Subject Pool Research Articles

Trust in Health Care Credence Goods: Experimental Evidence on Framing and Subject Pool Effects

Trust in Health Care Credence Goods: Experimental Evidence on Framing and Subject Pool Effects

Personalized beyond Precision: Designing Unbiased Gold Standards to Improve Single-Subject Studies of Personal Genome Dynamics from Gene Products.

Background: Developing patient-centric baseline standards that enable the detection of clinically significant outlier gene products on a genome-scale remains an unaddressed challenge required for advancing personalized medicine beyond the small pools of subjects implied by “precision medicine”. This manuscript proposes a novel approach for reference standard development to evaluate the accuracy of single-subject analyses of transcriptomes and offers extensions into proteomes and metabolomes. In evaluation frameworks for which the distributional assumptions of statistical testing imperfectly model genome dynamics of gene products, artefacts and biases are confounded with authentic signals. Model confirmation biases escalate when studies use the same analytical methods in the discovery sets and reference standards. In such studies, replicated biases are confounded with measures of accuracy. We hypothesized that developing method-agnostic reference standards would reduce such replication biases. We propose to evaluate discovery methods with a reference standard derived from a consensus of analytical methods distinct from the discovery one to minimize statistical artefact biases. Our methods involve thresholding effect-size and expression-level filtering of results to improve consensus between analytical methods. We developed and released an R package “referenceNof1” to facilitate the construction of robust reference standards. Results: Since RNA-Seq data analysis methods often rely on binomial and negative binomial assumptions to non-parametric analyses, the differences create statistical noise and make the reference standards method dependent. In our experimental design, the accuracy of 30 distinct combinations of fold changes (FC) and expression counts (hereinafter “expression”) were determined for five types of RNA analyses in two different datasets. This design was applied to two distinct datasets: Breast cancer cell lines and a yeast study with isogenic biological replicates in two experimental conditions. Furthermore, the reference standard (RS) comprised all RNA analytical methods with the exception of the method testing accuracy. To mitigate biases towards a specific analytical method, the pairwise Jaccard Concordance Index between observed results of distinct analytical methods were calculated for optimization. Optimization through thresholding effect-size and expression-level reduced the greatest discordances between distinct methods’ analytical results and resulted in a 65% increase in concordance. Conclusions: We have demonstrated that comparing accuracies of different single-subject analysis methods for clinical optimization in transcriptomics requires a new evaluation framework. Reliable and robust reference standards, independent of the evaluated method, can be obtained under a limited number of parameter combinations: Fold change (FC) ranges thresholds, expression level cutoffs, and exclusion of the tested method from the RS development process. When applying anticonservative reference standard frameworks (e.g., using the same method for RS development and prediction), most of the concordant signal between prediction and Gold Standard (GS) cannot be confirmed by other methods, which we conclude as biased results. Statistical tests to determine DEGs from a single-subject study generate many biased results requiring subsequent filtering to increase reliability. Conventional single-subject studies pertain to one or a few patient’s measures over time and require a substantial conceptual framework extension to address the numerous measures in genome-wide analyses of gene products. The proposed referenceNof1 framework addresses some of the inherent challenges for improving transcriptome scale single-subject analyses by providing a robust approach to constructing reference standards.

Prefrontal Asymmetry BCI Neurofeedback Datasets.

