Relative Weight Analysis Research Articles

Testing mediating variables and relationships with relative weight analysis

The purpose of this research article is to put forth a new research process for employing relative weight analysis (RWA) to test for mediating variables and relationships. When implementing this new research process, RWA is employed as the primary analysis technique implementing a modified joint significance test with RWA results. An empirical demonstration of this new research process is implemented, and the findings are compared to results from multiple regression analysis implementing the PROCESS macro. In situations where there a relatively large number of independent variables that are highly correlated, the findings suggest that employing RWA is better suited to test for mediating variables and relationships. This is the first article which addresses employing RWA to test for mediating variables and relationships.

The Relative Importance of Growth Teaching Mindset, Emotions, and Self‐Efficacy in Teachers’ Grit

AbstractConsidering the demanding and challenging nature of the teaching profession in general and foreign/second language (L2) teaching contexts in particular, there is a need to examine protective psychological resources such as grit—conceptualized as the inclination to show consistent interest and perseverance in times of setbacks and failures—among L2 teachers. Given the recently emerging status of the L2 research on grit and the multitude of factors that might potentially affect teachers’ grit, this study examined the roles of growth teaching mindset, positive and negative emotions (enjoyment, anxiety, and anger), and self‐efficacy in L2 teachers’ grit. The participants were 215 Iranian teachers who were recruited via convenience sampling and responded to four questionnaires: Sudina et al.’s L2 Teacher Grit Scale, Frenzel et al.’s Teacher Emotions Scale, Nalipay et al.’s Growth Teaching Mindset Scale, and the short version of Tschannen‐Moran and Hoy's Teacher Self‐Efficacy Scale. The results indicated that all three factors significantly contributed to the teachers’ grit. Moreover, based on the results of relative weight analysis (RWA), the relative weights of enjoyment, followed by self‐efficacy and growth teaching mindset, were significantly higher in predicting teachers’ grit while anxiety and anger had the lowest relative weight. Implications for promoting teachers’ enjoyment, self‐efficacy, and growth teaching mindset as well as suggestions for future studies are presented.

Interconnectedness of mindfulness facets and their impact on mental health outcomes in Asian American and European American college students: A network approach.

Despite extensive research supporting the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions, the understanding of the dynamic connections between various mindfulness facets, particularly across diverse cultures, remained limited. This study aimed to investigate the networks among mindfulness aspects across different cultural backgrounds and their individual associations with mental health and well-being. Using the data collected from 710 undergraduate students in Hawaii (445 Asian Americans, 265 European Americans), we constructed sparse networks for each group to investigate their centrality index. To compare the overall structures of these networks, we utilized permutation-based tests. In addition, we used relative weight analysis to evaluate the distinct contributions of each mindfulness facet to positive and negative mental health outcomes. The results indicated similar trends in both racial groups, emphasizing the importance of specific mindfulness aspects like describing and acting with awareness within the mindfulness construct. However, notable variations were observed, particularly in how observing and nonjudging facets related among Asian Americans. In addition, acting with awareness and nonjudging showed substantial inverse associations with negative mental health outcomes across groups, whereas the observing aspect displayed positive connections with anxiety and stress among Asian Americans. The findings suggest which aspects are fundamental to mindfulness, aiding in a nuanced understanding of the construct. They also emphasize the importance of acknowledging cultural diversity in both mindfulness research and its clinical applications. Practical implications and directions for future research were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Distance Learning in Russian Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Predicting Student Outcomes

The outburst of COVID had a major impact on the lives of people all over the world. While educational systems were developing plans, preparing teachers and schools for transition to distance learning, students were left in the situation which required them to organize their studies by themselves. This paper attempts to identify predictors of student learning outcomes, namely, students’ self-rated achievements, learning effort, and emotions, during the lockdown based on the data derived via the School Barometer survey in Russia. A total of 22080 students from 85 Russian regions participated in the survey. Relative weight analysis found statistically significant predictors for students’ learning outcomes: ‘learning effort’ and ‘negative emotions’’. The paper addresses such issues as student autonomy, teaching practices, and access to education.

