Preference Measures Research Articles

Eliciting risk preferences: is a single item enough?

Economists and psychologists frequently use single-item measures of risk preferences despite potential limitations in reliability and criterion validity compared to their multi-item counterparts. This can be particularly problematic when individual differences in risk preferences are used to predict real-world economic, health, and financial outcomes. In this paper, we compare a popular single-item measure of risk preference, the General Risk Question (GRQ), to multi-item measures of domain-general and specific risk preference measures. In a two-wave survey study of 434 adults, we found that the GRQ had good psychometric reliability and converged with other multi-item measures of risk preferences. The GRQ also exhibited a similar pattern of associations with other personality and demographic variables as compared to multi-item measures. However, the predictive validity of the GRQ was lower than multi-item measures for most of the outcomes examined. The GRQ also explained less incremental variance for real-world outcomes over the Big Five personality traits than the multi-item counterparts. Although the GRQ is a construct-valid measure of risk preferences, researchers should nonetheless consider the trade-off between survey efficiency and predictive efficacy when deciding whether a single item is enough.

ENVIRONMENTAL TRITIUM AND ITS MEASUREMENT CHALLENGES USING LIQUID SCINTILLATION COUNTING

Tritium, the radioactive isotope of hydrogen, is one of the most versatile radionuclides due to its role as a tracer of hydrogen and carbon structures. The liquid scintillation counting method is the preferred tritium measurement method especially in the case of numerous samples as radioactivity monitoring programs. The changes that appeared in the liquid scintillation spectrometers market and in the liquid scintillation cocktail formula demand adaptation of the laboratory routine procedure. Tritium level in the environmental water samples of 2022 is presented in the paper. The low level around 2 Bq/L imposes the necessity of tritium enrichment. Each of the above problems is extensively presented in this work together with some conclusions.

Measurement properties of the EQ-5D-5L and PROPr in patients with spinal muscular atrophy

ObjectivesSpinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare monogenic neuromuscular disorder caused by loss of function mutations. Measuring health-related quality of life to support economic evaluations in this population is encouraged. However, empirical evidence on the performance of preference-based measures (PBMs) in individuals with SMA is limited. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-5L and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measure Information System Preference measure (PROPr) in individuals with SMA.MethodsThe data used in this study were obtained via a web-based, cross-sectional survey. All participants completed the self-reporting EQ-5D-5L and PROMIS-29 questionnaires. Information about their socioeconomic and health status was also obtained. Ceiling and floor effects, convergent and divergent validity, known-group validity, and the agreement between the two measures were assessed.ResultsStrong ceiling and floor effects were observed for four dimensions of the EQ-5D-5L and three subscales, including pain intensity, pain interference, and physical function, of the PROMIS-29. All hypothesized associations between EQ-5D-5L/PROMIS-29 and other neuromuscular questions were confirmed, supporting good convergent validity. Moreover, both EQ-5D-5L and PROPr scores differentiated between impaired functional groups, demonstrating good discriminative ability. Poor agreement between the EQ-5D-5L and PROPr utility scores was observed.ConclusionsThe EQ-5D-5L and PROPr both appear to be valid PBMs for individuals with SMA. However, PROPr yielded considerably lower utility scores than EQ-5D-5L and their agreement was poor. Therefore, these two PBMs may not be used interchangeably in economic evaluations of SMA-related interventions.

Assessing the Importance of Sample Choice and Selectivity for Sex Segregation in College Majors: A Replication of Ochsenfeld (2016)

Abstract Ochsenfeld (2016) has found that a substantial part of sex segregation in higher education results from differences in vocational interests (i.e., preferences), while constraints (e.g., relative math grades) play only a minor role. We challenge the validity of these findings because earlier work employed a cross-sectional student sample and might therefore suffer from endogenous selection (i.e., post hoc rationalizations due to simultaneous reporting of majors and preferences) and postoutcome collider bias (i.e., conditioning on the outcome). Our replication study uses panel data (National Educational Panel Study, NEPS-SC4) that allow adjustment for the two sources of bias through the application of a pretransition preference measure and inverse probability weighting. Our analyses demonstrate the validity of prior research. Furthermore, our analysis indicates that the explanatory power of the overall model and the role of constraints for sex segregation in majors vary across the propensity of sample inclusion, thereby demonstrating the importance of sample composition for testing sociological theories.

