Quasi-experimental Survey Research Articles

Wearing school uniforms in childhood linked with wearing anti-COVID-19 masks in adulthood: an instrumental variable approach

ABSTRACT Despite relaxed of COVID-19 mask mandates at the time of this research, individuals in some countries, including Japan, continued to wear masks. This research suggests that childhood experiences of wearing school uniforms could influence anti-COVID-19 mask-wearing preferences in adulthood. Utilizing macro data on exogenous variations from the expansion of the apparel industry and quasi-experimental survey data, we establish causal links of childhood educational experiences. Findings indicate younger cohorts with school uniform experiences tend to persist in wearing masks when near others, even without mandates. This reflects the impact of childhood experiences on later-life behaviors through the development of other-regarding preferences.

The International Climate Psychology Collaboration: Climate change-related data collected from 63 countries

Climate change is currently one of humanity’s greatest threats. To help scholars understand the psychology of climate change, we conducted an online quasi-experimental survey on 59,508 participants from 63 countries (collected between July 2022 and July 2023). In a between-subjects design, we tested 11 interventions designed to promote climate change mitigation across four outcomes: climate change belief, support for climate policies, willingness to share information on social media, and performance on an effortful pro-environmental behavioural task. Participants also reported their demographic information (e.g., age, gender) and several other independent variables (e.g., political orientation, perceptions about the scientific consensus). In the no-intervention control group, we also measured important additional variables, such as environmentalist identity and trust in climate science. We report the collaboration procedure, study design, raw and cleaned data, all survey materials, relevant analysis scripts, and data visualisations. This dataset can be used to further the understanding of psychological, demographic, and national-level factors related to individual-level climate action and how these differ across countries.

Professional Quality of Life and Turnover Intention in Forensic Nurse Program Coordinators: Implications to Forensic Nurse Workforce Development.

Significant barriers to forensic nurse workforce development exist, affecting patient care access. Retention of forensic nurses is a persistent problem, and turnover of forensic nurses can be attributed to many factors related to professional quality of life, including compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS). The aim of this study was to identify the effect of an educational session on the topic of professional quality of life and strategies for mitigating the impact of stressors within the forensic nurse role on Professional Quality of Life Scale-5 and Turnover Intention Scale-6. A convenience sample of forensic nurse program coordinators was surveyed using a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental survey design. Correlation between professional quality of life indicators and turnover intention was explored. Cohort (n = 38) preintervention CS levels were average to high (mean = 41.42), BO levels were average to low (mean = 22.53), and STS levels were average to low (mean = 22.89). Statistically significant positive correlations were noted between each Professional Quality of Life Scale indicator and turnover intention (CS: r = 0.59, p < 0.0001; BO: r = 0.98, p < 0.0000; STS: r = 0.67, p < 0.0000). A statistically significant decrease in BO level (α = 0.05, p = 0.0454) was noted postintervention. BO and STS had a strong positive correlation to turnover intention. BO levels decreased to a significant degree when reassessed 3 months after the educational intervention. Increased awareness of the impact of CS, BO, and STS could decrease BO in forensic nurses with potential reduction in turnover.

Data Quality of Different Modes of Supervision in Classroom Surveys

Conducting quantitative research involving adolescents demands a thoughtful approach to the question of supervision, given that each option comes with its distinct set of implications. This study reviews these implications and empirically tests whether differences in data quality can be found among three modes of standardized survey research with medium-sized groups of adolescents (12–17 years). The data basis is a quasi-experimental survey study testing different forms of digital, hybrid, or in-person supervision that took place in 2021 in secondary schools in Germany (N = 923). The aim of this study is to test how aspects of data quality—item nonresponse, interview duration, drop-out rate, and response patterns—differ between these forms of supervision. Results could help researchers surveying young people to decide (1) whether they allow confidants or other adults to be present during interviews, (2) if they can rely on teachers alone when surveying classrooms, and (3) if it is cost-efficient to send out external supervisors for classroom sessions. While drop-out rates do not differ, item non-response, interview duration, and response patterns differ significantly; students supervised at home by external interviewers answered more questions, took more time to answer, and were less likely to give potentially meaningless answers in grid questions. The implications drawn from the findings question the common approach of solely relying on teachers for survey administration without the support of external supervisors or adequate training. Recruiting respondents via schools and surveying them online in their homes during school hours has been shown to be a robust method with regard to the analyzed indicators.

