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Agley J, Mumaw C, Johnson B. Rationale and Study Checklist for Ethical Rejection of Participants on Crowdsourcing Research Platforms. Ethics Hum Res 2024; 46:38-46. [PMID: 38944883 DOI: 10.1002/eahr.500217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Online participant recruitment ("crowdsourcing") platforms are increasingly being used for research studies. While such platforms can rapidly provide access to large samples, there are concomitant concerns around data quality. Researchers have studied and demonstrated means to reduce the prevalence of low-quality data from crowdsourcing platforms, but approaches to doing so often involve rejecting work and/or denying payment to participants, which can pose ethical dilemmas. We write this essay as an associate professor and two institutional review board (IRB) directors to provide a perspective on the competing interests of participants/workers and researchers and to propose a checklist of steps that we believe may support workers' agency on the platform and lessen instances of unfair consequences to them while enabling researchers to definitively reject lower-quality work that might otherwise reduce the likelihood of their studies producing true results. We encourage further, explicit discussion of these issues among academics and among IRBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Agley
- Associate professor in the Department of Applied Health Science at the School of Public Health at Indiana University Bloomington and the deputy director of research for Prevention Insights at the School of Public Health at Indiana University Bloomington
| | - Casey Mumaw
- Assistant director for the Human Research Protection Program at Indiana University
| | - Bethany Johnson
- University director of the Human Research Protection Program at Indiana University
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2
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Chen TY. ENIGMA: A Web Application for Running Online Artificial Grammar Learning Experiments. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2024; 53:38. [PMID: 38656669 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-024-10078-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Artificial grammar learning (AGL) is an experimental paradigm frequently adopted to investigate the unconscious and conscious learning and application of linguistic knowledge. This paper will introduce ENIGMA ( https://enigma-lang.org ) as a free, flexible, and lightweight Web-based tool for running online AGL experiments. The application is optimized for desktop and mobile devices with a user-friendly interface, which can present visual and aural stimuli and elicit judgment responses with RT measures. Without limits in time and space, ENIGMA could help collect more data from participants with diverse personal and language backgrounds and variable cognitive skills. Such data are essential to explain complex factors influencing learners' performance in AGL experiments and answer various research questions regarding L1/L2 acquisition. The introduction of the core features in ENIGMA is followed by an example study that partially replicated Chen (Lang Acquis 27(3):331-361, 2020) to illustrate possible experimental designs and examine the quality of the collected data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Ying Chen
- Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Guangfu Road, Hsinchu, 300044, Taiwan.
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Cuskley C, Sulik J. The Burden for High-Quality Online Data Collection Lies With Researchers, Not Recruitment Platforms. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2024:17456916241242734. [PMID: 38648556 DOI: 10.1177/17456916241242734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
A recent article in Perspectives on Psychological Science (Webb & Tangney, 2022) reported a study in which just 2.6% of participants recruited on Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) were deemed "valid." The authors highlighted some well-established limitations of MTurk, but their central claims-that MTurk is "too good to be true" and that it captured "only 14 human beings . . . [out of] N = 529"-are radically misleading, yet have been repeated widely. This commentary aims to (a) correct the record (i.e., by showing that Webb and Tangney's approach to data collection led to unusually low data quality) and (b) offer a shift in perspective for running high-quality studies online. Negative attitudes toward MTurk sometimes reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of what the platform offers and how it should be used in research. Beyond pointing to research that details strategies for effective design and recruitment on MTurk, we stress that MTurk is not suitable for every study. Effective use requires specific expertise and design considerations. Like all tools used in research-from advanced hardware to specialist software-the tool itself places constraints on what one should use it for. Ultimately, high-quality data is the responsibility of the researcher, not the crowdsourcing platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Cuskley
- Language Evolution, Acquisition, and Development Group, Newcastle University
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Drysdale K, Wells N, Smith AKJ, Gunatillaka N, Sturgiss EA, Wark T. Beyond the challenge to research integrity: imposter participation in incentivised qualitative research and its impact on community engagement. HEALTH SOCIOLOGY REVIEW : THE JOURNAL OF THE HEALTH SECTION OF THE AUSTRALIAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 2023; 32:372-380. [PMID: 37786312 DOI: 10.1080/14461242.2023.2261433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Participant recruitment for qualitative research often offers incentives (honoraria; financial compensation) to increase participation and to recognise lived expertise and time involved in research. While not necessarily a new concern for survey and other quantitative based research, 'spam', 'bot', and other inauthentic forms of research participation has rarely been an apparent issue for qualitative research, given it often involves levels of interaction with potential participants prior to the conduct of in-depth interviews and other methods of data generation. This is no longer the case. A troubling new occurrence has meant that recruitment calls for qualitative research with incentives on public-facing social media have attracted 'imposter' expressions of interest and research participation. In this commentary, we explore this challenge that goes beyond research integrity. In particular, we consider the risks of employing strategies to screen for legitimate participants and the importance of building trust and maintaining community engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerryn Drysdale
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Anthony K J Smith
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nilakshi Gunatillaka
- Equity, Primary Care, Implementation and Community (EPIC) Research Unit, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Ann Sturgiss
