Discussion Group Members Research Articles

Obraz ciała ludzkiego i jego relacji z naturą w wypowiedziach zwolenników alternatywnych teorii zdrowotnych

The aim of the article is to present the image of the body in relation to nature appearing in statements of the supporters of alternative health theories, as well as the processes of mythization of nature. The research material consists of statements by members of discussion groups on Facebook, and the research methodology—tools of anthropological and cognitive linguistics. The first part of the article discusses the changes in the dominant paradigm of perception of the relationship between the body and nature, the second part contains a brief description of the research methods, and the third part is the analysis of the material.

Implementation of Health Technology Assessment in the Middle East and North Africa: Comparison Between the Current and Preferred Status.

IntroductionImplementation of health technology assessment (HTA) is still in an early stage with some heterogeneity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Our objective was to assess the current and future status of HTA implementation in the MENA region by focusing on regional commonalities.MethodsPreparatory discussions for the first ISPOR conference in the MENA region indicated some potentially generalizable trends of HTA roadmaps. To widen the perspective, a policy survey was conducted among conference participants by applying an HTA implementation scorecard. Discussion group members helped to validate key conclusions during and after the conference.ResultsHealth policy experts in MENA countries would like to facilitate HTA implementation and expect significant changes with some generalizable directions in 10 years compared to the current status according. HTA capacity building has to be strengthened by more graduate and postgraduate programs. Increased public budget and enhanced institutionalization are necessary success factors of HTA implementation. The scope of HTA has to be extended from pharmaceuticals to non-pharmaceutical technologies and to revision of previous policy decisions. Although cost-effectiveness with explicit threshold remains the most preferred HTA criterion, several other criteria have to be considered, maybe even by applying an explicit MCDA framework. The role of local evidence and data has to be strengthened in MENA countries, which translates to the extended use of local patient registries and payers' databases. Duplication of efforts can be reduced if international collaboration is integrated into national HTA implementation.DiscussionOur results should be viewed as an initial step in a multi-stakeholder dialogue on HTA implementation. Each MENA country should develop its context-specific HTA roadmap, as such roadmaps are not transferable without taking into account country size, economic status, public health priorities and adopted systems of health care financing.

Assigned Roles as a Structuring Tool in Online Discussion Groups: Comparison of Transactional Distance and Knowledge Sharing Behaviors

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of structured discussion by giving participants in online discussion groups different roles in transactional distance perception and knowledge sharing behaviors. In the study, a quasi-experimental design was utilized with pretest and posttest control groups. The study was conducted with 111 first-year undergraduate students at a university for 10 weeks. Quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques were used in the study, and the data were obtained from the Transactional Distance Scale, Knowledge Sharing Behavior Scale, and Student Opinion Determination Form. The findings indicate that online discussions carried out by assigning roles to discussion group members (starter, moderator, arguer, source searcher, and summarizer) decreased students’ transactional distance perceptions and improved knowledge sharing behaviors in online discussions. Different suggestions are offered about how to structure online discussions in accordance with the findings of the qualitative data analysis.

New developments: training in the facilitation of work discussion groups

ABSTRACTInvitations to provide training in the work discussion model and its facilitation led the authors to question how we learn to facilitate work discussion groups. The authors describe their experience of developing a pilot five day foundation course in Work Discussion Group facilitation with participants who were unfamiliar with the Work Discussion Group model. The paper describes the thinking behind the training, its central elements and the emphasis on learning from experience as student participants became familiar with being Work Discussion Group members, presenters and, later, to trying out the role of facilitator.The authors draw on their experience of running these training programmes, and of leading work discussion seminars themselves to illustrate how opportunities to take up the facilitation task, with support and consultation from the two course leaders, enabled participants to consolidate their understanding of work discussion itself as well as of the task of the facilitator. This task is particularly important in terms of containing the group and keeping it on task, while taking note of unconscious processes and powerful projections of anxiety and inadequacy which dominate in early presentations of oneself in a work interaction. Despite the authors’ reservations about what would be possible in such a course, especially given its brief nature and the limited experience of many participants, the outcomes indicate that the course had a powerful and transformational impact on many; some went on to introduce work discussion into their own work settings, and to research it.