Students' approaches to developing scientific communication skills.

Science communication is a core skill for undergraduate science students to acquire in preparation for their future careers, but studies show that this skill is underdeveloped in science graduates. The aim of this study was to discover the resources and approaches undergraduate students use to effectively develop their science communication skills and how the use of these methods relates to academic performance on a communication task. Undergraduate students undertaking a second-year biomedical science course (n = 490) were asked which approaches and resources they used to aid the development of their science communication skills, and the frequency of their responses was correlated against their laboratory report mark, using multiple regression and relative weights analysis. Students' (n = 453) use of Communication Learning in Practice for Scientists (CLIPS; an open-access interactive website on science communication), resources provided by the university, interactions with university teaching staff, and engagement with the scientific literature significantly predicted the laboratory report mark. Students enrolled in a blended format or in remote online learning only, and in different programs, performed comparably in the written report and used similar approaches and resources, other than remote students reporting more use of other online resources and students in blended learning engaging more with university resources. Together, these findings provide insight into which strategies are most helpful for undergraduate students to engage with to improve their scientific communication skills. The findings highlight that the provision of well-designed interactive communication resources, guided assessment resources, and opportunities to engage with teaching staff can assist in the development of science communication skills.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study identifies the approaches and resources that undergraduate science students use to develop their science communication skills. It reveals which of these approaches and resources predict improved academic performance in a written science communication assessment task. The findings point to the importance of explicit guidance, and engagement with teaching staff, in advancing the development of science communication skills.

Predictors of Health Care Practitioners' Intention to Use AI-Enabled Clinical Decision Support Systems: Meta-Analysis Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.

Artificial intelligence-enabled clinical decision support systems (AI-CDSSs) offer potential for improving health care outcomes, but their adoption among health care practitioners remains limited. This meta-analysis identified predictors influencing health care practitioners' intention to use AI-CDSSs based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Additional predictors were examined based on existing empirical evidence. The literature search using electronic databases, forward searches, conference programs, and personal correspondence yielded 7731 results, of which 17 (0.22%) studies met the inclusion criteria. Random-effects meta-analysis, relative weight analyses, and meta-analytic moderation and mediation analyses were used to examine the relationships between relevant predictor variables and the intention to use AI-CDSSs. The meta-analysis results supported the application of the UTAUT to the context of the intention to use AI-CDSSs. The results showed that performance expectancy (r=0.66), effort expectancy (r=0.55), social influence (r=0.66), and facilitating conditions (r=0.66) were positively associated with the intention to use AI-CDSSs, in line with the predictions of the UTAUT. The meta-analysis further identified positive attitude (r=0.63), trust (r=0.73), anxiety (r=-0.41), perceived risk (r=-0.21), and innovativeness (r=0.54) as additional relevant predictors. Trust emerged as the most influential predictor overall. The results of the moderation analyses show that the relationship between social influence and use intention becomes weaker with increasing age. In addition, the relationship between effort expectancy and use intention was stronger for diagnostic AI-CDSSs than for devices that combined diagnostic and treatment recommendations. Finally, the relationship between facilitating conditions and use intention was mediated through performance and effort expectancy. This meta-analysis contributes to the understanding of the predictors of intention to use AI-CDSSs based on an extended UTAUT model. More research is needed to substantiate the identified relationships and explain the observed variations in effect sizes by identifying relevant moderating factors. The research findings bear important implications for the design and implementation of training programs for health care practitioners to ease the adoption of AI-CDSSs into their practice.

Testing "Feeling Fat" as a Mediator of the Longitudinal Relationship Between Negative Emotions and Eating Disorder Behaviors.