Budget starting position matters: A “field‐in‐lab” experiment testing simulation engagement and budgetary preferences

AbstractBudget scholars have long theorized the impact of citizen engagement in the budget process. However, there is a void in the literature on modern types of engagement such as online budget simulations. Basic questions like what governments can do to increase the level of engagement and what effects such changes have on outcomes remain unanswered. Using a behavioral public budget and finance framework, we designed and tested an experiment with a local government budget simulation and varied the starting condition between balance, surplus, and deficit to assess the impact of starting condition on relevant outcomes of engagement and budgetary preferences. Results show that two measures of engagement and most budget preferences were influenced by the starting condition. Field‐in‐lab experiments like this one have the potential to further develop behavioral budget theory and be used to test online government platforms that are used by governments for engagement and many other purposes.

Sweetness preference and its impact on energy intake and body weight - a review of evidence.

In the last few years, several approaches have been postulated for tackling the global increase in overweight and obesity rates, including different dietary macronutrient compositions or the timing of meals. Recently, taste modulation has come into focus as a possible approach for influencing dietary behavior. The perception of sweet taste is innate and an evolutionary protection mechanism to prevent primates from eating poisonous plants. It is hypothesized that this innate sweetness preference could be modulated by dietary sweetness, including sweet foods and beverages, which results in a learned sweetness preference that affects energy intake and body weight. However, this hypothesis is not supported by unanimous scientific evidence. This review provides an update of the current literature, regarding the modulation of sweetness preference as a possible new approach in the prevention of overweight and obesity. In general, results from observation as well as interventional studies in all age groups are heterogeneous. The majority showed no effect of dietary sweetness modulation on sweetness preference, energy intake or anthropometric measures. Therefore, the modulation of sweetness preference due to diet, foods or beverages is still a hypothesis and not scientifically proven. However, due to the lack of data, more research is necessary.

Self-Reported Visual Ability Versus Task Performance in Individuals With Ultra-Low Vision.

Visual functioning questionnaires are commonly used as patient-reported outcome measures to estimate visual ability. Performance measures, on the other hand, provide a direct measure of visual ability. For individuals with ultra-low vision (ULV; visual acuity (VA) <20/1600), the ultra-low vision visual functioning questionnaire (ULV-VFQ) and the Wilmer VRI-a virtual reality-based performance test-estimate self-reported and actual visual ability, respectively, for activities of daily living. But how well do self-reports from ULV-VFQ predict actual task performance in the Wilmer VRI? We administered a subset of 10 matching items from the ULV-VFQ and Wilmer VRI to 27 individuals with ULV. We estimated item measures (task difficulty) and person measures (visual ability) using Rasch analysis for ULV-VFQ and using latent variable signal detection theory for the Wilmer VRI. We then used regression analysis to compare person and item measure estimates from self-reports and task performance. Item and person measures were modestly correlated between the two instruments, with r2 = 0.47 (P = 0.02) and r2 = 0.36 (P = 0.001), demonstrating that self-reports are an imperfect predictor of task difficulty and performance. While self-reports impose a lower demand for equipment and personnel, actual task performance should be measured to assess visual ability in ULV. Visual performance measures should be the preferred outcome measure in clinical trials recruiting individuals with ULV. Virtual reality can be used to standardize tasks.

Patients' preferences on breaking bad news: a cross-sectional study from Iran.

The sensitivity and skill of care providers, especially physicians, while communicating bad news to patients can improve patients' acceptance of treatment and their emotional adjustment. We aimed to determine how to break bad news to cancer patients and consider their preferences in this regard. This is a cross-sectional study in which 249 patients participated. The Poisson sampling method was used. Data were collected using the Measure of Patient Preferences (MPP) and patient demographic profile forms. Of the 249 participants, 178 (71.5%) were aware of their cancer diagnosis and 201 (80.7%) preferred to be informed of their cancer diagnosis. Patients' preferences included: "Having his/her doctor take the time to answer all of his/her questions completely", "Feeling confident about his/her doctor's technical competence and skill", and "His/her doctor telling him/her the best treatment option". According to our results, care providers should consider patients' preferences in communicating and delivering bad news. Achieving this goal requires managers to plan for improving the communication skills of healthcare providers.

Social Factors and the Risk of Postpartum Depression during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Background: To investigate the effects of social factors including social support and social restriction on postpartum depression (PPD) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted a systematic review with PubMed and Web of Science from 1 January 2020 to 1 April 2023. Articles focusing on social factors and PPD during COVID-19 pandemic were investigated. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Scale were used to evaluate quality of literatures. Results: We included 31 articles (22 cross-sectional studies and 9 cohort studies) with good quality. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used as the preferred measure for defining PPD. Social support reduced the prevalence of developing PPD by 30%–40%. Social restriction increased the risk of PPD but there was lack of evidence or effective scales to define restriction. Conclusions: We found that social support acted as an important protective factor for PPD during the COVID-19 pandemic and that social restriction increased the risk of PPD. EPDS may be an optimal choice for researchers to define PPD. Obstetricians should underline social factors for both pregnancy women and their families. The study was registered on PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/), registration number: CRD42023434485.