Enhancing Criminology Education with Crime News Analysis

Crime news analysis is an effective teaching tool in teaching Criminology. This study illustrates the use of crime news analysis in Criminology, and examines its effectiveness using a quasi-experimental survey. The results show that crime news analysis significantly enhances students’ interest in the subject matter, improves their learning experiences, and fosters stronger attachment to the Criminal Justice program. Incorporating crime news analysis into the curriculum facilitates understanding the causes of crime, connecting theory to practice, improving analytical and critical thinking skills, and promoting active engagement with real-world issues. The study also reveals that crime news analysis’s impact is more pronounced among criminal justice majors, freshmen, sophomores, and female students. Additionally, its effectiveness is slightly higher in face-to-face classes compared to online ones. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing the educational merits of crime news analysis in various contexts and demographics.

Impact of food hygiene and safety training on knowledge, attitude, and practices of food hygiene and safety practices among food handlers in boarding schools of Embu County, Kenya

Background: The reduction of foodborne illnesses depends on the adoption and evaluation of effective food handling procedures in the food service industry. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of food hygiene and safety training on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food handlers in boarding schools in Embu County, Kenya. Methods: A longitudinal nonequivalent quasi-experimental survey design was utilized. A sample size of 198 study respondents was generated, Magnani formula was used. Multistage sampling was applied to select the study participants. STATA version 17 was employed for data analysis. Results: The knowledge score changed from 71% at baseline to 90% at the end line compared to the control arm which did not significantly change. Attitude score changed from 71% at baseline to 89% at endline compared to the control arm which did not significantly change (64% to 63%). This corresponds to a DID change of 19 percent increase in the attitudes scores (p&lt;0.001). Lastly, practices score changed from 63% at baseline to 93% at endline. This corresponded to a 34 percentage point increase in the practice scores (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: Overall, Knowledge, attitude and practices were low at baseline than at the endline survey. Statistically, the study revealed that knowledge, attitude, and practices were associated with adherence to food safety and hygiene standards. The Government through the Ministries of health and education should consider training of food handlers on food safety and hygiene for improved knowledge, attitude, and practices.

391 Common Knowledge Or Common sense? Identifying Systematic Misconceptions of Animal Agriculture and Food Familiarity in Higher Education Individuals

Abstract Knowledge gaps in the context of agriculture contribute to mistrust and negative worldviews of the animal agricultural sector. The purpose of this quasi-experimental survey study stood on three tiers: quantify perceived connection to food production (FP) of the participants, their understanding, knowledge and perceptions of animal agriculture (AA) and FP, and determine predictors which may have contributed to their knowledge and perceptions of food animal production. A southeastern land grant institution served as the convenience sample for this study, where 265 completed responses were returned. The electronic survey collected several types of data including a Gapminder-influenced (Rosling et al., 2019) Animal Agricultural Knowledge and Perceptions Questionnaire, a Food Familiarity Index Questionnaire, and demographic questions. The study reports that almost 50% of participants demonstrated a negative worldview (P &amp;lt; 0.05) of animal agriculture, regardless of food familiarity scores. Natural and self-identified demographic characteristics impacted AA knowledge and perceptions, including gender, ethnicity, dietary preference, perceived connection to FP, and affiliation with the College of Agriculture. Additional research should be done to replicate the findings with broader question pools and other demographic groups to identify areas that need improvement in agriculture communication efforts designed to dispel misinformation.

Impact of Therapeutic Education on the Management of High Blood Pressure: A Quasi-experimental Survey From Southern Tunisia.