Negative affect is central to eating disorder maintenance models; identifying mechanisms underlying this link may inform specific treatment targets. The current study evaluated which emotions (i.e., distress, fear, and moral emotions) were most strongly linked to feeling fat and tested feeling fat as a longitudinal mediator of the relationship between these emotions and restricting or binge eating (https://osf.io/3d5cq/). Community adults (N = 714, M[SD] age = 41.5[13.7], 84.6% female, 85.9% white) provided data at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up. Relative weights analysis examined which emotion categories exhibited the strongest longitudinal relationships with feeling fat. Cross-lagged panel models tested feeling fat as a mediator of the relationship between emotions and eating disorder behaviors. Distress and moral emotions were the strongest emotional predictors of feeling fat. Feeling fat predicted binge eating (p's < 0.001), but not restricting (p's ≥ 0.832), in random effects cross-lagged panel models. Feeling fat partially mediated the longitudinal relationship between distress and binge eating (p = 0.044); however, this effect became nonsignificant after adjusting for BMI (p = 0.354). Feeling fat did not mediate relationships between moral emotions and binge eating or between either distress or moral emotions and restricting (p's ≥ 0.638). Feeling fat was associated with binge eating, not restricting, highlighting the importance of specificity in maintenance models. Because the mediating effect of feeling fat was accounted for by body size, factors associated with body size, such as internalized weight stigma, may be more relevant mediators of the relationship between negative emotions and eating disorder behaviors. Future research on feeling fat should adjust for body size.

Mental distress and well-being in geriatric professionals: The role of job satisfaction

BackgroundAs limited evidence is available on health professionals’ experience during the post-pandemic period, the interplay between job satisfaction components, mental distress and well-being was investigated among workers of an Italian geriatric institution. MethodsIn Spring 2022, 205 participants (females =75.6%), primarily healthcare assistants (36.6%), nurses (16.6%), and rehabilitation professionals (14.1%), completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF), and the Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. Data analyses comprised Multiple Regressions, Relative Weight Analyses, and ANOVA. FindingsSatisfaction with working conditions and leadership exhibited negative associations with distress, while satisfaction with patients, colleagues, results, and leadership were positively correlated with well-being. Participants with high well-being levels scored significantly lower across mental distress dimensions than participants reporting poor well-being levels. ConclusionsResults showed that specific job satisfaction components relate differently to distress and well-being, suggesting the need for implementing organizational resources, psychological support, and interprofessional collaboration in healthcare services.

What makes us strong: Conceptual and functional comparisons of psychological flexibility and resilience

Psychological flexibility and resilience represent adaptive functioning and the pursuit of values in the presence of adversity such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the conceptual and functional differences between these constructs is essential given their overlapping roles as key protective factors. This study involved 1059 participants from a Korean community sample who completed self-reported surveys measuring psychological flexibility, resilience, and mental health outcomes. Network analysis was used to create a sparse network comprising six nodes for psychological flexibility and ten nodes for resilience. Bridge strength centrality was estimated to identify the nodes connecting the two constructs. In addition, we employed a relative weights analysis to evaluate the relative significance of each psychological flexibility process on mental health outcomes while accounting for the composite resilience score. Within the psychological flexibility cluster, “Leaving thoughts be,” “Steady self,” “Awareness of value,” and “Being engaged” emerged as bridge elements, with “Steady self” exhibiting the highest bridge strength. Additionally, different patterns were observed in the unique contribution of each psychological flexibility process to positive and negative mental health outcomes. These findings suggest the potential role of “Steady self” as a catalyst for the transfer of skills and coping mechanisms between the different dimensions of psychological flexibility and resilience. The influential processes identified in this study had predictive value in their association with mental health outcomes. Future directions and implications are discussed.