- Equity, Primary Care, Implementation and Community (EPIC) Research Unit, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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Woodworth EC, Briskin EA, Plys E, Macklin E, Tatar RG, Huberty J, Vranceanu AM. Mindfulness-Based App to Reduce Stress in Caregivers of Persons With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias: Protocol for a Single-Blind Feasibility Proof-of-Concept Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e50108. [PMID: 37831492 PMCID: PMC10612010 DOI: 10.2196/50108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Informal caregivers (ie, individuals who provide assistance to a known person with health or functional needs, often unpaid) experience high levels of stress. Caregiver stress is associated with negative outcomes for both caregivers and care recipients. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) show promise for improving stress, emotional distress, and sleep disturbance in caregivers of persons with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD). Commercially available mobile mindfulness apps can deliver MBIs to caregivers of persons with ADRD in a feasible and cost-effective manner. OBJECTIVE We are conducting a single-blind feasibility proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial (RCT; National Institutes of Health [NIH] stage 1B) comparing 2 free mobile apps: the active intervention Healthy Minds Program (HMP) with within-app text tailored for addressing stress among caregivers of persons with ADRD, versus Wellness App (WA), a time- and dose-matched educational control also tailored for caregivers of persons with ADRD. METHODS We aim to recruit 80 geographically diverse and stressed caregivers of persons with ADRD. Interested caregivers use a link or QR code on a recruitment flyer to complete a web-based eligibility screener. Research assistants conduct enrollment phone calls, during which participants provide informed consent digitally. After participants complete baseline surveys, we randomize them to the mindfulness-based intervention (HMP) or educational control podcast app (WA) and instruct them to listen to prescribed content for 10 minutes per day (70 minutes per week) for 12 weeks. Caregivers are blinded to intervention versus control. The study team checks adherence weekly and contacts participants to promote adherence as needed. Participants complete web-based self-report measures at baseline, posttest, and follow-up; weekly process measures are also completed. Primary outcomes are a priori set feasibility benchmarks. Secondary outcomes are stress, emotional distress, sleep disturbance, caregiver burden, mindfulness, awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. We will calculate 1-sided 95% CI to assess feasibility benchmarks. Effect sizes of change in outcomes will be used to examine the proof of concept. RESULTS Recruitment started on February 20, 2023. We have enrolled 27 caregivers (HMP: n=14; WA: n=13) as of June 2023. Funding began in August 2022, and we plan to finish enrollment by December 2023. Data analysis is expected to begin in May 2024 when all follow-ups are complete; publication of findings will follow. CONCLUSIONS Through this trial, we aim to establish feasibility benchmarks for HMP and WA, as well as establish a proof of concept that HMP improves stress (primary quantitative outcome), emotional distress, sleep, and mindfulness more than WA. Results will inform a future efficacy trial (NIH stage II). HMP has the potential to be a cost-effective solution to reduce stress in caregivers of persons with ADRD, benefiting caregiver health and quality of care as well as patient care. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05732038; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05732038. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/50108.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Woodworth
- Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ellie A Briskin
- Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Evan Plys
- Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Eric Macklin
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Jennifer Huberty
- Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Ana-Maria Vranceanu
- Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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Ridge D, Bullock L, Causer H, Fisher T, Hider S, Kingstone T, Gray L, Riley R, Smyth N, Silverwood V, Spiers J, Southam J. 'Imposter participants' in online qualitative research, a new and increasing threat to data integrity? Health Expect 2023; 26:941-944. [PMID: 36797816 PMCID: PMC10154888 DOI: 10.1111/hex.13724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Damien Ridge
- School of Social Sciences, College of Liberal Arts & SciencesUniversity of WestminsterLondonUK
| | - Laurna Bullock
- School of MedicineKeele UniversityNewcastle under Lyme & StaffordshireUK
| | - Hilary Causer
- School of Health SciencesUniversity of SurreyGuildfordUK
| | - Tamsin Fisher
- School of MedicineKeele UniversityNewcastle under Lyme & StaffordshireUK
| | - Samantha Hider
- School of MedicineKeele UniversityNewcastle under Lyme & StaffordshireUK
- Haywood Rheumatology CentreMidlands Partnership NHS Foundation TrustStoke‐on‐TrentUK
| | - Tom Kingstone
- School of MedicineKeele UniversityNewcastle under Lyme & StaffordshireUK
| | - Lauren Gray
- School of MedicineKeele UniversityNewcastle under Lyme & StaffordshireUK
- Research and InnovationMidlands Partnership NHS Foundation TrustStaffordUK
| | - Ruth Riley
- School of Health SciencesUniversity of SurreyGuildfordUK
| | - Nina Smyth
- School of Social Sciences, College of Liberal Arts & SciencesUniversity of WestminsterLondonUK
| | | | - Johanna Spiers
- School of Health SciencesUniversity of SurreyGuildfordUK
| | - Jane Southam
- School of MedicineKeele UniversityNewcastle under Lyme & StaffordshireUK
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Lape EC, Powers JM, Hooker JE, Edwards RR, Ditre JW. Benzodiazepine Use and Dependence in Relation to Chronic Pain Intensity and Pain Catastrophizing. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2023; 24:345-355. [PMID: 36243316 PMCID: PMC9898110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2022.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Benzodiazepines (BZDs), a class of sedative-hypnotic medications, generated concern as their popularity grew, with particular alarm regarding elevated rates of BZD use among chronic pain populations. Consistent with negative reinforcement/motivational models of substance use, desire for pain alleviation may motivate BZD use. Yet, little is known about relations between pain and addiction-relevant BZD use processes. This cross-sectional survey study aimed to: a) test associations between pain intensity and clinically relevant BZD use patterns, and b) examine the role of pain catastrophizing in hypothesized pain-BZD relations. Participants included 306 adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain and a current BZD prescription who completed an online survey study (Mage = 38.7, 38.9% female). Results indicated that pain intensity was positively associated with past-month BZD use frequency, BZD dependence severity, and likelihood of endorsing BZD misuse behaviors (ps < .05). Pain catastrophizing was positively associated with BZD dependence/likelihood of BZD misuse, covarying for pain intensity (P < .05). These findings build upon an emerging literature by highlighting positive covariation of pain intensity and pain catastrophizing with addiction-relevant BZD use behaviors. Results underscore the need to further investigate high-risk BZD use among individuals with chronic pain, with and without concurrent opioid use, to inform prevention/intervention efforts. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents findings on cross-sectional associations of pain intensity and pain catastrophizing with clinically relevant benzodiazepine (BZD) use outcomes, including dependence and misuse, among individuals with chronic pain. Findings help elucidate the higher burden of BZD misuse/dependence in chronic pain populations and suggest that pain relief may be a common, yet under recognized, self-reported motivation for taking BZDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma C Lape
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Jessica M Powers
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Julia E Hooker
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Robert R Edwards
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joseph W Ditre
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York.