Prefrontal cortex (PFC) asymmetry is an important marker in affective neuroscience and has attracted significant interest, having been associated with studies of motivation, eating behavior, empathy, risk propensity, and clinical depression. The data presented in this paper are the result of three different experiments using PFC asymmetry neurofeedback (NF) as a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) paradigm, rather than a therapeutic mechanism aiming at long-term effects, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) which is known to be particularly well-suited to the study of PFC asymmetry and is less sensitive to artifacts. From an experimental perspective the BCI context brings more emphasis on individual subjects' baselines, successful and sustained activation during epochs, and minimal training. The subject pool is also drawn from the general population, with less bias toward specific behavioral patterns, and no inclusion of any patient data. We accompany our datasets with a detailed description of data formats, experiment and protocol designs, as well as analysis of the individualized metrics for definitions of success scores based on baseline thresholds as well as reference tasks. The work presented in this paper is the result of several experiments in the domain of BCI where participants are interacting with continuous visual feedback following a real-time NF paradigm, arising from our long-standing research in the field of affective computing. We offer the community access to our fNIRS datasets from these experiments. We specifically provide data drawn from our empirical studies in the field of affective interactions with computer-generated narratives as well as interfacing with algorithms, such as heuristic search, which all provide a mechanism to improve the ability of the participants to engage in active BCI due to their realistic visual feedback. Beyond providing details of the methodologies used where participants received real-time NF of left-asymmetric increase in activation in their dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), we re-establish the need for carefully designing protocols to ensure the benefits of NF paradigm in BCI are enhanced by the ability of the real-time visual feedback to adapt to the individual responses of the participants. Individualized feedback is paramount to the success of NF in BCIs.

Cross-Validation of a Scale to Measure Contact With Older Adults

According to Allport (1954) intergroup contact would reduce prejudice that in-group members would experience toward out-group members. Allport also theorized that positive intergroup contact would follow after four conditions were met: (a) equal group status within the situation, (b) common goals, (c) intergroup cooperation, and (d) the support of authorities, law, or custom. While contact with older adults is a principal influence on attitudes toward older people, there is a paucity of adequate contact measures. This study assessed the cross-validity of the factor structure of an instrument to measure contact with older adults. The convenience sample consisted of 470 participants (61% male) from an undergraduate student subject pool (M = 20.67, SDtotal = 3.37). Participants were predominantly Caucasian (n=176, 48.9%), African American (n=103, 28.6%), and Hispanic/Latino/a (n=51, 14.2%). Results of a confirmatory factor analysis showed the three-factor model exhibited a reasonable fit to the data □□ (41, n = 360) = 191.797; p<.0001, CFI =.971; TLI =.961; RMSEA = .101 (90% CI, 0.087-0.116) SRMS = .042. An additional model examining the relationships between a single indicator of contact frequency and the three-factor COA scale revealed similar fit statistics □□ (41, n = 360) = 191.797; p<.0001, CFI =.967; TLI =.955; RMSEA = .092 (90% CI, 0.079-0.105) SRMS = .044. The findings provide clear and consistent evidence across independent samples that the covariances among the items are best explained through a latent structure that consists of three meaningful factors (“General Contact”, “Positive Experience, and “Negative Experience”).

Dexmedetomidine versus MgSo4 in Hemodynamic Stability in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Cases

Laparoscopic surgery is associated with an elevation of cardiac parameters as well an elevation in blood pressure due to effects of catecholamine activity and vaso constriction. Due to the widespread use of laparoscopic techniques in modern day surgical practice it has become imperative for the anaesthetist to maintain a stable hemodynamic environment in the patient in the operative and post operative period. The use of dexmedetomidine and magnesium sulphate has been done with successfully in practice. The present study aimed to ascertain whether the comparative efficacy of both these drugs is equal or different. The study employed a subject pool of 60 subjects. The study found that there were no statistically significant differences between the two drugs when used in the corresponding sample population.

Analog processes for digitally native students

When it comes to teaching communication design, educators today are not only faced with diverse pedagogical concerns and considerations, butalso the necessity to adapt their strategies during unusual times.&#x0D; Being technologically inclined and digitally native, new intakes of communication design students lack aesthetic awareness and sensitivity when it comes to designing for print. Growing up with social media and constant digital connectivity, students struggle to understand the relationship between communication, legibility, and usability of an analog, printed publication.&#x0D; Students are very comfortable in exploring design or manipulating graphic forms and text digitally, but when it comes to transcribing these onto non-scalable substrates, ie: paper, they struggle with legibility, hierarchy, size, and weight of the letterforms. To assist with teaching and learning, studio activities were designed to increase students’ functional, aesthetic, and formal awareness of printed text.&#x0D; Using a subject pool of 18 students, this qualitative research looks into the impact of 2 studio activities, to help 2nd-year communication design undergraduates slow down, and appreciate the optic qualities of letterforms and printed content.

