years, SD=4.1 years), consisting of men. The collected lexical array of utterances amounted to 6550 words (23657 signs), after generalization made 35 word forms, representing attitudes towards vandalism and typical attributions of its causes. The results of the study show the contradictions between the negative attitudes of young people to vandal behavior and the explanation of the reasons of vandalism, allowing it for the purpose of: a) self-expression, b) under the influence of aggressive emotions, as well as the experience of grief, resentment; c) opposing themselves to others. It is noted that the image of the world influences young people's ideas about the meaning of vandal behavior.

The Perception of Business Risks by SMEs in the Czech Republic

This article aims to find out which business risks determine the perception of the business environment of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the future. 454 SMEs from the Czech Republic participated in the case study by filling in an online questionnaire. Linear regression models were used to verify statistically significant causal relationships between selected indicators of business risks and respondents' perception of the future of business. The results show that selected indicators of the market, financial, personnel, legal and operational risk determine the perceived future of business. Strategic risk indicators do not significantly affect the perceived future of business. The most important indicators: market risk — adequacy of sales of products and services; financial risk — an indicator of the company's financial performance; personnel risk — an indicator of employees' initiative to increase performance; legal risk — an indicator of respondents' ability to understand the basic legal aspects and operational risk — an indicator of the use of company capacities. All the indicators from above have a positive effect on the future perception of the company. Implications for Central European audience: The attitudes of small and medium-sized enterprises represent a certain degree of subjectivity (human factor), which does not always reflect the real position of the enterprise. However, it is the main representatives of SMEs (owners and top managers) who try to manage business risks to have a more positive perception of their future in the business environment in the Czech Republic. The results based on the business environment of the Czech Republic are important not only for the owners of SMEs, but also for state and non-profit institutions dealing with various forms of SME support.

Effects of smartphone use and recall aids on network name generator questions

The increasing use of smartphones around the world provides new opportunities for network data collection using smartphone surveys. We investigated experimentally whether the use of smartphones and of a recall aid affects the number of reported names in a network name generator question. In a German online access panel (N = 3891), respondents were randomly assigned to answer the survey on their PC or on their smartphone and were randomly assigned to receive an open-ended recall aid question before the name generator question or after. Results showed that respondents on PCs and smartphones reported the same number of network contacts. This suggests that smartphone surveys have no negative effect on the network sizes in ego-centered network studies. However, requiring people to answer on smartphones resulted in a selection bias due to non-compliance, which may have led to an overrepresentation of persons with larger network sizes. The recall aid question did not lead to more reported names, but it proved to be an indicator of respondents’ motivation and response quality. In sum, the study suggests that smartphones can effectively be used for network research in tech-savvy populations or when respondents can choose to complete the survey on another device.

Impact of urine and mixed incontinence on long-term care preference: a vignette-survey study of community-dwelling older adults

BackgroundIn view of population aging, a better knowledge of factors influencing the type of long-term care (LTC) among older adults is necessary. Previous studies reported a close relationship between incontinence and institutionalization, but little is known on opinions of older citizens regarding the most appropriate place of care. This study aimed at evaluating the impact of urine and/or fecal incontinence on preferences of community–dwelling older citizens.MethodsWe derived data from the Lausanne cohort 65+, a population-based study of individuals aged from 68 to 82 years. A total of 2974 community-dwelling persons were interviewed in 2017 on the most appropriate place of LTC delivery for three vignettes displaying a fixed level of disability with varying degrees of incontinence (none, urinary, urinary and fecal). Multinomial logistic regression analyses explored the effect of respondents’ characteristics on their opinion according to Andersen’s model.ResultsThe level of incontinence described in vignettes strongly determined the likelihood of considering institutional care as most appropriate. Respondents’ characteristics such as age, gender, educational level, being a caregiver, knowledge of shelter housing or feeling supported by family influenced LTC choices. Self-reported incontinence and other indicators of respondents’ need, however, had no significant independent effect.ConclusionAmong older community-dwelling citizens, urinary and fecal incontinence play a decisive role in the perception of a need for institutionalization. Prevention and early initiation of support for sufferers may be a key to prevent this need and ensure familiar surrounding as long as possible.

On the relationships between commuting mode choice and public health

Abstract This paper studies the associations that may exist between commuting mode choice and public health. For this purpose, we used Community Health Survey data collected in New York City in 2010. Obesity, blood pressure, and diabetes are used as indicators of respondents’ physical health, and Non-Specific Psychological Distress as an indicator of respondents’ mental health. After rigorous statistical analyses, a binary probit model was fitted for each physical and mental health indicator to quantify the associations between different commuting modes and physical/mental health. Results show that walking, as expected, is associated with a lower probability of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and mental disorders (all statistically significant) when compared to using private transportation. Using subway is related to a lower probability of obesity and diabetes while using the city bus was linked with a higher probability of obesity (all statistically significant) compared to using personal vehicles. Finally, in comparison with using personal vehicles, working at home is associated with a higher probability of having mental disorders (statistically significant).