The antecedents, outcomes and mediating role of inclusion at work

PurposeThe current study heeds prior calls to test the hypothesis that perceptions of inclusion mediate the relationship between inclusive practices and employee outcomes.Design/methodology/approachUsing responses from 3,367 employees drawn from three time-separated surveys administered between 2020 and 2022 within a large retail fashion chain, structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to examine the mediating role of perceptions of inclusion connecting inclusion’s antecedents and outcomes. Exploratory multigroup SEM and relative weights analysis was conducted to examine the relative contribution of each antecedent of perceptions of inclusion across racial/ethnic groups.FindingsWe identified manager support, career support, organizational support, transparency, and employee recognition as antecedents of perceptions of inclusion, as well as work engagement, organizational commitment, and intent to stay as outcomes of perceptions of inclusion. Recognition indirectly relates to employee outcomes via perceptions of inclusion, but we did not find evidence of mediation for the other antecedents. Exploratory analyses suggest that career support and employee recognition are the most predictive antecedents of perceptions of inclusion overall. However, there are racial/ethnic group differences regarding which inclusive practices most contribute to perceptions of inclusion.Originality/valueResults uncover several directions for future research and suggest that to truly make employees feel both included and unique at work, organizations should focus on supporting employees' career development goals and recognizing their valuable contributions.

Risk of wind destruction to urban trees: Prediction workflow and relative importance of influencing factors

During typhoons, risk of wind destruction to trees is harder to predict for trees in urban areas than for those in plains, and the influencing factors are more intricate. This study integrated a simplified HWIND mechanistic model for trees, computational fluid dynamics simulations for airflow, and quantified tree morphology indicators to predict the risk of wind destruction to urban trees. The workflow was demonstrated using three typical streets in Guangzhou, China. The workflow was verified based on the observed damage states of case trees in the study areas after Typhoon Mangkhut. Original critical wind speed in plains (CWSP(10)) and urban regions (CWS(10)) at a height of 10 m were introduced to evaluate the wind resistance and destruction risk to urban trees. The relative influence of various factors on CWS(10) and CWSP(10) was evaluated through Relative Weight Analysis and Random Forest. For urban trees with uprooting as the primary destruction mode, wind resistance is mainly influenced by tree height and total root-soil length in terms of tree morphology indicators, while the decisive factor affecting wind destruction risk is the “built environment indicator,” defined as BEI=CWS(10)/CWSP(10).

Passion versus positivity: How work passion and dispositional affect predict job satisfaction and its facets

AbstractWork passion—a motive that contains affective and cognitive components—is highly desirable and has positive consequences for individuals and organizations. We propose work passion as the missing piece that can explain unique variance in job satisfaction above and beyond the established predictor of dispositional affect. Taking a motivational approach based on the Dualistic Model of Passion and self‐determination theory, we tested how two types of work passion (harmonious and obsessive) and two types of dispositional affect (positive and negative) predicted overall job satisfaction and nine job satisfaction facets (satisfaction with pay, promotion, supervision, fringe benefits, contingent rewards, operating conditions, coworkers, the nature of work, and communication). In a two‐wave study of working adults, structural equation modeling and regression‐based relative weights analysis showed that harmonious passion predicted the largest proportion of variance in job satisfaction overall and in all nine of its facets. Together, our findings highlight the importance of harmonious passion and the utility of a motivational theoretical perspective on job satisfaction for HR scholars and practitioners.

Factors influencing consumers’ Airbnb use intention: a meta-analytic analysis using the UTAUT2

PurposeThis study integrates previous research on the intention to use Airbnb to determine which antecedents provide a parsimonious explanation.Design/methodology/approachMeta-analyses based on 61 samples estimate how 8 antecedents are associated with the intention to use Airbnb. Subsequent analyses utilize meta-analyses to estimate a regression model to simultaneously estimate the relationship between the antecedents and the intention to use Airbnb. Relative weight analysis then determined each antecedent’s utility.FindingsA parsimonious model with only four antecedents (hedonic motivation, price value, effort expectancy and social influence) was nearly as predictive as the full eight-antecedent model. Ten moderating variables were examined, but none were deemed to consistently influence the relationships between the antecedents and the intention to use Airbnb.Practical implicationsRelatively few measures (i.e. four) effectively explain customers’ intentions to use Airbnb. When these measures cannot be readily influenced, alternatives are also presented. Implications for the travel industry are considered and straightforward approaches to increasing users are presented.Originality/valueThis is the first integrative review of customers’ intentions to use Airbnb. We integrate what is currently known about customers’ intentions to use Airbnb and then provide a robust model for Airbnb use intentions that both researchers and practitioners can utilize.

