The Trust in Voting Systems (TVS) Measure

It is essential to democracy that voters trust voting systems enough to participate in elections and use these systems. Unfortunately, voter trust has been found to be low in many situations, which could detrimentally impact human-computer interactions in voting. Therefore, it is important to understand the degree to which voters trust any specific voting method. Voting researchers have developed and used measures of overall trust in technology; yet researchers have long argued that trust in systems is domain-specific, implying that system-specific measures should be used instead. To address this latter point, this paper describes the development of a psychometrically reliable and validated instrument called the Trust in Voting Systems (TVS) measure. The TVS not only allows researchers to understand group mean differences in trust across voting systems; it also allows researchers to understand individual differences in trust within systems—all of which collectively serves to inform and improve voting systems.

Beyond Refeeding: The Effect of Including a Dietitian in Eating Disorder Treatment. A Systematic Review

Eating disorders are potentially life-threatening mental health disorders that require management by a multidisciplinary team including medical, psychological and dietetic specialties. This review systematically evaluated the available literature to determine the effect of including a dietitian in outpatient eating disorder (ED) treatment, and to contribute to the understanding of a dietitian’s role in ED treatment. Six databases and Google Scholar were searched for articles that compared treatment outcomes for individuals receiving specialist dietetic treatment with outcomes for those receiving any comparative treatment. Studies needed to be controlled trials where outcomes were measured by a validated instrument (PROSPERO CRD42021224126). The searches returned 16,327 articles, of which 11 articles reporting on 10 studies were included. Two studies found that dietetic intervention significantly improved ED psychopathology, and three found that it did not. Three studies reported that dietetic input improved other psychopathological markers, and three reported that it did not. One consistent finding was that dietetic input improved body mass index/weight and nutritional intake, although only two and three studies reported on each outcome, respectively. A variety of instruments were used to measure each outcome type, making direct comparisons between studies difficult. Furthermore, there was no consistent definition of the dietetic components included, with many containing psychological components. Most studies included were also published over 20 years ago and are now out of date. Further research is needed to develop consistent dietetic guidelines and outcome measures; this would help to clearly define the role of each member of the multidisciplinary team, and particularly the role of dietitians, in ED treatment.

Online Reciprocal Peer Tutoring Approach in Facebook: Measuring Students' Critical Thinking

Critical thinking skills are one of essential employability skills for graduates when entering the workforce. The lack of critical thinking skills among Malaysian graduates is a concern as these skills are important for success in the 21st century. Therefore, this paper aims to study the effects of online reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT) through Facebook discussion on students’ critical thinking. In this study, the online RPT approach in Facebook was used to nurture students to think critically. In RPT, the tutor role is switched between participants in each task, giving equal opportunities to all learners to benefit from the tutor and tutee role. This approach was integrated into their learning for 4 weeks to increase students' critical thinking. During the learning process, they need to involve in 4 critical thinking tasks based on Bloom's taxonomy. 29 undergraduate students from the school of education, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia completed the validated instrument, Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal test (inference, assumption, deduction, interpretation, evaluation arguments) before and after the treatment. The findings show that it is significantly different in making inference (Z=-3.85, p=.000

Dimensionality and homogeneity of the Colombian version of the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire (CCQ-N-10)

Background and aimIt is essential to have a validated instrument to measure craving for cocaine use. However, in Colombia, there is no instrument to screen cocaine craving. The study aimed to determine the homogeneity and dimensionality of the CCQ-N-10 in patients with cocaine use disorder in Colombia.Materials and methodsAn adaptation and subsequent analysis of the psychometric properties of the CCQ-N-10 scale was carried out with 102 hospitalized or outpatient adults diagnosed with substance use disorders in addiction units in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Internal consistency and construct validity were estimated by confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis with scales with similar objectives.ResultsAn omega coefficient of 0.93 was obtained, and adjustment indicators of the confirmatory model were acceptable (RMSEA of 0.08, CFI and TLI of 0.99) when two of the original scale items were removed from the original scale analysis.ConclusionsThis study shows that the craving scale reduced to eight items can be helpful to assess the construct in the Colombian population; However, the small sample size makes it challenging to carry out other analyzes to corroborate its psychometric properties.

Assessment of Burnout, Professional Fulfillment, and Strategies for Improvement in Veterinary Faculty at a Large Academic Department

Retention and recruitment of clinical faculty is crucial for the success of quality veterinary education. Clinical faculty in busy teaching hospital environments have the potential to experience significant burnout, though few studies have focused on identifying stressors in this group. The objective of this study was to measure burnout and professional fulfillment in clinical faculty using a recently validated instrument, the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI). The survey was distributed to faculty in July 2020, a time that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was completed by 80% (52/65) of survey recipients. Scores for Overall Burnout were significantly higher ( p = .027) and Professional Fulfillment scores significantly lower ( p < .001) for veterinary faculty when compared to a reference group of academic physicians. 61.7% (29/47) of the faculty met the criteria for burnout, and 20.4% (10/49) met the criteria for professional fulfillment. Overall Burnout and Professional Fulfillment scores were not affected by faculty rank or gender, although interpersonal disengagement was greater in faculty who had worked > 6 years at the institution ( p = .032). Responses indicated that faculty valued their work and their patients but faced an excessive workload and lacked autonomy to make changes. Faculty proposed improving efficiency, increasing staffing, and distributing work to technical staff. The PFI is a brief, no-cost instrument validated for measuring burnout and fulfillment in health care workers that can be used to assess well-being among veterinary faculty. Involving faculty in suggesting interventions may yield a variety of creative and actionable options.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Lockdown on Anthropometric Parameters in Children 11/12 Years Old