The prevalence of arterial hypertension (HTA) was continuously increased with a low percentage of pressure control blood pressure among treated patients. Therapeutic education (TE) was one of the inventive methods in the management of high blood pressure (HBP) worldwide. The objective was to assess the impact of TE on the control and management of HBP. This was a quasi-experimental study consisting of an intervention, a pretest, and a post-test evaluation. This study was conducted in the external consultation service of cardiology CHU HEDI CHAKER of Sfax during over a period of 4 months (November 2021-March 2022). In total, 35 of the patients (50%) were women with a sex ratio of 1. The mean age was 63.33 ± 8.91 years. We noted a statistically significant decrease on both systolic and diastolic blood pressure blood pressure values after TE among educated patients (135.3 ± 9.77 vs. 141.9 ± 10.9; P = 0.010) and (75 [70-80] vs. 80 [75-80]; P = 0.002), respectively. We found a significantly good knowledge about HBP definition (Odds ratio [OR] = 3.4; P = 0.022), HBP symptoms (OR = 9.1; P < 0.001), and HBP complications (OR = 12.3; P < 0.001) among educated patients. A significant association was noted between educated patients and low daily salt consumption after TE (OR = 2.7; P = 0.048). Powered by Editorial Manager and ProduXion Manager from Aries Systems Corporation Educated patients had significantly more adequate auto-control devise use (OR = 1.01; P = 0.028). Moreover, the respect of therapeutic compliance was statistically more important among educated patients (OR = 3.7; P = 0.028). Our results showed that the TE training session is an operative intervention to improve HBP management. Thus, integrating TE therapy in daily care should be continuous and should be exhaustive to all cardiovascular and all chronic diseases.

Connecting People with Science: A Proof-of-Concept Study to Evaluate Action-Based Storytelling for Science Communication

Many of the major environmental problems facing society remain intractable because members of the public neither perceive the relevance to them nor how their individual actions might help the situation. Post-consumer textile waste is one such disregarded problem, whereby disposal of waste from the fashion industry, especially the discarding of functional but out-of-fashion garments, releases significant greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Here, we used action-based storytelling as proof-of-concept of an innovative way to promote agency for climate action by showcasing pro-environmental behaviour through social modelling within stories. We evaluated the effectiveness of action-based storytelling in evoking agency, self-efficacy, and intention to increase second-hand clothing consumption. This research sought to identify if the choices faced by the story’s hero impacted these variables. The research is innovative in its use of a mixed-methods research methodology and community-based social marketing approach. Two focus groups identified consumer barriers to, and motivations for, second-hand clothing consumption in order to inform the development of three action-based storytelling videos (each with a different hero character: (i) a scientist, (ii) an influencer and (iii) students). A quasi-experimental survey evaluated how action-based storytelling and the different story heroes impacted participants’ levels of agency, self-efficacy, and intention. Results showed that participants’ levels of agency, self-efficacy, and intention significantly increased after watching the videos. Furthermore, the influencer hero was found to have the greatest effect on these variables. This research concludes that action-based storytelling can be an effective communication approach which demonstrates promising results in evoking agency and self-efficacy and increasing the likelihood that consumers will adopt pro-environmental behaviours.

Green Pay/Reward Techniques and Corporate Non-Financial Performance: A Case Study of South-West, Nigeria Deposit Money Banks

This study will be establishing how corporate non-financial performance could be affected by the green pay/reward techniques among banks that concentrate in deposit of money alone in the entire South-West geopolitical area of Nigeria. We adopted quasi-experimental survey research design by looking at the managerial staff of those banks as our population of which we used 330 for the sample. We tested three hypotheses with SEM-AMOS after retrieving those questionnaire administered through simple random sampling method. The study discovered a link between operational efficiency and innovation as measures of corporate non-financial performance and green pay/reward system while the same link could not be established between employee satisfaction and green pay/reward system in Nigeria South-West deposit money banks

Media portrayal of old age and its effects on attitudes in older people: findings from a series of studies