Discussion on Partial Validation in Small Molecule Regulated Bioanalysis: Change in Analytical Instruments

In recent years, the necessity of a bioanalytical method validation has been discussed and guidance/guidelines have been released from regulatory agencies. However, none of these provides any details for partial validation (PV) in case of a partial change in the validated analytical method. Therefore eleven scientists have launched a discussion group (DG) with the approval of Japan Bioanalysis Forum (JBF), and have been discussing PV for chromatographic methods based on survey results of Japanese bioanalysts. This document reports the results of discussion on PV for a change of analytical instruments such as: 1) full system (limited to same manufacturer and model); 2) pump; 3) autosampler; and 4) mass spectrometer. The DG members agreed on an outline that validation items required for PV are as follows: calibration curve and reproducibility in case 1); calibration curve, reproducibility, and selectivity in case 2); calibration curve, reproducibility, and carryover in case 3); and nearly full validation items without recovery, dilution integrity, and stability in case 4), in consideration of instrument specification and characteristics of each analytical method. Note that this report does not represent a consensus of all the members of JBF, but is a recommendation from the DG members at this stage. Thus further thought is recommended for future discussions.

Quantifying the Effect of Discussion Group Membership on Technology Adoption and Farm Profit on Dairy Farms

Purpose: Participatory extension, specifically farm discussion groups, has become a very popular form of agricultural extension in Ireland. The purpose of this article is to assess its effectiveness in promoting the adoption of new technologies and improving farm profit. Design/Methodology/Approach: Following a review of the background and theory of discussion groups, statistical analyses are conducted. Two discrete choice models are estimated. The first assesses the factors associated with participation in discussion groups. The second model controls for these factors while testing the effect of discussion group membership on technology adoption. A multiple regression is used to estimate the effect of group membership on farm profit. Findings: The results of the analysis show that selection bias is an issue with this form of extension. Typically discussion group members tend to have larger farming operations in more advantaged regions than those not participating in the groups. Even when these advantages are controlled for, discussion group membership still has a positive impact on technology adoption and profit levels. Practical Implications: The results of this analysis have implications for those involved in designing and delivering discussion groups. There is evidence to support that discussion group membership increases technology adoption and farm profit, however, greater efforts could be made to include more diverse cohorts of farmers into these groups. Originality/Value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first article that aims to empirically estimate the effect of discussion group membership on technology adoption and farm profit.

Developing High Quality Decision‐Making Discussions About Biological Conservation in a Normal Classroom Setting

The conservation of biodiversity is an important socio‐scientific issue that is often regarded as a precondition to sustainable development. The foundation for citizens’ understanding of conservation issues can be laid down in formal school education. This research focuses on decision‐making discussions about biological conservation issues among 131 15–16‐year‐old students, to address two main research questions: 1. Can peer group decision‐making discussions, in a normal science lesson setting, help develop students’ personal reasoning in relation to conservation issues? 2. Are there features common to high quality discussions about conservation which might be readily identified by classroom teachers? Findings indicate the positive value of students taking part in these short decision‐making discussions guided by a structured framework and as part of their normal science classroom activities. Students increase their quality of personal reasoning, and modify their solutions to the issues. The study begins to uncover features about students both as individuals and as members of discussion groups, which can be associated with high quality decision‐making about conservation issues, and which teachers might realistically identify. The work calls for the need to cultivate these features and to integrate them appropriately with learning about the scientific concepts that underpin the theory and practice of conservation management. Such integration will facilitate the development of teaching strategies for dealing effectively with the complex topic of biological conservation; not just in terms of science content, but also in terms of how students are expected to engage with the issues.

The communication of social stereotypes: the effects of group discussion and information distribution on stereotypic appraisals.

Stereotypes are fundamentally social constructs, formulated and modified through discussion and interaction with others. The present studies examined the impact of group discussion on stereotypes. In both studies, groups of participants discussed their impressions about a hypothetical target group after having read behaviors performed by target group members. These behaviors included both stereotypic and counterstereotypic examples, and the distribution of these behaviors varied across discussion group members. In some groups only 1 member knew of the counterstereotypic behaviors; in other groups this information was distributed across all group members. In general, discussion led to a polarization of the target group stereotypes, but this effect was lessened when the counterstereotypic behaviors were concentrated in 1 group member. In this case, these counterstereotypic behaviors were discussed more and retained better.

Group Discussion and Changes in Attitudes and Representations

The effectiveness of group discussions as a method of modifying previous attitudes was analyzed. Two experimental studies tested whether individuals who were members of discussion groups produced more arguments than individuals who were not members of such groups. The studies also examined whether attitude changes were stronger among participants exposed to group discussions and the mechanisms through which such attitude changes take place. In the first study, 310 Spanish psychology students were assigned to either 1 of 2 discussion groups or a control group. Results showed that the impact of group production on the individual cognitive sphere mediated the effects of group discussion on the individual's attitude change. A total of 107 Spanish psychology students participated in Study 2. The results showed that after 1 week individual members of discussion groups were able to produce more arguments in the same direction and that the group as a unit was more creative than its individual members.

