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Response Options (response + option)
Selected AbstractsCutaneous allodynia in the migraine populationANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 2 2008Richard B. Lipton MD Objective To develop and validate a questionnaire for assessing cutaneous allodynia (CA), and to estimate the prevalence and severity of CA in the migraine population. Methods Migraineurs (n = 11,388) completed the Allodynia Symptom Checklist, assessing the frequency of allodynia symptoms during headache. Response options were never (0), rarely (0), less than 50% of the time (1), ,50% of the time (2), and none (0). We used item response theory to explore how well each item discriminated CA. The relations of CA to headache features were examined. Results All 12 questions had excellent item properties. The greatest discrimination occurred with CA during "taking a shower" (discrimination = 2.54), wearing a necklace (2.39) or ring (2.31), and exposure to heat (2.1) or cold (2.0). The factor analysis demonstrated three factors: thermal, mechanical static, and mechanical dynamic. Based on the psychometrics, we developed a scale distinguishing no CA (scores 0,2), mild (3,5), moderate (6,8), and severe (,9). The prevalence of allodynia among migraineurs was 63.2%. Severe CA occurred in 20.4% of migraineurs. CA was associated with migraine defining features (eg, unilateral pain: odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.0,2.4; throbbing pain: odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.1,2.6; nausea: odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.1,2.6), as well as illness duration, attack frequency, and disability. Interpretation The Allodynia Symptom Checklist measures overall allodynia and subtypes. CA affects 63% of migraineurs in the population and is associated with frequency, severity, disability, and associated symptoms of migraine. CA maps onto migraine biology. Ann Neurol 2007 [source] Perceived psychosocial job stress and sleep bruxism among male and female workersCOMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND ORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 3 2008Akinori Nakata Abstract,,, Objective:, Psychosocial job stress has been associated with sleep disturbances, but its association with sleep bruxism (SB), the stereotype movement disorder related to sleep, is not well understood. The aim of this epidemiological study was to examine the relationship between psychosocial job stress and SB. Methods:, 1944 male and 736 female factory workers participated in this study (response rate 78.1%). Perceived job stress was evaluated with the Japanese version of the generic job stress questionnaire, which covered 13 job stress variables. SB was assessed by the question, ,Do you grind or clench your teeth during your sleep or has anyone in your family told you that you grind your teeth during your sleep?' Response options were ,never', ,seldom', ,sometimes' or ,often'. SB was considered present if the answer was ,sometimes' or ,often'. Results:, Overall, 30.9% of males and 20.2% of females reported SB. In males, workers with low social support from supervisors [odds ratio (OR) = 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08,1.68] or from colleagues (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.17,1.83), and high depressive symptoms (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.26,2.03) had a significantly increased risk of SB after controlling for confounders. By contrast, no significant association was found in females. Conclusions:, We conclude that SB is weakly associated with some aspects of job stress in men but not in women among the Japanese working population. [source] Probabilistically Valid Inference of Covariation From a Single x,y Observation When Univariate Characteristics Are KnownCOGNITIVE SCIENCE - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, Issue 2 2009Michael E. Doherty Abstract Participants were asked to draw inferences about correlation from single x,y observations. In Experiment 1 statistically sophisticated participants were given the univariate characteristics of distributions of x and y and asked to infer whether a single x, y observation came from a correlated or an uncorrelated population. In Experiment 2, students with a variety of statistical backgrounds assigned posterior probabilities to five possible populations based on single x, y observations, again given knowledge of the univariate statistics. In Experiment 3, statistically naïve participants were given a problem analogous to that given in Experiment 1, framed verbally. Experiment 4 replicated Experiment 3 but added an "impossible to determine" response option. Models that rely on computing sample correlations make no predictions about these investigations. From a Bayesian perspective, participants' inferences in all four experiments tended to make probabilistically valid inferences as long as the single datum was directional. The results are discussed in light of the Brunswikian notion of vicarious functioning. [source] Models of policy-making and their relevance for drug researchDRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 4 2010ALISON RITTER Abstract Introduction and Aims. Researchers are often frustrated by their inability to influence policy. We describe models of policy-making to provide new insights and a more realistic assessment of research impacts on policy. Design and Methods. We describe five prominent models of policy-making and illustrate them with examples from the alcohol and drugs field, before drawing lessons for researchers. Results. Policy-making is a complex and messy process, with different models describing different elements. We start with the incrementalist model, which highlights small amendments to policy, as occurs in school-based drug education. A technical/rational approach then outlines the key steps in a policy process from identification of problems and their causes, through to examination and choice of response options, and subsequent implementation and evaluation. There is a clear role for research, as we illustrate with the introduction of new medications, but this model largely ignores the dominant political aspects of policy-making. Such political aspects include the influence of interest groups, and we describe models about power and pressure groups, as well as advocacy coalitions, and the challenges they pose for researchers. These are illustrated with reference to the alcohol industry, and interest group conflicts in establishing a Medically Supervised Injecting Centre. Finally, we describe the multiple streams framework, which alerts researchers to ,windows of opportunity', and we show how these were effectively exploited in policy for cannabis law reform in Western Australia. Discussion and Conclusions. Understanding models of policy-making can help researchers maximise the uptake of their work and advance evidence-informed policy.