Key driver analysis with relative weight analysis: A two-step approach

Key driver analysis (statistically inferred importance analysis) is commonly implemented to understand what customer satisfaction attributes are most important in driving overall customer satisfaction. Building on prior research, this article suggests that dominance analysis and relative weight analysis are the most appropriate statistical techniques for conducting key driver analysis, yet relative weight analysis is the more feasible choice. A process is put forth so that research practitioners can conduct key driver analysis with relative weight analysis implementing a two-step approach. The two-step approach should be used when the key driver analysis contains a large number of attributes, which are theoretically redundant and highly correlated.

Developing a geographical-meteorological indicator system and evaluating prediction models for alveolar echinococcosis in China.

Geographical and meteorological factors have been reported to influence the prevalence of echinococcosis, but there's a lack of indicator system and model. To provide further insight into the impact of geographical and meteorological factors on AE prevalence and establish a theoretical basis for prevention and control. Principal component and regression analysis were used to screen and establish a three-level indicator system. Relative weights were examined to determine the impact of each indicator, and five mathematical models were compared to identify the best predictive model for AE epidemic levels. By analyzing the data downloaded from the China Meteorological Data Service Center and Geospatial Data Cloud, we established the KCBIS, including 50 basic indicators which could be directly obtained online, 15 characteristic indicators which were linear combination of the basic indicators and showed a linear relationship with AE epidemic, and 8 key indicators which were characteristic indicators with a clearer relationships and fewer mixed effects. The relative weight analysis revealed that monthly precipitation, monthly cold days, the difference between negative and positive temperature anomalies, basic air temperature conditions, altitude, the difference between positive and negative atmospheric pressure anomalies, monthy extremely hot days, and monthly fresh breeze days were correlated with the natural logarithm of AE prevalence, with sequential decreases in their relative weights. The multinomial logistic regression model was the best predictor at epidemic levels 1, 3, 5, and 6, whereas the CART model was the best predictor at epidemic levels 2, 4, and 5.

Dispositional factors in the explanation of symptoms of depression, anxiety, health anxiety and COVID-19 Phobia.

Maladaptive personality, the motivational systems, and intolerance of uncertainty play important roles in the statistical explanation of depression and anxiety. Here, we notably examined for the first time whether symptoms of depression, anxiety, health anxiety, and fear of COVID-19 share similar associations (e.g., variance explained) with these important dispositional dimensions. For this cross-sectional study, data from 1001 participants recruited in Germany (50% women; mean age = 47.26) were collected. In separate models, we examined the cross-sectional associations of the symptoms of depression, anxiety, health anxiety, and fear of COVID-19 with the Personality Inventory for DSM Short Form Plus scales, the Behavioral Inhibition System / Flight-Fight-Freeze System / Behavioral Activation System scales, and Intolerance of Uncertainty scales. Relative weight analyses were used to determine the within-model importance of the different scales in the prediction of the symptoms. All in all, our study showed that maladaptive personality and intolerance of uncertainty dimensions are more important sets of predictors of the studied outcomes (with which depressive and anxious symptomatology feature very similar associations) than are the motivational system dimensions. Within predictor sets, the scales with the most important predictors were: Negative Affectivity, the Behavioral Inhibition System, and Burden due to Intolerance of Uncertainty. Our findings highlight the relevance of focusing behavioral targets of psychotherapy on these within-set traits and identify potential research priorities (maladaptive personality and intolerance of uncertainty) in relation to the symptoms of interest.