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8
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Ademu LO, Gao J, de Assis JR, Uduebor A, Atawodi O. Taking a Shot: The Impact of Information Frames and Channels on Vaccination Willingness in a Pandemic. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11010137. [PMID: 36679982 PMCID: PMC9862311 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The reluctance of people to receive safe and recommended available vaccines is a well-documented public health challenge. As information and communication technologies evolve, this challenge gets more complex and even harder to manage during complex public health situations. In this experimental study, we examine the relationship between vaccine information frames (with scientific information vs. without scientific information) and channels (through government vs. religious organizations) and vaccination willingness in the U.S. in the context of a pandemic. Additionally, we evaluate the interaction between vaccine skepticism, vaccine information frames, and vaccine information channels on vaccination willingness. This experimental study uses data from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTURK) to evaluate the relationships between vaccine skepticism, vaccine information frames, and channels on vaccination willingness. We find that contrary to our hypothesis, a vaccine advisory framed with scientific information decreases people's vaccination willingness compared to one framed without scientific information. Additionally, the impact of framing on vaccination willingness is conditioned on participants' skepticism-participants who hold skepticism toward the vaccine but received information framed with scientific information score significantly higher in vaccination willingness compared to participants who do not hold skepticism toward a vaccine. The results suggest that the factors impacting vaccination willingness are complex and nuanced. Thus, policymakers should be more strategic with the delivery of vaccination information, especially during complex health crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian O. Ademu
- Public Policy Program, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA
| | - Jingjing Gao
- Texas A&M AgriLife Center in El Paso, Texas A&M University, El Paso, TX 79927, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Janine Rangel de Assis
- Public Policy Program, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA
| | - Aanuoluwapo Uduebor
- Public Policy Program, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28262, USA
| | - Ojonoka Atawodi
- Department of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite billions of dollars spent on opioid policy initiatives, public knowledge of evidence-based policies to reduce opioid-related morbidity remain low. Consequences of this knowledge gap for support of initiatives remains understudied. Our objective was to evaluate how participants with and without lived experience allocate funding for initiatives to address the opioid epidemic. A secondary objective was to collect proof-of-concept data of an informational intervention designed to improve support for evidence-based policies. METHODS Participants (N = 284; 57.2% female) without lifetime nonmedical opioid use (n = 98) and those with lifetime use (past year [n = 81] or nonpast year [n = 105]) of nonmedical opioids were recruited. All participants reported how they would allocate funds to demand reduction, supply reduction, harm reduction, and treatment policies. Half of all participants were then randomized to a brief informational intervention designed to emphasize evidence-based harm reduction and treatment programs. RESULTS Funding allocations were highest for policies related to community services and treatment and lowest for those related to harm reduction. Participants with lived experience allocated less to supply reduction policies. Participants (12%) who reallocated funds after information exposure increased funding to supervised consumption sites, dz = 0.77, naloxone distribution, dz = 0.85, syringe exchange programs, dz = 0.63, and medications for opioid use disorder access, dz = 0.70. CONCLUSIONS This study illustrates how people with and without lived experience prioritize various policies to address the opioid epidemic and emphasize comparably low support for harm reduction policies. Proof-of-concept data suggest that brief informational interventions may increase funding support for harm reduction strategies, at least in a subset of people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Grant Victor
- Center for Behavioral Health and Justice, School of Social Work, Wayne State University, 5447 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Bradley Ray
- Center for Behavioral Health and Justice, School of Social Work, Wayne State University, 5447 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
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McDade JE, Deming HC, Jinks-Chang S, Paulsen MR, Bui AL, Vavilala MS, Rivara FP, Bulger EM. Stop the Bleed Training for High School Students: Guardian Attitudes and Their Association with Prior Trauma. THE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH 2022; 92:345-352. [PMID: 35098532 DOI: 10.1111/josh.13134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading preventable cause of death after injury. Stop the Bleed (STB) is a bleeding control training with proposed expansion into schools. However, the attitudes of guardians, specifically those with past trauma/injury, towards expanding STB into schools are unknown. METHODS A cross-sectional survey evaluated guardian attitudes towards STB training in high schools, and compared responses between guardians based on the experience of prior trauma. Logistic regression models evaluated the association between prior trauma and guardian-reported acceptability of STB training. RESULTS Of 750 guardians who received the survey, 484 (64.5%) responded. Most guardians (95.3%) wanted their child trained. Few (4.2%) felt this training would be harmful; 44.9% felt their child might be held responsible if something went wrong, and 28.4% reported it might be too scary for their child. In adjusted models, guardians with prior trauma were more likely to want their child trained (odds ratio [OR] = 3.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-15.50), and identify STB as important to them (OR = 4.07, 95% CI 1.66-12.26). CONCLUSION Our results support STB training in high schools, and guardians with a trauma history may be more likely to want their child trained. Further work to understand the perceived potential harm, and work to design trauma-informed first-response trainings is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E McDade
- Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellow , Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, University of Washington. 4800 Sandpoint Way, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Hannah C Deming
- Chief Pediatric Resident, , Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington. 4800 Sandpoint Way, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Samara Jinks-Chang
