scholarly journals “I Know Things They Don’t Know!”

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 160-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Lantian ◽  
Dominique Muller ◽  
Cécile Nurra ◽  
Karen M. Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Uniqueness Condition ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Need For Uniqueness

Abstract. In the current research, we investigated whether belief in conspiracy theories satisfies people’s need for uniqueness. We found that the tendency to believe in conspiracy theories was associated with the feeling of possessing scarce information about the situations explained by the conspiracy theories (Study 1) and higher need for uniqueness (Study 2). Further two studies using two different manipulations of need for uniqueness (Studies 3 and 4) showed that people in a high need for uniqueness condition displayed higher conspiracy belief than people in a low need for uniqueness condition. This conclusion is strengthened by a small-scale meta-analysis. These studies suggest that conspiracy theories may serve people’s desire to be unique, highlighting a motivational underpinning of conspiracy belief.

scholarly journals “I Know Things They Don’t Know!” The Role of Need for Uniqueness in Belief in Conspiracy Theories

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Lantian ◽  
Dominique Muller ◽  
Cécile Nurra ◽  
Karen Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Uniqueness Condition ◽  
Conspiracy Theories ◽  
Need For Uniqueness

In the current research, we investigated whether belief in conspiracy theories satisfies people’s need for uniqueness. We found that the tendency to believe in conspiracy theories was associated with the feeling of possessing scarce information about the situations explained by the conspiracy theories (Study 1) and higher need for uniqueness (Study 2). A further two studies using two different manipulations of need for uniqueness (Studies 3 and 4), showed that people in a high need for uniqueness condition displayed higher conspiracy belief than people in a low need for uniqueness condition. This conclusion is strengthened by a small-scale meta-analysis. These studies suggest that conspiracy theories may serve people’s desire to be unique, highlighting a motivational underpinning of conspiracy belief.

scholarly journals Beta-binomial models for meta-analysis with binary outcomes: Variations, extensions, and additional insights from econometrics

2021 ◽  
pp. 263208432199622
Author(s):  
Tim Mathes ◽  
Oliver Kuss
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Study ◽  
Count Data ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Binary Outcomes ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Panel Count Data ◽  
Count Data Models ◽  
Meta Analyses

Background Meta-analysis of systematically reviewed studies on interventions is the cornerstone of evidence based medicine. In the following, we will introduce the common-beta beta-binomial (BB) model for meta-analysis with binary outcomes and elucidate its equivalence to panel count data models. Methods We present a variation of the standard “common-rho” BB (BBST model) for meta-analysis, namely a “common-beta” BB model. This model has an interesting connection to fixed-effect negative binomial regression models (FE-NegBin) for panel count data. Using this equivalence, it is possible to estimate an extension of the FE-NegBin with an additional multiplicative overdispersion term (RE-NegBin), while preserving a closed form likelihood. An advantage due to the connection to econometric models is, that the models can be easily implemented because “standard” statistical software for panel count data can be used. We illustrate the methods with two real-world example datasets. Furthermore, we show the results of a small-scale simulation study that compares the new models to the BBST. The input parameters of the simulation were informed by actually performed meta-analysis. Results In both example data sets, the NegBin, in particular the RE-NegBin showed a smaller effect and had narrower 95%-confidence intervals. In our simulation study, median bias was negligible for all methods, but the upper quartile for median bias suggested that BBST is most affected by positive bias. Regarding coverage probability, BBST and the RE-NegBin model outperformed the FE-NegBin model. Conclusion For meta-analyses with binary outcomes, the considered common-beta BB models may be valuable extensions to the family of BB models.

scholarly journals Increasing the efficiency of a Peltier device by assessing the thermal performance of liquid-cooled microchannel heat sinks

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
System Administrator ◽  
Lauren Sharpe ◽  
Navil Burhanuddin ◽  
Tiana Majcan ◽  
Jonathan Rebolledo
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Heat Sinks ◽  
Peltier Effect ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Specific Flow ◽  
Operating Current ◽  
Promising Solution ◽  
Peltier Device ◽  
Vital Resource

Water is, arguably, Earth's most valuable and vital resource. Devices that extract water from the atmosphere have been intensely researched as a means of harvesting potable water in environments where it is otherwise scarce. One such device is a Thermoelectric Cooler (TEC); a device that utilises the Peltier effect to cool a system. TECs are a promising solution for atmospheric water generation (AWG) over their competitors due to their simplicity and refrigeration capabilities. Despite these advantages, TECs are still considered mostly inefficient as they demand relatively high costs and energy consumption. This meta-analysis focuses on optimising the efficiency of small-scale Peltier devices. It explores the means of optimising the liquid cooled heat sink by using a specific flow field microchannel configuration such that less pumping power is required to push the coolant and more energy can be saved. A combination of optimal operating current of the Peltier device and of a novel flow liquid-cooled microchannel heatsink configuration with bifurcated fins using Galinstan as a coolant promises a significant increase in water production per unit of energy consumption for the AWG system.

scholarly journals Is there sufficient evidence regarding signage-based stair use interventions? A sequential meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e012459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Bauman ◽  
Karen Milton ◽  
Maina Kariuki ◽  
Karla Fedel ◽  
Mary Lewicka
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Sufficient Evidence ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Research Translation ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Stair Use