Capacity for Self-Regulatory Vocabulary Learning and Learning Enjoyment: The Mediating Role of L2 Vocabulary Selves

Second language (L2) enjoyment has gained recent interest, but little research has attended to the sources of L2 vocabulary learning enjoyment. Drawing on the regulatory focus theory and the assumption that advancing toward a goal can contribute greatly to learning enjoyment, this study examined the extent L2 vocabulary selves and capacity for self-regulatory vocabulary learning are related to vocabulary learning enjoyment. A questionnaire was administered to two cohorts of 897 low-intermediate university students at two different times: one in the middle of a summer semester and the other in the following semester. The ages of the students were in the 17 to 24 range ( M = 18.84, SD = 0.79). Hierarchical regression, dominance, relative weight, and Boruta random forest analyses revealed that capacity for self-regulatory vocabulary learning was the most important predictor of L2 vocabulary enjoyment, followed by ideal L2 vocabulary self/own. Mediation analyses showed that capacity for self-regulatory vocabulary learning had a direct effect on L2 vocabulary learning enjoyment, and ideal L2 vocabulary self had a stronger mediating effect than ought L2 vocabulary self. The findings and implications were discussed.

Protecting language teachers from burnout: The roles of teaching mindset, teaching grit, and emotion regulation

Considering the demanding and stressful nature of the teaching profession in general and foreign language teaching in particular, teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) are prone to experience burnout, which may result in adverse consequences for not only teachers but also their students. Therefore, it is important to understand what factors can prevent EFL teachers from burnout. The present study investigated the roles of three individual difference factors, namely, growth teaching mindset, teaching grit, and emotion regulation in EFL teachers’ burnout. The data were collected from 218 EFL teachers through convenience sampling. The results of regression analysis and relative weight analysis indicated that growth teaching mindset and teaching grit negatively predicted burnout. In addition, while reappraisal emotion regulation strategies were negative predictors of teachers’ burnout, suppression strategies were positive predictors of burnout. Implications regarding how to protect teachers against burnout are presented based on the findings of the study.

Money on My Mind: How Does Hardiness Relate to Financial Stress?

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of hardiness in the association between perceived income adequacy (PIA) and financial stress. Hardiness refers to an individual’s ability to find meaning and purpose in stressful events. We utilized a sample of 482 college students who completed questionnaires on hardiness, PIA, financial stress, and various objective financial measures. Relative weights analyses, bivariate correlations, and moderated regression indicated support for our hypotheses that PIA is negatively related to financial stress, hardiness is positively related to PIA, and hardiness moderates the PIA and financial stress relationship. Our study highlights the importance of the financial stress process and the role of hardiness. Future directions and practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Multiple factorial analysis of growth performance, gut population, lipid profiles, immune responses, intestinal histomorphology, and relative organ weights of Cobb 500 broilers fed a diet supplemented with phage cocktail and probiotics

Previous studies on probiotics in chickens have shown varying efficacy, and the use of phage as a supplement for improving chicken performance and health has gained interest. However, the combination of these supplements has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to assess the effects of an Escherichia coli phage cocktail, both alone and in combination with probiotics, on specific gut populations, lipid profiles, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, serum immunoglobulins, villus height to crypt depth ratio, and relative organ weights in chickens at day 21 and 35. The experiment followed a completely randomised design with factorial arrangements, consisting of three levels of phage cocktail dosage (0 g/kg, 1 g/kg, and 2 g/kg) and two levels of probiotics dosage (0 g/kg and 1 g/kg), with a total of 288 one-day-old male Cobb 500 broilers. Our study demonstrated that supplementing chicken diets with 1 g/kg phage cocktail and 1 g/kg probiotics resulted in significant (p < 0.05) improvements in growth performance and reduced Clostridium perfringens populations. It also reduced triglyceride levels and did not cause physiological stress, as indicated by the heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Overall, this study provides important insights into the potential benefits of combining phages and probiotics in broiler chicken diets, which have not been extensively studied.