- Chief Pediatric Resident, , Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington. 4800 Sandpoint Way, 98105, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Maria R Paulsen
- Trauma Outreach Education Coordinator, , Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center and Department of Surgery, University of Washington. 325 9th Avenue, MS 359796, Seattle, WA 98104
| | - Anthony L Bui
- Pediatric Resident, , Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington. 4800 Sandpoint Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Monica S Vavilala
- Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and Pediatrics; Adjunct Professor, , Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health; Director, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington. 325 9th Avenue, Box 359960, Seattle, WA 98104
| | - Frederick P Rivara
- Professor, Department of Pediatrics; Professor, Department of Epidemiology; Co-director, , Harborview Firearm Injury Policy and Research Program, University of Washington. 325 9th Avenue, Box 359960, Seattle, Washington, 98104; Children's Hospital Guild Association Endowed Chair in Pediatric Health Outcomes Research, Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Hospital; 4800 Sandpoint Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
| | - Eileen M Bulger
- Professor, Division of Trauma, Burn, and Critical Care Surgery; Chief of Trauma, , Harborview Medical Center; Core Faculty, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, University of Washington; 325 9th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
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11
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Strickland JC, Reed DD, Hursh SR, Schwartz LP, Foster RNS, Gelino BW, LeComte RS, Oda FS, Salzer AR, Schneider TD, Dayton L, Latkin C, Johnson MW. Behavioral economic methods to inform infectious disease response: Prevention, testing, and vaccination in the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0258828. [PMID: 35045071 PMCID: PMC8769299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of human behavior to thwart transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is evident. Psychological and behavioral science are key areas to understand decision-making processes underlying engagement in preventive health behaviors. Here we adapt well validated methods from behavioral economic discounting and demand frameworks to evaluate variables (e.g., delay, cost, probability) known to impact health behavior engagement. We examine the contribution of these mechanisms within a broader response class of behaviors reflecting adherence to public health recommendations made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four crowdsourced samples (total N = 1,366) completed individual experiments probing a response class including social (physical) distancing, facemask wearing, COVID-19 testing, and COVID-19 vaccination. We also measure the extent to which choice architecture manipulations (e.g., framing, opt-in/opt-out) may promote (or discourage) behavior engagement. We find that people are more likely to socially distance when specified activities are framed as high risk, that facemask use during social interaction decreases systematically with greater social relationship, that describing delay until testing (rather than delay until results) increases testing likelihood, and that framing vaccine safety in a positive valence improves vaccine acceptance. These findings collectively emphasize the flexibility of methods from diverse areas of behavioral science for informing public health crisis management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Derek D. Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Steven R. Hursh
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Lindsay P. Schwartz
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Rachel N. S. Foster
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Brett W. Gelino
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Robert S. LeComte
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Fernanda S. Oda
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Allyson R. Salzer
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Tadd D. Schneider
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Lauren Dayton
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Carl Latkin
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Matthew W. Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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12
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Rung JM, Almog S, Ferreiro AV, Berry MS. Using Crowdsourcing for Alcohol and Nicotine Use Research: Prevalence, Data Quality, and Attrition on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Subst Use Misuse 2022; 57:857-866. [PMID: 35258409 PMCID: PMC9157393 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2022.2046096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundGauging the feasibility of using Amazon Mechanical Turk ® (MTurk) for various types of substance use research is precluded by a lack of information pertaining to the recruitment process in published studies utilizing it and concurrent information on data quality. ObjectiveThe present report addressed this gap by documenting the prevalence of alcohol and nicotine use, self-reported major health conditions, and information on data quality and retention on MTurk. Individuals 21 to 90 years old (N = 1101, Mdn age = 30) with United States-based MTurk accounts completed a stand-alone screening survey. The screening consisted of basic demographic, substance use, and physical/mental health questions, as well as items to gauge language proficiency/attention (i.e., data quality). ResultsPoor quality data was infrequent (6.5% of participants) and associated with self-reported non-United States residence, affirmative responding (e.g., currently pregnant, using both alcohol and nicotine), and other response characteristics (e.g., not disclosing health conditions). Among those passing quality checks, alcohol and nicotine use were relatively common (71.5% and 24.8%). Major physical (6.3%) and mental health conditions (14.8%) were less common. Despite not sending direct invitations, most eligible participants returned to and completed the main study (81.7%). Conclusions/Importance: Alcohol and nicotine use were relatively common among MTurk workers and retention rates were high. Together with the low prevalence of poor quality data, MTurk appears to remain a fruitful platform for substance use research; although researchers must be diligent in using appropriate screening tools, as substance use was sometimes associated with poor data quality and MTurk account information may not be reliable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M Rung
- Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Shahar Almog
- Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Andrea Vásquez Ferreiro
- Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Meredith S Berry
- Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Israel T, Goodman JA, Merrill CRS, Lin YJ, Kary KG, Matsuno E, Choi AY. Reducing Internalized Homonegativity: Refinement and Replication of an Online Intervention for Gay Men. JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2021; 68:2393-2409. [PMID: 33001000 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2020.1804262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We refined and replicated an efficacious brief intervention to reduce internalized homonegativity (IH) with a sample of gay and exclusively same-sex attracted men recruited from outside of LGBT community networks using Amazon Mechanical Turk. We sought to 1) determine if levels of IH differed between the original study's community-based sample and our non-community-based sample, 2) examine the efficacy of the replicated intervention, and 3) assess for longitudinal effects of the intervention at a 30-day follow-up. Four hundred eighty-four participants completed either the intervention or a stress management control condition. Mean levels of IH were higher in the current sample compared with the earlier study's community sample. The intervention was efficacious at reducing global IH, reducing personal homonegativity, and increasing gay affirmation. Ninety-six participants completed the follow-up; follow-up results were not significant and may have been affected by high rates of attrition. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Israel
- Department of Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Joshua A Goodman
- Department of Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Caitlin R S Merrill
- Department of Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Yen-Jui Lin
- Counseling and Psychological Services, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Krishna G Kary
- Department of Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Em Matsuno
- Department of Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Andrew Young Choi
- Department of Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
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Hilton LG, Coulter ID, Ryan GW, Hays RD. Comparing the Recruitment of Research Participants With Chronic Low Back Pain Using Amazon Mechanical Turk With the Recruitment of Patients From Chiropractic Clinics: A Quasi-Experimental Study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2021; 44:601-611. [PMID: 35728997 PMCID: PMC11238473 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare the crowdsourcing platform Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) with in-person recruitment and web-based surveys as a method to (1) recruit study participants and (2) obtain low-cost data quickly from chiropractic patients with chronic low back pain in the United States. METHODS In this 2-arm quasi-experimental study, we used in-person clinical sampling and web-based surveys from a separate study (RAND sample, n = 1677, data collected October 2016 to January 2017) compared with MTurk (n = 310, data collected November 2016) as a sampling and data collection tool. We gathered patient-reported health outcomes and other characteristics of adults with chronic low back pain receiving chiropractic care. Parametric and nonparametric tests were run. We assessed statistical and practical differences based on P values and effect sizes, respectively. RESULTS Compared with the RAND sample, the MTurk sample was statistically significantly younger (mean age 35.4 years, SD 9.7 vs 48.9, SD 14.8), made less money (24% vs 17% reported less than $30,000 annual income), and reported worst mental health than the RAND sample. Other differences were that the MTurk sample had more men (37% vs 29%), fewer White patients (87% vs 92%), more Hispanic patients (9% vs 5%), fewer people with a college degree (59% vs 68%), and patients were more likely to be working full time (62% vs 58%). The MTurk sample was more likely to have chronic low back pain (78% vs 66%) that differed in pain frequency and duration. The MTurk sample had less disability and better global health scores. In terms of efficiency, the surveys cost $2.50 per participant in incentives for the MTurk sample. Survey development took 2 weeks and data collection took 1 month. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that there may be differences between crowdsourcing and a clinic-based sample. These differences range from small to medium on demographics and self-reported health. The low incentive costs and rapid data collection of MTurk makes it an economically viable method of collecting data from chiropractic patients with low back pain. Further research is needed to explore the utility of MTurk for recruiting clinical samples, such as comparisons to nationally representative samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara G Hilton
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ian D Coulter
- RAND Corporation, Health Division, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Gery W Ryan
- Kaiser Permanente Tyson Medical School, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ron D Hays
- Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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15
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Quality control questions on Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk): A randomized trial of impact on the USAUDIT, PHQ-9, and GAD-7. Behav Res Methods 2021; 54:885-897. [PMID: 34357539 PMCID: PMC8344397 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01665-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Crowdsourced psychological and other biobehavioral research using platforms like Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is increasingly common - but has proliferated more rapidly than studies to establish data quality best practices. Thus, this study investigated whether outcome scores for three common screening tools would be significantly different among MTurk workers who were subject to different sets of quality control checks. We conducted a single-stage, randomized controlled trial with equal allocation to each of four study arms: Arm 1 (Control Arm), Arm 2 (Bot/VPN Check), Arm 3 (Truthfulness/Attention Check), and Arm 4 (Stringent Arm - All Checks). Data collection was completed in Qualtrics, to which participants were referred from MTurk. Subjects (n = 1100) were recruited on November 20-21, 2020. Eligible workers were required to claim U.S. residency, have a successful task completion rate > 95%, have completed a minimum of 100 tasks, and have completed a maximum of 10,000 tasks. Participants completed the US-Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (USAUDIT), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and a screener for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). We found that differing quality control approaches significantly, meaningfully, and directionally affected outcome scores on each of the screening tools. Most notably, workers in Arm 1 (Control) reported higher scores than those in Arms 3 and 4 for all tools, and a higher score than workers in Arm 2 for the PHQ-9. These data suggest that the use, or lack thereof, of quality control questions in crowdsourced research may substantively affect findings, as might the types of quality control items.