[Ritter A, Bammer G. Models of policy-making and their relevance for drug research. Drug Alcohol Rev 2010] [source] Effects of Response Format on Difficulty of SAT-Mathematics Items: It's Not the StrategyJOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, Issue 1 2000Irvin R. Katz Problem-solving strategy is frequently cited as mediating the effects of response format (multiple-choice, constructed response) on item difficulty, yet there are few direct investigations of examinee solution procedures. Fifty-five high school students solved parallel constructed response and multiple-choice items that differed only in the presence of response options. Student performance was videotaped to assess solution strategies. Strategies were categorized as "traditional",those associated with constructed response problem solving (e.g., writing and solving algebraic equations),or "nontraditional",those associated with multiple-choice problem solving (e.g., estimating a potential solution). Surprisingly, participants sometimes adopted nontraditional strategies to solve constructed response items. Furthermore, differences in difficulty between response formats did not correspond to differences in strategy choice: some items showed a format effect on strategy but no effect on difficulty; other items showed the reverse. We interpret these results in light of the relative comprehension challenges posed by the two groups of items. [source] Interpreting course evaluation results: insights from thinkaloud interviews with medical studentsMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 10 2004Susan Billings-Gagliardi Purpose, To determine whether some of the fundamental assumptions that frequently underlie interpretation of course evaluation results are justified by investigating what medical students are thinking as they complete a typical basic science course evaluation. Methods, A total of 24 students participated in thinkaloud cognitive interviews, voicing their thoughts while completing a typical evaluation instrument that included items on overall course design, educational materials and methods, and faculty teaching. Students' responses were organised to consider how they interpreted questions, formed judgements and selected response options. Major themes relevant to the meaningful interpretation of course evaluation data were identified. Results, Medical students understood educational terms such as ,independent learning' in different ways from both one another and common usage. When formulating responses, students' judgements were sometimes based on unique or unexpected criteria, and they described editing their judgements by considering factors such as effort or caring on the part of teaching faculty. Students tended to avoid using the lower end of the rating scale, used the highest rating option selectively, but chose the second highest category indiscriminately. Conclusions, These results call into question fundamental assumptions that frequently underlie interpretation of course evaluation results, such as whether students understand the intended meanings of terms used in items; whether faculty members who receive the same rating are perceived similarly; whether ratings actually reflect teaching effectiveness, and whether ,positive' ratings reflect positive opinions. This study also demonstrates how thinkaloud interviews can be used in validity studies, providing information to supplement statistical and psychometric analyses. [source] The use of the comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for low back pain in clinical practice: a reliability studyPHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2009Roger Hilfiker Abstract Background and Purpose.,The comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for low back pain (LBP) can be used to describe functioning and the influence of the environment of patients with LBP with a selection of 78 categories, from the ICF components ,body functions', ,body structures', ,activities and participation' and ,environmental factors'. The reliability of the qualifiers' scale of the ICF Core Set for LBP has not yet been studied.,Methods.,Reliability study was conducted in three study centres in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. In the first step, two physiotherapists independently assessed 31 patients with LBP with the original qualifier scale of the 78 ICF categories from the comprehensive ICF Core Set for LBP. After the first 31 patients, inter-rater reliability was assessed and the response options were reduced based on a Rasch analysis. The second sample (n = 30) was assessed by the physiotherapists with the modified qualifier scale and inter-rater reliability was calculated again.,Results.,The percentage agreement for the ICF categories ranged from 19% to 87%, mean 44% (nominal kappa from ,0.73 to 0.54, median 0.22; weighted kappa ,0.2 to 0.69, median 0.38) in the first round with the original qualifier scale. In the second round with the reduced response options, the percentage agreement ranged from 23% to 90%, mean 49% (nominal kappa from ,0.15 to 0.71, median 0.24; weighted kappa ,0.16 to 0.81, median 0.25). The overall percentage agreement was 44% in the first round and 49% with the reduced response categories. The overall kappa value in the first round was 0.29 and in the second round 0.32. There was a small but statistically significant improvement in the agreement.,Conclusion.,The low-to-moderate reliability found in this study requires an improved operationalization (e.g. the definition and description of each response category) and improved instructions for the ICF Core Set for LBP. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||