Cредний класс: эмпирические измерения социальной мобильности поколений в России

The article is devoted to the study of intergenerational mobility. We look at the economic and social status progress of young and middle working age people (18-44-year-olds) compared to that of their parents. Among educational, occupational and material-wellbeing characteristics the most significant advancement has occurred in the consumption possibilities (what goods they can afford to buy). At the same time equiprobable answers better / worse to the question on well-being comparison with parents are not supporting the idea of perceived progress in the standard of living. It is shown that educational and occupational intergenerational mobility of women is greater than that for men. Social strata are defined on the basis of wealth, education, occupational and social status. Different strata show various intensity of getting better than their parents. Growth opportunities of middle-class representatives has largely been limited by the highest socio-economic position of their parents. The paper concludes by integral intergenerational mobility index. The index is based on four indicators of respondents' educational, occupational, consumption status and material well-being changes compared to their parents. The integral index shows a small scale positive intergenerational mobility. By the age of 35-44 years, people are much better educated than their parents, they have wider opportunities in consumption, however, improvements in employment status are minimal. The protomiddle stratum shows negative occupational mobility. The shortage of good jobs is an obstacle to the education-to-job transformation for this social strata. Therefore labour market is the main barrier to the middle class growth in Russia. Classification-JEL: I31, J62

Selected socio-economic factors affecting the willingness to minimise solid waste in Dhaka city, Bangladesh

This paper examines the factors that influence the waste generation and willingness to minimise solid waste in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Information on waste generation, willingness to minimise, socio-economic characteristics, and behaviour of the households towards solid waste management were obtained from interviews with 402 households in Dhaka city. Of these, 103 households regularly practised recycling activities. Ordinary least square (OLS) regression and logistic regression analysis were used to determine the dominant factors that might influence the waste generation and households’ willingness to minimise solid waste, respectively. The results found that the waste generation of the households in Dhaka city was significantly affected by environmental consciousness, income groups, particularly the middle-income earners, and willingness to separate. The significant factors for willingness to minimise solid waste were environmental consciousness, income groups particularly the middle-income earners, young adults mainly those aged between 25 to 35 years and storage facility. Establishment of a solid waste management programme could be an effective strategy for implementing sustainable waste management in Bangladesh. For this strategy to succeed, however, active partnership between the respondents and waste management service department is required. The respondents’ behaviour toward solid waste management practices should be taken into consideration, as should the results of this study, which are important indicators of respondents’ positive attitudes toward sustainable waste management in Dhaka city.

A Tale of Two Counties: Natives’ Opinions toward Immigration in North Carolina

This paper compares native residents' opinions and perceptions regarding immigration using a representative survey from a pair of matched North Carolina counties-one that experienced recent growth of its foreign-born population and one that did not. Drawing from several theoretical perspectives, including group threat, contact theory, and symbolic politics, we formulate and empirically evaluate several hypotheses. Results provide limited evidence that competition and threat influence formation of opinions about immigration, with modest support for claims that parents with school-aged children harbor more negative views of immigration than their childless counterparts. Except for residents in precarious economic situations, these negative opinions appear unrelated to the immigrant composition of the community. Claims that the media promotes negative views of immigration receive limited support, but this relationship is unrelated to the volume of local immigration. Finally, sustained contacts with foreign-born residents outside work environments are associated with positive views of immigration, but superficial contacts appear to be conducive to anti-immigration sentiments. Political orientation, educational attainment and indicators of respondents' tolerance for diversity explain most of the difference between the two counties in overall support for immigration.

The Home, Pension Savings, and Risk Aversion: Intentions of Defined Contribution Pension Scheme Participants in a London-based Investment Bank at the Peak of the Bubble

In the lead-up to the peak of the financial bubble (and before the onset of the global financial crisis), UK newspapers regularly touted property including owner-occupied homes as ready-made alternatives to private pensions. Having previously considered the significance of investment property (buy-to-let etc), in this paper we explore the significance of home ownership for respondents’ intended retirement savings strategies. Based upon a unique May 2007 survey of over 2,400 participants in a defined contribution pension plan offered by a leading investment bank located in London, we assess the statistical significance of various indicators of respondents’ socio-economic status and measures of risk preference in predicting their response to a question that sought to elicit their opinion about the significance or otherwise of their home for retirement saving. Relatively few respondents from the bank indicated that they were likely to rely on their home for retirement planning and saving. Those that indicated reliance were relatively older, higher paid, and married employees. Of the various ways in which we sought to test the significance of risk aversion in predicting a positive response to the question, the simplest measure of risk preference dominated other measures including those that represent Kahneman and Tversky’s prospect theory. The paper concludes with implications for understanding the connection between savings behaviour and housing before and after the global financial crisis.

Residents’ opinions on gaming activities and the legalization of soccer betting

Many Asian countries have an active gaming industry yet limited published information about the industry's development, operation, impact, or resident opinions is available. The purposes of this study were to examine residents’ opinions on various forms of gaming and to identify factors influencing their support for legalized soccer betting. Telephone interviews were undertaken with 449 Hong Kong residents. Respondents’ opinions were divided on most gaming issues, including the recently announced authorization of soccer betting. Soccer betting's association with potential economic benefits was the strongest indicator of respondents’ support for its legalization. Soccer betting proponents were generally more supportive of all other forms of gaming activities.