A group demonstration of the reinforcement effects of social attention

An exercise to demonstrate the reinforcing effects of social attention in which workshop participants themselves were utilized as the modifiers of participation rates for targetted discussion group members is described. Data are presented indicating that the participants were successful in differentially attending, and consequently modifying, target members' participation. The exercise's impact on participants' perspectives on problem behaviors is discussed.

Learning thru Discussion, Guide for Leaders and Members of Discussion Groups

An innovational teaching method designed to increase the understanding and retention of all types of material, with emphasis on authority in the structure and presentation of the subject materials. Specific recommendations are included to facilitate the correlation of the material being discussed with relevant details of group members' experience.

A interação social na lista de discussão ABRH-Gestão e o estabelecimento de uma comunidade virtual imaginada

O objetivo do estudo foi investigar o processo de interação social em uma lista de discussão formada por acadêmicos e pesquisadores da área de recursos hídricos, visando identificar o grupo reunido na lista da Associação Brasileira de Recursos Hídricos (ABRH-Gestão) como uma comunidade virtual. A dinâmica de interação entre os membros da lista de discussão foi observada a partir do método netnográfico, de enfoque qualitativo, durante o período de janeiro a junho de 2004. Como resultado, foi verificado que pessoas geograficamente dispersas e que atuam em diferentes atividades profissionais mantêm a lista ABRH-Gestão em plena efervescência há mais de cinco anos, convivendo em meio a diálogos e debates em uma comunidade virtual imaginada.

討議集団の自己調整機構の研究 I

Purpose ; The purpose of this study is to analyze the self-control mechanisms of discussion groups, especially to explore two problems as follows ;1. If the discussion goals and the feedbacked informations are presented to the members of discussion groups, it will become easy for the members to contrast them. How much effect do, then, their presentations exert on the self-control of the discussion processes?2. The control of discussion process seems to be depending upon both the self-control function served by each member of the group, and that by the group. What effect do, then, both functions exert upon the control of discussion group?Procedure ; In order to solve these problems, each member's ability of self-control was measured. And on the basis of the results, A groups and B groups were devided ; the former included the subjects of higher level of ability and the latter included the ones of lower level. Two discussions were conducted by each group. One was in the experimental situation which was called a feedback situation (F. situation), where an experimenter gave group mrmbers both goal informations and feedbacked informations, and another was in the controlled situation which was called non-feedback situation (N. situation), where an experimenter gave no goal information and feedbacked information. All speeches in discussion sessions were recorded bu a tapecorder.Two kinds of discussion goals were used, one was about “bad manners of speaking”and another one was about “to read a comic book”.Subjects were 70 sixth-grade boys of the elementary school and they were devided into 14 groups, each of whcih was consisted of 5 boys respectively. The experiment was conducted from the 4 th of November to the 11th of December, 1954.Results ; 1. Type of speeches. Speeches inclined to go more frequently toward the discussion goal in F. situations and to deviate from the goal in N. situations, and the differences of the distributions of these speeches were significant between F. situations and N. situations, and the speeches of A group members inclined to go more frequently toward the discussion goal than of B group members in N. situations, but the speeches of B groups members increased the tendency toward the discussion goal more radically than of A group members in F. situations.2. Nature of speeches. Every speeches was rated by 5 graduate students. Almost all the rating scores in F. situations seemed to be higher than those in N. situations, but only few differences were significant, and as for the tendency toward the dis-cussion goal, the rating scores of B group members raised up near the scores of A group members in F. situations, although the scores of B group members were considerably lower than A grouop members in N. situation, but the differences were not significant.3. Regularity of series of speeches. The results from a test of regularity of the series of speeches were as follows : the regularities were siginificantly high in more groups in F. situations than in N. situations, and the difference of this tendency could be seen a little when the regularities of A groups were compared with that of B groups.4. Self-evaluation. The subjects' self-evaluations were obtained on the degrees of members' understandings of group goal, of tendencies toward the group goal, of relations of each speech to the other speeches and of meaningfulness of members' speeches. And it was found that the rating scores in F. situations were better than in N. situations, but the differences between F. situations and N. situations were not statistically significant only with the exception of the rating scores of relations of each speech to the other speeches.

Impressions of Influential Members of Discussion Groups

Impressions of Influential Members of Discussion Groups