SAT548 Incidental Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Diagnosed After Total Thyroidectomy For Recurrent Grave's Disease

Abstract Disclosure: S.U. Perez-Martinez: None. S. Bao: None. Introduction: Whether Graves’ disease (GD) increases the risk of thyroid cancer (TC) has been a long-time topic of debate. Some studies reported increased risk of TC in GD, particularly when patients with GD have thyroid nodules. Other studies suggested the prevalence of incidental differentiated TC in GD is comparable to euthyroid goiter. Here we present a case of a 39-year-old female with a thyroid nodule and recurrent GD who underwent total thyroidectomy (TT) and was found to have a 0.4cm incidental papillary TC. Clinical case: 39 year-old female patient was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism due to GD and a 1.26x2.04x2.88cm complex right thyroid nodule at age 28, based on laboratory and thyroid ultrasound (US) studies, respectively. Fine needle aspiration showed a follicular lesion favoring colloid nodule. Patient preferred conservative measures at that time. She was treated with methimazole for 3 years and went into remission. Her thyroid nodule was monitored with serial thyroid US (every 1-2 years) for 7 years and remained stable. However, 7 years after discontinuation of methimazole, she developed recurrent hyperthyroidism, with laboratory findings of suppressed TSH of &amp;lt;0.04 (normal 0.35-5.5 mcu/mL), elevated free T4 of 2.4 (normal 0.8-1.8 ng/dL) and Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin of 8.01 (normal &amp;lt; 0.054 IU/L). Patient was restarted on Methimazole 10mg daily. Her TSH remained to be low at &amp;lt; 0.015 (normal 0.35-3.6 mcu/mL) 4 months later, at which point more definitive treatment options including radioactive iodine ablation or TT were again discussed, and the patient opted to undergo TT, which was performed successfully 2 months later. Surgical pathology was consistent with GD, an encapsulated, fibrotic, and calcified nodule consistent with infarcted follicular lesion but also a 0.4cm incidental Papillary TC in right thyroid lobe. Surgical margin was clean, no extrathyroidal extension, one perithyroidal lymph node was negative for malignancy. Patient has been doing well afterwards. Discussion: The prevalence and clinical significance of incidental differentiated TC in patients with GD have been controversial topics. Incidence of TC in GD was mostly reported to be 7-17%, but may be as high as 42%, based on thyroidectomy studies. However, a recent retrospective multicenter study suggested the concomitant TC in GD was considerably lower. No difference in TC aggressiveness, US findings, or prognosis were observed between nodular GD and non-nodular GD groups. The clinical outcomes of TC were also excellent. A Cleveland Clinic study suggested nodule size &amp;gt; 1cm predicted incidental TC whereas Thyroid Stimulating Immunoglobulin titers and disease duration did not. These data argue for screening patients with GD more aggressively for TC or treating GD patients with coexisting thyroid nodule more aggressively; as in our case, even if incidental TC was found, prognosis is favorable. Presentation Date: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Why do people pay zakah, infaq, and sadaqah (ZIS) through donation-based crowdfunding? The influence of Technology Acceptance Model and Social Presence Theory

IntroductionIndonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world and a large potential for zakat, infaq, and sadaqah (ZIS). However, in reality, ZIS revenue is only 5% of its potential. Crowdfunding was built to encourage the acceptance of ZIS to reach its potential by using only gadgets connected to the Internet. However, not all individuals are willing to use crowdfunding because of their individual considerations and preferences.ObjectivesThis study aims to identify the decision preferences of muzakki and donors to pay zakat, infaq, and alms using a crowdfunding platform. MethodThis study uses quantitative methods with PLS-SEM analysis tools with preference measurements using the Technology Acceptance Model and social presence theory framework.ResultsThe results of this study indicate that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social presence, and trust have a significant positive effect on the preference decision to pay ZIS with crowdfunding. The trust variable also significantly mediates the relationship between social presence and the decision to pay ZIS through crowdfunding. ImplicationsThis research is expected to be a consideration for zakat management organizations (OPZ) for the development of a better platform to encourage community participation in channel funds to pay ZIS.Originality/NoveltyThis study is unique in its approach to crowdfunding in Indonesia’s ZIS context. It contributes to the body of knowledge on the maximization of ZIS potential in Muslim societies.