Identifying hazards at residential and commercial pools: An interactive session

This special joint session with shared interest from multiple technical groups (Children’s Issues Technical Group, Forensics Professional Group, and Safety Technical Group) provides audience members with an opportunity to discuss multiple case examples of fatal incidents involving children and pools. Participants will first hear several examples of human factors forensic analyses of different cases. The audience will then perform a safety audit for a pool owner, working in teams, identifying potential hazards and ways the owner can mitigate the hazards. Teams will present the findings of the safety analysis. After team presentations, the facts of an incident involving the subject pool will be presented to determine if their safety analysis recommendations could have prevented the specific incident. This session will emphasize the broad application of human factors for forensic incidents involving children and pools as well as safety analyses to educate owners and potentially help to prevent incidents.

Further from the truth: The impact of moving from in-person to online settings on dishonest behavior

Recent policies require some interactions previously conducted in close social proximity (e.g., school, workplace) to take place remotely, which motivates our investigation of how in-person versus online environments impact honesty. We modify a well-known coin-flip task and examine the influence of going from the physical laboratory environment, to online with identifiable participants (using the same lab-based subject pool). We also compare behavior in these treatments to that from an online subject pool that is fully anonymous. For this we use Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk). Surprisingly, while a simple move from in-lab to online (using the same subject pool) appears to increase “fake effort” – those who likely never flip the coin - it does not predict more dishonest behavior when there is a monetary incentive to cheat. We find the more socially distant and anonymous participants (mTurk workers) are most likely to be deemed cheaters in our analysis (i.e., more likely to report coin flip outcomes consistent with cheating for monetary gain). Implications of our findings indicate the greatest risk of potentially costly dishonest behavior results when anonymity, not just social distance, is high.

Reactions to Actions: Exploring How Types of Bystander Action Are Linked to Positive and Negative Consequences.

Sexual and dating violence (SDV) are growing public health problems in the United States. Prevention programs have sought to engage potential bystanders so they can safely and effectively intervene in situations involving SDV. However, the ability of these programs to prepare bystanders may be limited if they do not address the possible outcomes of their actions. Few studies have examined positive and negative consequences of bystander action, and only one has examined how various types of action impact these consequences. The purpose of our study was to explore how specific types of bystander actions and their number of actions were related to positive and negative consequences. We recruited participants (N = 615) through Amazon's Mechanical Turk and a university subject pool, all of whom were between the ages of 18 and 24. Participants described the type of action they took in response to risk for SDV (i.e., harassing comments, dating violence, unwanted sexual advances, and controlling behavior). We performed a content analysis on participants' written responses about the type of action taken. New measures of bystander consequences were used to examine bystander feelings and reactions of others (e.g., the victim, perpetrator). A range of action types were identified (i.e., direct, distract, distance, delegate, and physical action). Of note, direct action toward the perpetrator was related to more negative feelings and responses, whereas distract and distance action were associated with more positive feelings and responses from others. Further, taking multiple actions (as opposed to a single one) was related to more positive feelings and responses from others. Implications for research and practice are discussed, with a specific focus on prevention programming.

Psychology as a Historical Science.

Psychology has traditionally seen itself as the science of universal human cognition, but it has only recently begun seriously grappling with cross-cultural variation. Here we argue that the roots of cross-cultural variation often lie in the past. Therefore, to understand not only how but also why psychology varies, we need to grapple with cross-temporal variation. The traces of past human cognition accessible through historical texts and artifacts can serve as a valuable, and almost completely unutilized, source of psychological data. These data from dead minds open up an untapped and highly diverse subject pool. We review examples of research that may be classified as historical psychology, introduce sources of historical data and methods for analyzing them, explain the critical role of theory, and discuss how psychologists can add historical depth and nuance to their work. Psychology needs to become a historical science if it wants to be a genuinely universal science of human cognition and behavior.