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16
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Jordan TR, Yekani HAK, Sheen M. Gendered Perceptions of Odd and Even Numbers: An Implicit Association Study From Arabic Culture. Front Psychol 2021; 12:582769. [PMID: 33967877 PMCID: PMC8096996 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.582769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies conducted in the United States indicate that people associate numbers with gender, such that odd numbers are more likely to be considered male and even numbers considered female. It has been argued that this number gendering phenomenon is acquired through social learning and conditioning, and that male-odd/female-even associations reflect a general, cross-cultural human consensus on gender roles relating to agency and communion. However, the incidence and pattern of number gendering in cultures outside the United States remains to be established. Against this background, the purpose of this study was to determine whether people from a culture and country very different from the United States (specifically, native Arabic citizens living in the Arabic culture of the United Arab Emirates) also associate numbers with gender, and, if they do, whether the pattern of these associations is the male-odd/female-even associations previously observed. To investigate this issue, we adopted the Implicit Association Test used frequently in previous research, where associations between numbers (odd and even) and gender (male and female faces) were examined using male and female Arabic participants native to, and resident in, the United Arab Emirates. The findings indicated that the association of numbers with gender does occur in Arabic culture. But while Arabic females associated odd numbers with male faces and even numbers with female faces (the pattern of previous findings in the United States), Arabic males showed the reversed pattern of gender associations, associating even numbers with male faces and odd numbers with female faces. These findings support the view that number gendering is indeed a cross-cultural phenomenon and show that the phenomenon occurs across very different countries and cultures. But the findings also suggest that the pattern with which numbers are associated with gender is not universal and, instead, reflects culture-specific views on gender roles which may change across cultures and gender. Further implications for understanding the association of numbers with gender across human societies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R Jordan
- Department of Psychology, Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Mercedes Sheen
- Department of Psychology, Heriot-Watt University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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17
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Strickland JC, Reed DD, Hursh SR, Schwartz LP, Foster RN, Gelino BW, LeComte RS, Oda FS, Salzer AR, Schneider TD, Dayton L, Latkin C, Johnson MW. Integrating Operant and Cognitive Behavioral Economics to Inform Infectious Disease Response: Prevention, Testing, and Vaccination in the COVID-19 Pandemic. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2021:2021.01.20.21250195. [PMID: 33532802 PMCID: PMC7852253 DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.20.21250195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The role of human behavior to thwart transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is evident. Yet, many areas of psychological and behavioral science are limited in the ability to mobilize to address exponential spread or provide easily translatable findings for policymakers. Here we describe how integrating methods from operant and cognitive approaches to behavioral economics can provide robust policy relevant data. Adapting well validated methods from behavioral economic discounting and demand frameworks, we evaluate in four crowdsourced samples (total N = 1,366) behavioral mechanisms underlying engagement in preventive health behaviors. We find that people are more likely to social distance when specified activities are framed as high risk, that describing delay until testing (rather than delay until results) increases testing likelihood, and that framing vaccine safety in a positive valence improves vaccine acceptance. These findings collectively emphasize the flexibility of methods from diverse areas of behavioral science for informing public health crisis management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, US
| | - Derek D. Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Steven R. Hursh
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Lindsay P. Schwartz
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Rachel N.S. Foster
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Brett W. Gelino
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Robert S. LeComte
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Fernanda S. Oda
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Allyson R. Salzer
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Tadd D. Schneider
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Lauren Dayton
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, US
| | - Carl Latkin
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, US
| | - Matthew W. Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, US
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18
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Further investigation of the effects of wearing the hijab: Perception of female facial attractiveness by Emirati Muslim men living in their native Muslim country. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239419. [PMID: 33085663 PMCID: PMC7577463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The hijab is central to the lives of Muslim women across the world but little is known about the actual effects exerted by this garment on perceptions of the wearer. Indeed, while previous research has suggested that wearing the hijab may affect the physical attractiveness of women, the actual effect of wearing the hijab on perceptions of female facial attractiveness by Muslim men in a Muslim country is largely unknown. Accordingly, this study investigated the effects of the hijab on female facial attractiveness perceived by practising Muslim men living in their native Muslim country (the United Arab Emirates). Participants were presented with frontal-head images of women shown in three conditions: in the fully covered condition, heads were completely covered by the hijab except for the face; in the partially covered condition, heads were completely covered by the hijab except for the face and areas around the forehead and each side of the face and head; in the uncovered condition, heads had no covering at all. The findings revealed that faces where heads were uncovered or partially covered were rated as equally attractive, and both were rated as substantially more attractive than faces where heads were fully covered. Thus, while wearing the hijab can suppress female facial attractiveness to men, these findings suggest that not all hijab wearing has this effect, and female facial attractiveness for practising Muslim men living in their native Muslim country may not be reduced simply by wearing this garment. Indeed, from the findings we report, slight changes to the positioning of the hijab (the partially covered condition) produce perceptions of facial attractiveness that are no lower than when no hijab is worn, and this may have important implications for wearing the hijab in Muslim societies. Finally, we argue that the pattern of effects we observed is not explained by anti-Islamic feeling or cultural endogamy, and that a major contributory factor is that being fully covered by the hijab occludes external features, especially the hair and lateral parts of the head and face, which, when normally visible, provide a substantial perceptual contribution to human facial attractiveness.