Mass media portrayal of old age plays a great role in social perceptions of aging. However, there are hardly any empirical findings on the effects on recipients or to what extent this can change attitudes, especially amongst older people. Three types of media portrayals of old age in German news magazines were determined and used as stimulus material. In 2020, 910 participants (from 60 years) were confronted with different age frames in the course of a quasi-experimental survey. In order to substantiate the results, in 2022, 36 focused interviews were conducted with older people each of whom was presented with an age frame. This article links the central findings of both studies, with a focus on the qualitative study. The survey results showed that presenting a negative age frame led to an improvement in the self-image of old age whereas the public image of old age deteriorated significantly. After presenting a positive frame, the public image improved greatly while the self-image decreased. The interviews confirm these results. Type of reaction upon reception of the negative age frame varied between approval and clear signs of consternation. However, interviewees did not relate with the older people portrayed with personal aging often felt to be at odds with the portrayal of age shown. The positive frame was first received with pleasure and curiosity. Even so, interviewees became unsettled about how ‘modern’ aging is portrayed, some of them showing insecurity that they could not fulfil the characteristics and requirements of ‘modern’ aging. Media portrayal of age seems not to have the effects on older people as might be expected. Negative effects appear such as media portrayal making older recipients aware of their own age by presenting age in an exaggeratedly positive light in the “best agers” frame. In view of these results, the theory of social comparison processes may be used by which the media provides recipients with standards of comparison.

Are bicycle streets cyclist-friendly? Micro-environmental factors for improving perceived safety when cycling in mixed traffic

A bicycle street is a mixed traffic street where motor vehicles are forced to adapt their speed to bicycle traffic, for example by encouraging cycling in the middle of the street using centered bicycle lanes. The objective safety of cyclists increases with lower vehicle speeds and fewer motor vehicles. Despite this, cyclists’ perception of their safety is often reduced in mixed traffic streets. Subjective unsafety and risk constitute a major barrier to increased cycling.This study investigates how the design of the micro-environment of bicycle streets can improve cyclists’ perceived safety in mixed traffic. A quasi-experimental survey in which 371 participants rated their perceived safety in photo-manipulated bicycle streets was conducted. 52% of the participants were male, the mean age was 43 (20–77) years, and 76% reported that they cycle 4–5 days a week or more. The focus was on evaluating micro-environmental factors such as different designs of centered bicycle lanes, road markings, signs, traffic volume, and parked cars.It is concluded that the micro-environment has important effects on the perceived safety of cyclists. Important gains in subjective safety can be achieved with fairly simple design efforts. Many participants felt safe when there were clearly demarcated red-colored bicycle lanes in the center of the street accompanied by road markings for cyclists. The strongest effect, however, comes from reducing traffic volume. Most participants felt safe in micro-environments in which the traffic volume had been reduced, including those where no design changes had been made. Important differences between different groups of cyclists were also found.

Summative Evaluation of ICT-Based Learning Media

Prospective teacher students have been heavily involved in developing ICT-based learning media. Various forms of media have been produced, such as multimedia, hypermedia, web, video, animation, or presentation. Until now, not all media developed have undergone a summative evaluation but only arrived at a formative evaluation. One of the reasons is the lack of references. This study aims to formulate a summative evaluation model of ICT-based learning media developed by prospective teacher students using quantitative and qualitative descriptive approaches. The study began with observations of student research reports to examine the summative evaluation model used. The information is then discussed in a focus group discussion involving relevant experts and practitioners. The study found that the summative evaluation of ICT-based learning media could be done through a quasi-experimental survey or case study. Quasi-experimental methods that can be applied are nonequivalent control group design, factorial design, counterbalanced design, and time series design. The format was obtained mainly considering limited time, a place for testing, and opportunities to be involved in the class. Either quasi-experiments, surveys, or case studies can be carried out by students in collaboration with relevant teachers when students do teaching practicum at school and then mature when students do research.