Research on the Competence of Future Coaches to Deal with Harassment and Aggression amongst Children during Sports Training

Bullying and aggressive behavior among children are a serious problem in our society. This study aims to investigate to what extent future sports pedagogues – and sports coaches – are prepared to recognize and respond to bullying among children aged 7 – 10. One hundred eighty full-time undergraduate university students voluntarily participated in the empirical study. The students were in their second year of undergraduate programs, preparing future coaches with different sports profiles. A questionnaire with study cases was developed and distributed for the students to complete. The questions were designed to explore students’ knowledge regarding the application of punishment in education and the skills formed to prevent and intervene in bullying among sporting children. The surveyed students were “more sparing” regarding the possible use of harsher punishments, such as removal from play/practice, and the widespread use (in sports contexts) of punishment through individual and additional exercise. The surveyed students demonstrated good knowledge and competence in applying punishment as an educational method in cases of bullying and aggression among children and preferred intervention measures to be more positive. It can be summarized that second-year students have the attitude to carry out educational influences on sporting children and do not entirely rely on parents’ assistance and support in education.

Second Victims among Austrian Pediatricians (SeViD-A1 Study).

(1) Background: The second victim phenomenon (SVP) plays a critical role in workplace and patient safety. So far, there are limited epidemiological data on the SVP in German-speaking countries. Some studies have been carried out in Germany, but so far, no quantitative studies have been carried out in Austria examining the prevalence, symptom load and preferred support measures for second victims (SVs). This study therefore examines the SVP among Austrian pediatricians. (2) Methods: A nationwide, cross-sectional and anonymous online study was conducted using the SeViD questionnaire (Second Victims in Deutschland) including the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10). Statistical analysis included binary-logistic and multiple linear regression with the bootstrapping, bias-corrected and accelerated (BCa) method based on 1000 bootstrap samples. (3) Results: Of 414 Austrian pediatricians, 89% self-identified as SVs. The main cause of becoming an SV was the unexpected death or suicide of a patient. High neuroticism and extraversion values as well as working in outpatient care positively correlated with having experienced the SVP. A preferred support strategy was access to legal counseling. (4) Conclusions: Austrian pediatricians have the highest SVP prevalence measured with the SeViD questionnaire. Further research should focus on prevention strategies and intervention programs.

Prognostic models for predicting clinical disease progression, worsening and activity in people with multiple sclerosis.

Prognostic models for predicting clinical disease progression, worsening and activity in people with multiple sclerosis.

Lateral preference in complex combat situations: Prevalence and relationship with general measures of hand and foot preference

ABSTRACT Laterality is considered relevant to performance in combat sports with particular emphasis being placed on fighters’ handedness and combat stance. Such approach, however, may fall too short to understand the role of laterality in sports where fighters are allowed to use their hands and feet standing and on the ground. Here, we referred to grappling sports (i) to estimate lateral preferences in selected combat situations and (ii) to test for an association between those preferences and common measures of hand and foot preference. Based on the responses of 135 experienced grapplers who participated in an online questionnaire lateral preference, at the group-level, was revealed in 12 out of 18 combat situations. At an item-level, common measures of lateral preference and grappling-specific lateral preference were related in three out of 36 conditions (footedness only, not handedness). Across items, scores in a grappling-specific laterality index were positively related with foot but not with hand preference scores. Implications for the assessment of lateral preference in combat sports and the use of item-specific terminology in this context are discussed. On a broader scale, we also elaborate on potential consequences of our findings with regard to evolutionary explanations of the maintenance of left-handedness in humans.

THE SELECTION AND DESIGN OF VEGETATED DUNES AS PREFERRED MAIN COASTAL PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR BEIRA, MOZAMBIQUE

The coastal city of Beira is vulnerable to cyclones, storm surges, sea-level rise and floods from intensive rainfall events because of its low-lying situation. Cyclone Idai in 2019 has proven this again. A significant improvement of the coastal protection scheme is needed to provide sufficient protection for Beira to protect from hazards from sea and climate change for decades to come. The coastal protection infrastructure is to be integrated into the urban and natural environment of Beira, whilst seeking socio-economic, environmental and urban synergy. In this context, we performed an extensive flood and erosion risk assessment, feasibility study and design, environmental and social scoping study and set up an implementation strategy for the selected preferred alternative and priority measures. This included an intensive stakeholder engagement process throughout the project (2020-2022).