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Schild C, Lilleholt L, Zettler I. Behavior in cheating paradigms is linked to overall approval rates of crowdworkers. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Schild
- Department of Psychology University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
- Department of Psychology University of Siegen Siegen Germany
| | - Lau Lilleholt
- Department of Psychology University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Ingo Zettler
- Department of Psychology University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
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20
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Strickland JC, Bergeria CL. Contribution of alcohol- and cigarette-related cues to concurrent reinforcer choice in humans. Behav Processes 2020; 176:104124. [PMID: 32305455 PMCID: PMC7283006 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Drug-related cues have been extensively studied for their contributions to decision-making processes involving drug consumption. Less studied is how drug-related stimuli may impact decisions involving outcomes not directly related to substance use. Studies using concurrent choice tasks have demonstrated that cocaine and cannabis cues result in robust and selective biases for monetary reinforcers contiguous with those cues. The purpose of this study was to provide a conceptual replication of these findings with alcohol and cigarettes. Participants recruited using crowdsourcing completed a cued concurrent choice task involving presentation of two cues (one drug and one neutral) followed by concurrent monetary offers below each image. Alcohol (Experiment 1; N = 103) and cigarette (Experiment 2; N = 256) visual cues were evaluated. Participants with hazardous alcohol use and current cigarette use showed greater-than-indifference selection for the alcohol- (p = .004) and cigarette-cued (p = .02) monetary choices, respectively. Qualitative responses indicated that the most popular rationale for responding was "image quality" despite images having no explicit impact on the reinforcer received. Low alcohol use (p = .03) and non-cigarette using controls (p < .001) showed an avoidance bias with lower-than-indifference selection for drug-cued choices. These findings replicate and extend observations that spatially contiguous drug-related cues can bias decisions involving concurrently presented non-drug reinforcers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Cecilia L Bergeria
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Assessment of anxiety in older adults: psychometric properties and relationships with self-reported functional impairment. Int Psychogeriatr 2020; 32:505-513. [PMID: 31455449 DOI: 10.1017/s1041610219001145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The current study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of two geriatric anxiety measures: the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) and the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS). This study also aimed to determine the relationships of these measures with two measures of functional ability and impairment: the Barkley Functional Impairment Scale (BFIS) and the Everyday Cognition Scale (E-Cog). DESIGN Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were used to analyze the factor structures of the GAI and GAS in older adults. Tests for dependent correlations were used to examine the relationship between anxiety scales and functioning. SETTING Amazon's Mechanical Turk. PARTICIPANTS 348 participants (aged 55-85, M= 62.75 (4.8), 66.5% female) with no history of psychosis or traumatic brain injury. RESULTS CFAs supported the previously demonstrated bifactor solution for the GAI. For the GAS, the previously demonstrated three-factor model demonstrated a good-to-excellent fit. Given the high correlation between the cognitive and affective factors (r =.89), a bifactor solution was also tested. The bifactor model of the GAS was found to be primarily unidimensional. Tests for dependent correlations revealed that the GAS demonstrated stronger relationships with measures of self-reported functional impairment than the GAI. CONCLUSIONS The current study provides further psychometric validation of the factor structure of two geriatric anxiety measures in an older adult sample. The results support previous work completed on the GAI and the GAS. The GAS was more strongly correlated with self-reported functional impairment than the GAI, which may reflect differences in content in the two measures.
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Cole DA, Nick EA, Varga G, Smith D, Zelkowitz RL, Ford MA, Lédeczi Á. Are Aspects of Twitter Use Associated with Reduced Depressive Symptoms? The Moderating Role of In-Person Social Support. CYBERPSYCHOLOGY BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL NETWORKING 2020; 22:692-699. [PMID: 31697601 DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2019.0035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
In a two-wave, 4-month longitudinal study of 308 adults, two hypotheses were tested regarding the relation of Twitter-based measures of online social media use and in-person social support with depressive thoughts and symptoms. For four of five measures, Twitter use by in-person social support interactions predicted residualized change in depression-related outcomes over time; these results supported a corollary of the social compensation hypothesis that social media use is associated with greater benefits for people with lower in-person social support. In particular, having a larger Twitter social network (i.e., following and being followed by more people) and being more active in that network (i.e., sending and receiving more tweets) are especially helpful to people who have lower levels of in-person social support. For the fifth measure (the sentiment of Tweets), no interaction emerged; however, a beneficial main effect offset the adverse main effect of low in-person social support.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Cole
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Elizabeth A Nick
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Gergely Varga
- Department of Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Darcy Smith
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Rachel L Zelkowitz
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Mallory A Ford
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Ákos Lédeczi
- Department of Computer Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
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Arkenau R, Vocks S, Taube CO, Waldorf M, Hartmann AS. The Body Image Matrix of Thinness and Muscularity—Male Bodies: Development and validation of a new figure rating scale for body image in men. J Clin Psychol 2020; 76:1283-1292. [DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rike Arkenau
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Osnabrück University Osnabrück Germany
| | - Silja Vocks
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Osnabrück University Osnabrück Germany
| | - Christoph O. Taube
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Osnabrück University Osnabrück Germany
| | - Manuel Waldorf
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Osnabrück University Osnabrück Germany
| | - Andrea S. Hartmann
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Osnabrück University Osnabrück Germany
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24
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Pautassi RM, Pilatti A. Tackling deceptive responding during eligibility via content-knowledge questionnaires. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2020; 46:141-142. [PMID: 31961760 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2020.1712723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Marcos Pautassi