Evaluating the use of web-based games on students' vocabulary retention

Today, the use of technology has made education more enjoyable. Vocabulary retention becomes a challenging task for both teachers and learners. They may learn the vocabulary but may not retain it. Yet, the use of web-based games may assist them in maintaining words known for short and long-term retention. The current study was conducted to identify students' abilities in retaining words learned after they were assigned to play a web-based vocabulary learning game, namely OnVac. Both short and long-term retention were measured after they were required to play the game as a treatment. Also, the study investigated students' perceptions about the system operation of OnVac. The use of quantitative research design, particularly quasi-experimental research and survey showed gains in vocabulary retention among students for short and long-term retention. The study also found that OnVac can support vocabulary learning among students in their learning of the specialized vocabulary. In terms of the system operation, the participants reported that the tool could assist them in learning engineering and technology words as it was convenient to use. The study provided implications to the teaching pedagogy in that teachers need to be wise and analytical in developing the online game to assist learners in learning English specialized vocabulary.

Design and Validation of a Virtual Chemical Laboratory—An Example of Natural Science in Elementary Education

In the natural science curriculum, chemistry is a very important domain. However, when conducting chemistry experiments, safety issues need to be taken seriously, and excessive material waste may be caused during the experiment. Based on the 11-year-old student science curriculum, this paper proposed a virtual chemistry laboratory, which was designed by combining a virtual experiment application with physical teaching materials. The virtual experiment application was a virtual experiment laboratory environment created by using selected experimental equipment cards in combination with augmented reality (AR) technology. The physical teaching materials included all virtual equipment required for experiment units. Each piece of equipment had corresponding cards for learners to choose from and utilize in specific experimental operations. It was hoped that students were able to achieve the desired learning effectiveness of experimental teaching while reducing the waste of experimental materials through the virtual experimental environment. This study employed the quasi-experimental and questionnaire survey methods to evaluate both learning effectiveness and learning motivation. Eighty-one students and eight elementary school teachers were surveyed as research subjects. The experimental results revealed that significant differences in learning effectiveness existed between the experimental group and control group, indicating that the application of AR technology to teaching substantively helped enhance students’ learning effectiveness and motivation. In addition, the results of the teacher questionnaire demonstrated that the virtual chemistry laboratory proposed in this study could effectively assist with classroom teaching.

Activity Groups as Mental Health Interventions for Creative Arts Professionals

ABSTRACT Individuals whose career is within creative arts have higher rates of mental health diagnoses as compared to other professionals. We discuss the development of a novel program, the results of a quasi-experimental pilot survey of participants, and implications for practice and future research. Care for Creatives (CFC) operated from 2018 to 2020 to address community mental health of creative arts professionals. CFC collected pilot survey data from participants and included weekly drop-in social mixers featuring various healing service stations. The event paired with a structured open group featuring activities in yoga, somatic activities, and movement (MOV), expressive arts modalities (EA), and meditative relaxation practices (MED) with facilitated reflective sharing. Pre and post session data were collected from a convenience sample (n = 224). Results were statistically significant for positive change in all domains measured: subjective wellbeing (SWB), gratitude (GT), hope (HP), and social connection (SC). Results indicate that CFC successfully improved mental health indicators.

Using Choice Framing to Improve the Design of Agricultural Subsidy Schemes

Existing agri-environment subsidy schemes have suffered from poor uptake. The prospect of the UK’s exit from the EU means that agricultural financial subsidies will likely need to be redesigned. This paper leverages insights from prospect theory to test three different aspects of policy framing, which we hypothesised will affect the decisions made by farmers in a policy context. Using a randomised quasi-experimental survey on UK farmers, we find evidence that mental accounting and loss aversion affects policy-related decision-making. Our findings have implications for the design of future policy, and specifically highlight the importance of (i) whether payments are integrated or segregated, and the need for a reduction in application burden; (ii) the labelling applied to agricultural funding schemes; (iii) and the importance of reference points in devising new scheme alternatives.