Background: During the great lockdown in Spain due to SARS-CoV-2, in between the months of March and June 2020, dietary and physical activity habits were modified in children. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of the lockdown on anthropometric parameters in children aged 11/12 years. Methods: Fifty Spanish children aged 11/12 years (M = 11.40; SD = 0.50) participated: 33 (66%) boys and 17 (34%) girls. For data collection, we used an anthropometry kit; the Alpha-Fitness Battery, a validated instrument to assess dietary intake, habits and practices; and an ad hoc survey to collect sociodemographic and other data under investigation. Results: There were significant differences in the anthropometric parameters measured and in the results obtained for Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat percentage pre- and post-lockdown in both boys and girls (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in waist-circumference measurements (p > 0.05). Conclusions: There is evidence of a significant impact of the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown on anthropometric parameters in boys and girls aged 11/12 years.

The Blue Survey: Validation of an instrument to measure ocean literacy among adults

Human activities have put the ocean under unprecedented pressure. Still, levels of public understanding about the ocean remain low. Ocean literacy is a global movement that aims to improve the understanding of the ocean and provide an incentive for positive change in people’s behavior. To date, there is no validated scale targeted to adults to measure ocean literacy that includes measuring people’s knowledge about the ocean, as well as surveying their attitudes and willingness to act. The Blue Survey is an online instrument meant to measure ocean literacy in adult populations developed by a multidisciplinary team of experts. Using factor analysis, we explore the validity and internal consistency of the Blue Survey in a purposive online sample of 251 adults. We found ocean literacy to consist of six sub-dimensions captured by 34 survey items, viz. knowledge of ocean-related topics, personal interest in ocean-related aspects, ocean stewardship, ocean as an economic resource, ocean-friendly behavior, and willingness to act responsibly for the ocean. Our analysis resulted in the development of a new validated instrument to measure the various dimensions of ocean literacy. It may help researchers and practitioners to better understand the factors contributing to shaping an ocean-literate person. Further research should assess the validity of the Blue Survey across different populations, including those closely related to the sea, such as maritime professionals.

Teachers’ Regular Supervision and Student Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria

The poor academic performance of students could be as a result of irregular supervision of teachers. The study investigated the relationship between teachers’ regular supervision and student academic performance in public secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey and correlational research were used for the study. The population for this study was 203 schools and 7,538 teachers in public secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Validated instrument titled “Teachers’ Regular Supervision Questionnaire (TRSQ) was employed to collect data from the sample while a profoma was used to obtained data for academic performance of students. The study revealed that there was a positive significant relationship between regular supervision of teachers and student academic performance in public secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study recommended that principals and other internal supervisors should ensure regular supervision of teachers.

The Development of Two Stay-Two Stray Cooperative Learning Instrument on Respiratory System to Improve Scientific Literacy Skills

Science literacy is an ability to understand, communicate science through oral or written, apply and analyze the current scientific issues in society. This study aims to produce a valid, practical, and effective learning tool, and has been carried out using the 4D (Define, Design, Development, and Disseminate) method; however, the Disseminate one wasn’t carried out. The examination was limited in using one group pretest-post test design. The study was conducted within two meetings with 16 who were doing online learning. The data retrieval used a validated instrument. RPP tools with very decent results, LKPD tools (Student Worksheets) with very decent results, and test kits (Pre-test and post-test) with very decent results. As the result, the learning method shows to be very decent, effective, and practical, while the items of the method used are included in the sensitive category ≥0.30.

The Correlation between Sexual Dysfunction and Marital Relationship among Women with Gynaecological Problems

<p>Women with gynaecological problems are at high risk of having sexual dysfunction because the problems could affect the marital relationship and sexual satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between sexual dysfunction and marital relationships in women with gynaecological problems. This study was conducted using a cross-sectional study. The samples were women with gynaecological problems, aged above 18 years old, married, and able to communicate well. Patients with mental disorders were excluded from this study. Convenience sampling was used to select participants. The marital relationship was measured using a validated instrument, namely, Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). A total of 82 women with gynaecological problems joined our study. The majority of the respondents experienced sexual dysfunction (90.2%) and more than half of the respondents (52.4%) experienced distress in marital relationships. There was a relationship between sexual dysfunction and marital relationship among women with gynaecological problems (<em>p</em> value &lt; 0.005) and the coefficient correlation was 0.326. Sexual dysfunction may affect marital relationships in women with gynaecological problems. Healthcare professionals need to provide appropriate intervention to women with gynaecological problems as well as facilitate them to express their sexual activity.</p>