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-UNC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Angelina Pilatti
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, IIPSI, Unidad Ejecutora CONICET. Córdoba, Argentina
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25
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Strickland JC, Victor GA. Leveraging crowdsourcing methods to collect qualitative data in addiction science: Narratives of non-medical prescription opioid, heroin, and fentanyl use. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2020; 75:102587. [PMID: 31751813 PMCID: PMC6957729 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Online crowdsourcing methods have proved useful for studies of diverse designs in the behavioral and addiction sciences. The remote and online setting of crowdsourcing research may provide easier access to unique participant populations and improved comfort for these participants in sharing sensitive health or behavioral information. To date, few studies have evaluated the use of qualitative research methods on crowdsourcing platforms and even fewer have evaluated the quality of data gathered. The purpose of the present analysis was to document the feasibility and validity of using crowdsourcing techniques for collecting qualitative data among people who use drugs. METHODS Participants (N = 60) with a history of non-medical prescription opioid use with transition to heroin or fentanyl use were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk). A battery of qualitative questions was included indexing beliefs and behaviors surrounding opioid use, transition pathways to heroin and/or fentanyl use, and drug-related contacts with structural institutions (e.g., health care, criminal justice). RESULTS Qualitative data recruitment was feasible as evidenced by the rapid sampling of a relatively large number of participants from diverse geographic regions. Computerized text analysis indicated high ratings of authenticity for the provided narratives. These authenticity percentiles were higher than the average of general normative writing samples as well as than those collected in experimental settings. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the feasibility and quality of qualitative data collected in online settings, broadly, and crowdsourced settings, specifically. Future work among people who use drugs may leverage crowdsourcing methods and the access to hard-to-sample populations to complement existing studies in the human laboratory and clinic as well as those using other digital technology methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224-6823, United States.
| | - Grant A Victor
- Center for Behavioral Health and Justice, Wayne State University School of Social Work, 5201 Cass Ave, Detroit, Michigan, 48202, United States
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26
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Strickland JC, Stoops WW. Utilizing content-knowledge questionnaires to assess study eligibility and detect deceptive responding. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2019; 46:149-157. [PMID: 31810399 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2019.1689990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Background: Deceptive responding during eligibility screening presents a significant concern for assessing inclusion/exclusion criteria. This problem is compounded in settings for which biomarkers or other objective verification (e.g., urinalysis) are not feasible.Objectives: Introduce and describe content-knowledge questionnaires as an objective method for collaterally assessing study eligibility.Methods: Participants (N = 3772; 66.1% female) recruited using the crowdsourcing resource Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) completed a Cannabis Knowledge Questionnaire (CKQ). The CKQ contained four-items indexing knowledge of typical cannabis costs, weights, and terminology. Self-reported cannabis use history was collected and compared to individual item and total scale scores. A separate in-laboratory assessment evaluated participants during in-person screening for cannabis, alcohol, and cocaine research protocols (N = 43).Results: Good internal consistency (α = .74) was observed. The most common correctly answered question was about dabbing (41.4%) followed by cannabis cost (37.6%), hybrid strains (36.6%), and estimated weight (29.7%). Current cannabis use was associated with large effect size increases in the rate of correct responses (RR = 3.64) as well as odds of a correct response on individual items (OR = 5.88-21.48). In the laboratory study, participants with a positive urine drug test for cannabis or those reporting lifetime regular cannabis use scored higher than those without this history (RR = 1.89-2.61).Conclusion: These findings highlight the efficiency and efficacy of including content-knowledge questionnaires for collateral assessment of study eligibility, especially when biomarkers are not possible. Future studies will be useful for extending this initial demonstration to alternative settings and substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - William W Stoops
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.,Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
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27
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Sheen M, Aman Key Yekani H, Jordan TR. Investigating the effect of wearing the hijab: Perception of facial attractiveness by Emirati Muslim women living in their native Muslim country. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199537. [PMID: 30289895 PMCID: PMC6173384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hijab and other forms of Islamic veiling are important social, cultural, and religious symbols that are central to the identity of millions of Muslim women across the world. However, despite the large body of literature that exists on the political and socio-cultural aspects of Islamic veiling, little is known about how the appearance of women wearing the hijab is perceived by other Muslim women within their native Muslim country. To throw light on this important issue, the current study focussed on the effects of the hijab on female facial attractiveness perceived by practising Muslim Emirati women living in their native Muslim country (the United Arab Emirates) who themselves wore the hijab as everyday attire. Participants were shown frontal-head images of women in three different conditions: covered (heads fully covered by the hijab except for the face), partially covered (heads fully covered by the hijab except for the face and the hair around the forehead) and uncovered (heads with no covering). The findings showed that faces in images where heads were covered and partially covered by the hijab were rated as equally attractive but both were rated as significantly less attractive than faces in images where heads were uncovered. These findings suggest that, even for practising Muslim Emirati females living in their native Muslim country for whom wearing the hijab is a normal aspect of everyday life, perception of facial attractiveness is compromised by wearing this garment. We argue that this effect of wearing the hijab is not consistent with a preference for one's own cultural group (cultural endogamy) and may, instead, occur because wearing a hijab occludes external features, such as hair and ears, which normally contribute to the perception of human facial attractiveness. In sum, while wearing the hijab may be dominated by male attitudes towards suppressing female attractiveness towards males, the findings from this study suggest that female Muslims too perceive the negative influence of wearing the hijab on female facial attractiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Timothy R. Jordan
- Department of Psychology, Middle East Technical University, Northern Cyprus Campus, Northern Cyprus
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