Individual risk preference as a predictor of health behaviour: evidence from the use of condoms against HIV/AIDS in Ghana

BackgroundIt is evident that public health education interventions to promote the use of condoms against HIV infections in Ghana have yielded modest results. However, existing studies in the field of sexual and reproductive health in Ghana have failed to account for differences in risk preferences of individuals. This study fills the gap by investigating how individuals' risk preferences predict their behaviour toward using condoms against HIV in Ghana.MethodConceptually, the study followed the Grossman health capital theoretical model for risk preference and health behaviour nexus. Data were obtained from the most recent Ghana Living Standards Survey Round 7 (GLSS 7), conducted in 2017. Using data from GLSS 7, a probit regression model was estimated to show how the risk preferences of individuals that did not abstain from sex predicted their use of condoms against HIV. To ensure robustness, two scenarios of declared risk preferences were used to predict the use of condom behaviour against HIV.ResultsProbit regression estimation shows that the risk preferences of individuals that did not abstain from sex significantly predicted their use of condoms against HIV in Ghana. Even though the study found that the predicted probability of using a condom reduces among risk-averse individuals that do not abstain from sex, not using a condom against HIV was found to be worse among risk lovers.ConclusionThe study provides empirical evidence that public health education against HIV/AIDS in Ghana cannot continue to ignore the risk preference of individuals. The results of this study have immediate implications, first for a comprehensive and continuous measurement of risk preferences among Ghanaians in major household surveys going forward. At the moment, the latest round of the GLSS is just about the only household survey in Ghana that has attempted to collect some data on individual time and risk preferences using only hypothetical monetary rewards. Second is the immediate consideration of individual risk preferences in public health education campaigns against HIV/AIDS in Ghana.

Interrelated psychological predictors of mate preferences among Iranian male and female emerging adults

AbstractVarious psychological predictors of mate preference have been identified in prior research that when accounted for simultaneously could reveal the unique contributions of each. This study aimed to explore the extent to which perceived attractiveness, personality characteristics, and attachment styles are associated with young Iranian adults' mate preferences, attending to group differences based on biological sex. A total of 644 Iranian young adults completed a questionnaire that included items related to one's perceived intelligence and physical attractiveness, HEXACO personality traits, and KASER mate preferences (kindness/dependability, attractiveness/sexuality, status/resources, education/intelligence, and religiosity/chastity). Several differences based on biological sex were apparent in the personality, attachment, and mate preferences measures, as well as with their intercorrelations. Analyses using multiple linear regression indicated that each of the KASER variables had some unique combinations of the three types of psychological characteristics, and some variance by biological sex. For example, kindness/dependability was predicted for males by the two perceived attractiveness variables and by two personality variables (emotionality and conscientiousness), but only by the agreeableness personality trait for females. Attachment styles were only relevant for education/intelligence and religiosity/chastity, with little evidence of sex‐based differences.

Exploring Multiple Measures of Pregnancy Preferences and Their Relationship with Postpartum Contraceptive Uptake Using Longitudinal Data from PMA Ethiopia.

There are significant gaps in our understanding of how the experience of an unintended pregnancy affects subsequent contraceptive behavior. Our objective was to explore how three measures of pregnancy preferences-measuring timing-based intentions, emotional orientation, and planning status-were related to the uptake of postpartum family planning within one year after birth. Additionally, we tested whether the relationship between each measure and postpartum family planning uptake differs by parity, a key determinant of fertility preference. Adjusted hazards regression results show that the timing-based measure, specifically having a mistimed pregnancy, and the emotional response measure, specifically being unhappy, were associated with contraceptive uptake in the extended postpartum period, while those related to pregnancy planning, as measured by an adapted London Measure of Unplanned Pregnancy, were not. This effect differed by parity; high parity women were consistently the least likely to use contraception in the postpartum period, but the effect of experiencing an unwanted pregnancy or having a mixed reaction to a pregnancy was significantly stronger among high parity compared to low parity women. Greater attention to the entirety of women's responses to unanticipated pregnancies is needed to fully understand the influence of unintended pregnancy on health behaviors and outcomes for women and their children.

Great minds think alike: New measures to quantify the similarity of recalls.

Given the recent interest in how memory operates in social contexts, it is more important than ever to meaningfully measure the similarity between recall sequences of different individuals. Similarity of recall sequences of different individuals has been quantified using primarily order-agnostic and some order-sensitive measures specific to memory research without agreement on any one preferred measure. However, edit distance measures have not been used to quantify the similarity of recall sequences in collaborative memory studies. In the current study, we review a broad range of similarity measures, highlighting commonalities and differences. Using simulations and behavioral data, we show that edit distances do measure a memory-relevant factor of similarity and capture information distinct from that captured by order-agnostic measures. We answer illustrative research questions which demonstrate potential applications of edit distances in collaborative and individual memory settings and reveal the unique impact collaboration has on similarity.