Crowdsourcing neuroscience: Inter-brain coupling during face-to-face interactions outside the laboratory

When we feel connected or engaged during social behavior, are our brains in fact “in sync” in a formal, quantifiable sense? Most studies addressing this question use highly controlled tasks with homogenous subject pools. In an effort to take a more naturalistic approach, we collaborated with art institutions to crowdsource neuroscience data: Over the course of 5 years, we collected electroencephalogram (EEG) data from thousands of museum and festival visitors who volunteered to engage in a 10-min face-to-face interaction. Pairs of participants with various levels of familiarity sat inside the Mutual Wave Machine—an artistic neurofeedback installation that translates real-time correlations of each pair's EEG activity into light patterns. Because such inter-participant EEG correlations are prone to noise contamination, in subsequent offline analyses we computed inter-brain coupling using Imaginary Coherence and Projected Power Correlations, two synchrony metrics that are largely immune to instantaneous, noise-driven correlations. When applying these methods to two subsets of recorded data with the most consistent protocols, we found that pairs’ trait empathy, social closeness, engagement, and social behavior (joint action and eye contact) consistently predicted the extent to which their brain activity became synchronized, most prominently in low alpha (~7–10 Hz) and beta (~20–22 Hz) oscillations. These findings support an account where shared engagement and joint action drive coupled neural activity and behavior during dynamic, naturalistic social interactions. To our knowledge, this work constitutes a first demonstration that an interdisciplinary, real-world, crowdsourcing neuroscience approach may provide a promising method to collect large, rich datasets pertaining to real-life face-to-face interactions. Additionally, it is a demonstration of how the general public can participate and engage in the scientific process outside of the laboratory. Institutions such as museums, galleries, or any other organization where the public actively engages out of self-motivation, can help facilitate this type of citizen science research, and support the collection of large datasets under scientifically controlled experimental conditions. To further enhance the public interest for the out-of-the-lab experimental approach, the data and results of this study are disseminated through a website tailored to the general public (wp.nyu.edu/mutualwavemachine).

Incidence and risk factors of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infection in intensive care units: a matched case–control study

ABSTRACT Background Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infection is associated with intensive care admissions, morbidity, and mortality. Our study aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors, and patient outcomes of CRE in the ICU units. Methods This was a retrospective matched case–control study of patients admitted to ICUs. Patients who have positive cultures of CRE and carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae (CSE) were included in the study. Patients were randomly selected from a pool of CSE subjects in a ratio of 1:1 of CRE to CSE as control patients. Results The infection rate with CRE among all patients admitted to ICUs was 7.6% and the incidence of CRE infection was 5.6 per 1,000 person-day. The risk factors independently associated with CRE infection were: Higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) and Nutrition Risk in Critically ill (NUTRIC) scores, prolonged ICU length of stay (LOS), previous surgery, dialysis and mechanical ventilation during ICU stay, and previous use of aminoglycoside and carbapenems. Conclusion In this retrospective study, the incidence of CRE infection was relatively elevated in patients admitted to ICU. Patients with high SOFA and NUTRIC scores, prolonged ICU LOS, previous surgery, dialysis and mechanical ventilation, and prior aminoglycosides and carbapenems use, may have an increased risk of CRE infection.

Replication: Do women shy away from competition? Experimental evidence from China

Abstract We investigate gender differences in competitiveness using a lab-in-the-field experiment and a subject pool consisting of Chinese adults following the design by Niederle and Vesterlund (2007). China provides an interesting environment to study since the country has promoted gender equality for a long time and the gender gap in earnings is small in cross-country comparisons. However, in many respects, China is still a patriarchal society. Our results show that women perform equally well as men in a piece-rate task and significantly better in a competitive payment environment. Despite this, men are more than twice as likely to choose a competitive environment. This gender difference cannot be explained by differences in confidence or risk preferences.