Methodological Proposal for the Detection of the Composing Elements of Vulnerability Regarding Disinformation

We live in a hyper-informed society that is constantly being fed with information stimuli. That information may not be correct, and society may be vulnerable to it. We present a methodological proposal with a mixed approach that allows the learning of the characteristics and weaknesses of news consumers in the face of disinformation. Said methodology moves away from the traditional model, and with it a new, much more complete and complex way of conducting discussion groups is carried out. The qualitative approach is carried out through the creation of an online community in which subjects are encouraged to participate in different activities and tests. On the other hand, in order to obtain quantitative data, a quasi-experimental survey where respondents are exposed to various stimuli created ad hoc, which seeks to measure the interest and credibility of different news items through an orthogonal design, is carried out. The use of this methodology will allow for an expansive and intensive approach to the knowledge of societal vulnerability factors, and with the subsequent results, a solid basis of disinformation can be established, which will allow for the development of a series of strategies to combat disinformation.

Superlatives and Scope of Improvement in Online Recommendations: Breath of Life or a Kiss of Death?

Online professional networks are important tools used by recruiters to find qualified candidates for job openings. Within these networks, professional recommendations are used to supplement profiles and add credibility. These recommendations tend to be overly positive, full of superlatives, and lacking in critical statements (referred to as scope of improvement). We draw on the theory of online trust to argue that having scope of improvement and superlatives may affect various dimensions of trust and to show how online trust, in turn, can affect the usefulness of a recommendation and the likelihood of receiving an interview. We contribute to the body of work on online trust both theoretically and empirically. From a theory perspective, we explain why including scope of improvement and superlatives in recommendations on online professional networks may help certain candidates in getting an interview but hurt others. From an empirical perspective, we provide a unique empirical setting that allows us to observe not only the effect of scope of improvement and superlatives, but also validate the theoretically argued underlying process. Furthermore, through discussion with recruiters, we identify then test contextual factors that differentiate recommendations on online professional networks from traditional recommendations. In this study, we use a scenario-based, quasi-experimental survey to test the effects of superlatives and scope of improvement on the usefulness and effectiveness of recommendations. Further, we test the mediating role of trust and how the experience levels of the recommendee affect the sign and strength of these relationships. Our findings indicate that including scope of improvement increases the effectiveness and usefulness of recommendations for candidates at low- and middle levels of experience. For the most experienced candidates, including scope of improvement has a negative effect on effectiveness. Superlatives negatively affect the perceived competence of the recommender and thus should be avoided. This negative effect is reduced when combined with scope of improvement.

DEPRESSION AND EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY-BASED DEPRESSION INTERVENTION PROGRAMME FOR ELDERLY IN QUANG NGAI CITY

Introduction: With the growing elderly population in Vietnam and the increasing impact of mental health problems, the prevention of these disorders should be emphasized and support programs in the community are needed. Objectives: 1. To determine the prevalence of depression using the GDS-30 scale; 2. To evaluate the effectiveness of community intervention in preventing depression. Methods: A quasi-experimental survey with pretest/posttest design was adopted. A cross-sectional survey of 1572 elderly people to determine the prevalence and factors related to depression. The next step was to implement a community intervention program on 402 people (intervention group) and 384 people (control group). Results: The prevalence of depression in the elderly population was 18.8% (mild: 12.1%, moderate: 6.5%; and severe: 0.2%). Finding from posttest of intervention, the prevalence of depression in intervention group and control group was 12.4% (mild 7.7%, moderate 4.7%), 19.5% (mild 13.8%; moderate 5.5%), respectively. The effectiveness of the intervention program was reported to reduce the prevalence of depression compared to baseline by 34.0% and to control group by 31.3%. Conclusion: the finding indicates that depression among elderly people is prevalent in the community, accounting for 18.8%. The community intervention program to reduce the risk of depression has proven to be effective and it is necessary to recommend the health department to disseminate this model locally. " Key words: Effective; community intervention; Depression of the elderly; Quang Ngai city