EFFECT OF LONG-TERM PHYSICAL EXERCISE INTERVENTION ON WOMEN’S ABILITIES TO CONTROL VARIOUS MOVEMENT PARAMETERS: PANEL RESEARCH

The panel research is a topic of considerable interest for the theory of physical education and sport, as a kind of longitudinal research carried out for the same pool of test subjects employing the single method with certain time intervals. This research provides more objective and comprehensive overview of trends in studied indicators. The aim of research: to reveal the effect of long-term physical exercise intervention on trends in the indicators of spatial, force and temporal movement parameter control in adult and elderly women. Organization and methods. We carried out panel studies within a recreational group for women at Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport, in November 2011 and 2019. The same pool of participants assigned to two age groups took part in the educational experiment. The first group was women aged 50.9 years (adults), the second group – women aged 66.8 years (elderly). We used the following research methods: study and analysis of scientific and practical literature, kinematometry, dynamometry, chronometry, mathematical statistics. Research outcomes: The findings related to the trends in differentiation accuracy indicators of spatial, force and temporal movement parameters in adult and elderly women in the framework of an eight-year panel study demonstrate insignificant and invalid changes of studied indicators. At the same time, a wide spread of individual indicators occurs in both age groups. It reflects the mixed impact of involution processes on the individual abilities to control various movement characteristics, especially common for women over 66.8 years of age. Conclusions. The research revealed that long-term physical exercise intervention comprehensively influencing on motor abilities of adult and elderly women enable maintenance of the ability to control various movement parameters on a certain level, in spite of some controversial changes.

The influence of emotional intelligence on auditor performance

Research Question: How does Emotional Intelligence influence auditor performance? Motivation: Emotional Intelligence has been researched as one of the critical factors that are linked to superior work performance. However, this research is still in its infancy with respect to auditors despite the fact that the auditing profession would benefit greatly from improving the work performance of its professionals. In this paper, we address this issue and lay the foundation for a future paper that would analyze the impact of increasing the emotional intelligence of auditors on their task performance. We hypothesized that emotional intelligence is positively related to auditor performance. Data: Undergraduate accounting and MBA students were selected to participate in this study. Sixty-nine participants completed the Emotional Intelligence inventory provided by Genos International, Australia and performed a simple audit activity designed by the authors for this study. Multiple regressions were utilized to analyze the data. Findings: The hypothesis was not supported, and the paper addresses this result as well as provides guidance to future researchers in this significant area. Contribution: Because of the challenges associated with this type of experiment as well as the lack of existing research in the area, this paper uses student subjects to provide initial feedback on the effectiveness of the instrument. The results will help guide future research and, as an added benefit, preserves the subject pool of practicing auditors.

Who supports redistribution? Replicating and refining effects of compassion, malicious envy, and self-interest

Abstract Debate over wealth redistribution plays a prominent role in society, but the causes of differences in support for redistribution remain contested. A recent three-person two-situation model suggests these differences are shaped by evolved motivational systems of self-interest, compassion, and dispositional envy. We conducted a close replication testing this prediction, all subjects were British, recruited from an online subject pool. Study 1 (N = 206) confirmed the roles of self-interest (β = 0.20) and compassion for others (β = 0.37), as well as a predicted null effect of procedural fairness. Dispositional envy was non-significant (β = 0.06). In study 2 (N = 304), we tested whether it was better to conceptualize envy as being two separate emotions, benign envy and malicious envy. A significant effect of malicious envy was found (β = 0.13) and no significant effect of benign envy (β = −0.06). Study 3 (N = 501) closely replicated this improved model, confirming significant effects of compassion (β = 0.40), self-interest (β = 0.21), and malicious envy (β = 0.15), accounting for one third of variance in support for redistribution. These results support the role of evolved motivational systems to explain and improve important aspects of contemporary economic redistribution.

Can Foot Anthropometry Predict Vertical Jump Performance?

Hawley, VS, Gurchiek, RD, and van Werkhoven, H. Can foot anthropometry predict vertical jump performance? J Strength Cond Res 36(7): 1860-1865, 2022-Vertical jumping is an important element of many sporting activities, and whether anthropometric adaptations can predict jumping performance is of interest. Few studies have specifically considered anthropometric measures of the foot and its link to performance. Furthermore, previous studies have mainly focused on a male subject pool, and whether relationships are consistent across sexes is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between common anthropometric measures, as well as specific foot measures, and jump performance in men and women. Anthropometric measures of 21 men (age: 22.0 ± 1.5 years; stature: 181.4 ± 6.3 cm; body mass: 85.6 ± 9.4 kg) and 21 women (age: 21.2 ± 1.8 years; stature: 166.1 ± 7.5 cm; body mass: 61.4 ± 11.4 kg) were taken before performing 3 maximal countermovement jumps (CMJs). Correlational analysis was used to determine relationships between anthropometric measures and CMJ height (a priori significance set at p≤ 0.05, effect size: small >0.1; medium >0.3; large >0.5). There was no significant correlation between anthropometric variables and CMJ height for men, whereas for women, mass (r = -0.585, p = 0.005, large effect), foot length (r = -0.533, p = 0.013, large effect), and toe length (r = -0.604, p = 0.004, large effect) showed significant negative correlations with CMJ height. The unexpected result that smaller feet and toes predicted higher jumps for women warrants further investigation. Furthermore, these results highlight the need to incorporate diverse subject pools, and a need for caution when generalizing across sexes.

Estimation of Quality Scores From Subjective Tests-Beyond Subjects’ MOS

Subjective tests for the assessment of the quality of experience (QoE) are typically run with a pool of subjects providing their opinion scores using a 5-point scale. The subjects’ mean opinion score (MOS) is generally assumed as the best estimation of the average score in the target population. Indeed, for a large enough sample, we may assume that the mean of the variations across the subjects approaches zero, but this is not the case for the limited number of subjects typically considered in subjective tests. In this paper, we propose an approach based on generalized linear models (GLMs) for estimation of the population average QoE. The motivating dataset is composed of the individual scores assigned by 25 subjects to a set of gaming videos evaluated under different resolutions and compression ratios. The approach recognizes the multinomial nature of the data and allows for correlation between scores of the same subject. The resulting estimated average QoE is shown to follow more credible patterns than the MOS, particularly for higher bitrates, for which the model estimates present more coherent behavior. Similar convincing results are found on a second dataset, showing the validity of the approach.

"No Pain No Gain": Evidence from a Parcel-Wise Brain Morphometry Study on the Volitional Quality of Elite Athletes.

Volition is described as a psychological construct with great emphasis on the sense of agency. During volitional behavior, an individual always presents a volitional quality, an intrapersonal trait for dealing with adverse circumstances, which determines the individual’s persistence of action toward their intentions or goals. Elite athletes are a group of experts with superior volitional quality and, thereby, could be regarded as the natural subject pool to investigate this mental trait. The purpose of this study was to examine brain morphometric characteristics associated with volitional quality by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the Scale of Volitional Quality. We recruited 16 national-level athletes engaged in short track speed skating and 18 healthy controls matched with age and gender. A comparison of a parcel-wise brain anatomical characteristics of the healthy controls with those of the elite athletes revealed three regions with significantly increased cortical thickness in the athlete group. These regions included the left precuneus, the left inferior parietal lobe, and the right superior frontal lobe, which are the core brain regions involved in the sense of agency. The mean cortical thickness of the left inferior parietal lobe was significantly correlated with the independence of volitional quality (a mental trait that characterizes one’s intendency to control his/her own behavior and make decisions by applying internal standards and/or objective criteria). These findings suggest that sports training is an ideal model for better understanding the neural mechanisms of volitional behavior in the human brain.

On the Psychology of the Psychology Subject Pool

Abstract. Many psychology researches are performed through “psychology subject pools” which give participants considerable flexibility when they participate. This “participant degree-of-freedom” has led to concern that the characteristics of subject pool participants may change with time, with the most engaged students signing up at the start of the semester and the least engaged students leaving it all to the end. In this paper, we performed an exploratory analysis to look for evidence of this “good student effect.” Consistent with previous work, we find support for the good student effect with earlier participants scoring higher on the Big-Five subscales of Achievement-Striving and Cooperation, as well as Grit and Empathic-Concern. In addition, we found a non-linear effect of time-of-semester on Sensation-Seeking, with this measure peaking in the middle of the semester as well as the end. However, the vast majority of the measures we tested, including measures of personality, cognition, decision-making, and social interaction, did not correlate with time-of-semester or time-of-day at all. Thus, we conclude that, while some studies directly related to measures of Grit and Sensation-Seeking would do well to recruit throughout the semester, in most cases any bias introduced by the good student effect is likely to be small.