ObjectiveThe proliferation of studies using motivational signs to promote stair use continues unabated, with their oft-cited potential for increasing population-level physical activity participation. This study examined all stair use promotional signage studies since 1980, calculating pre-estimates and post-estimates of stair use. The aim of this project was to conduct a sequential meta-analysis to pool intervention effects, in order to determine when the evidence base was sufficient for population-wide dissemination.DesignUsing comparable data from 50 stair-promoting studies (57 unique estimates) we pooled data to assess the effect sizes of such interventions.ResultsAt baseline, median stair usage across interventions was 8.1%, with an absolute median increase of 2.2% in stair use following signage-based interventions. The overall pooled OR indicated that participants were 52% more likely to use stairs after exposure to promotional signs (adjusted OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.37 to 1.70). Incremental (sequential) meta-analyses using z-score methods identified that sufficient evidence for stair use interventions has existed since 2006, with recent studies providing no further evidence on the effect sizes of such interventions.ConclusionsThis analysis has important policy and practice implications. Researchers continue to publish stair use interventions without connection to policymakers' needs, and few stair use interventions are implemented at a population level. Researchers should move away from repeating short-term, small-scale, stair sign interventions, to investigating their scalability, adoption and fidelity. Only such research translation efforts will provide sufficient evidence of external validity to inform their scaling up to influence population physical activity.

Age-related Deficits in Intentional Memory for Spatial Location in Small-scale Space: A Meta-Analysis and Methodological Critique

1994 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-367
Author(s):  
Pierre Foisy
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Spatial Location ◽  
Scale Space ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Age Related

RÉSUMÉLe but de cette méta-analyse était d'estimer l'effet du vieillissement sur la mémoire intentionnelle de locations dans un espace de petite dimension. Les résultats de 22 études, représentant au total 1 598 sujets, ont été comparés grâce aux indices suivante: (a) d (Cohen, 1988), (b) omega2 (Hays, 1963), et (c) Proportion des sujets classifiés. La méta-analyse suggére que l'effet du vieillissement est «large» (e.g., d moyen de 0.81), et que cet effet est proportionnel au nombre de dimensions de l'espace utilisé. Toutefois, la validité de ces conclusions est incertaine lorsqu'on considére les limites méthodologiques des études recensées. En particulier, moins de la moitié de ces études ont mentionné avoir contrôlé l'effet possible de variables telles que (a) l'acuité visuelle, et (b) la durée de la phase de rappel. Il est proposé que compte de ces variables exogénes.

scholarly journals The effect of reading a short passage of literary fiction on Theory of Mind: A replication of Kidd and Castano (2013)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iris van Kuijk ◽  
Peter Verkoeijen ◽  
Katinka Dijkstra ◽  
Rolf Antonius Zwaan
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Popular Fiction ◽  
Curve Analysis ◽  
Literary Fiction ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Evidential Value

The results reported by Kidd and Castano (2013) indicated that reading a short passage of literary fiction improves theory of mind (ToM) relative to reading popular fiction. However, when we entered Kidd and Castano’s results in a p-curve analysis, it turned out that the evidential value of their findings is low. It is good practice to back up a p-curve analysis of a single paper with an adequately powered direct replication of at least one of the studies in the p-curve analysis. Therefore, we conducted a direct replication of the literary fiction condition and the popular fiction condition from Kidd and Castano’s Experiment 5 to scrutinize the effect of reading literary fiction on ToM. The results of this replication were largely consistent with Kidd and Castano’s original findings. Furthermore, we conducted a small-scale meta-analysis on the findings of the present study, those of Kidd and Castano and those reported in other published direct replications. The meta-analytic effect of reading literary fiction on ToM was small and non-significant but there was considerable heterogeneity between the included studies. The results of the present study and of the small-scale meta-analysis are discussed in the light of reading-times exclusion criteria as well as reliability and validity of ToM measured.

The Effect of Retrieval Practice on Transitive Inference

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (6) ◽  
pp. 377-392
Author(s):  
Milton E. Picklesimer ◽  
Zachary L. Buchin ◽  
Neil W. Mulligan
Keyword(s):  
Testing Effect ◽  
Retrieval Practice ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Transitive Inference ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Final Test ◽  
Element Interactivity ◽  
Significant Negative Effect ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Retention Intervals

Abstract. Compared to restudying, retrieval practice has often been found to enhance memory (the testing effect). However, it has been proposed that materials with high element interactivity may not benefit from retrieval practice. Transitive inference (TI) requires just such interactivity, in which information must be combined across multiple learning elements or premises. The current study employed a 7-element TI paradigm in which participants initially learned a set of premises (e.g., A > B, B > C, C > D, etc.), then engaged in either restudy or retrieval practice with the premises, and then were given a final test that assessed memory for the original premises and one’s ability to make transitive inferences about them (e.g., to infer that B > D). Three experiments examined TI on final tests with retention intervals of a few minutes (Experiment 1), 2 days (Experiment 2), or up to a week (Experiment 3). Retrieval practice consistently failed to enhance transitive inference. Furthermore, retrieval practice significantly reduced TI in Experiment 1. Across experiments, TI was numerically worse in the retrieval-practice than restudy condition in 4 of 5 comparisons, and a small-scale meta-analysis revealed a significant negative effect of retrieval practice on TI.

scholarly journals Measuring coral reef decline through meta-analyses

2005 ◽  
Vol 360 (1454) ◽  
pp. 385-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.M Côté ◽  
J.A Gill ◽  
T.A Gardner ◽  
A.R Watkinson
Keyword(s):  
Coral Reef ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Coral Cover ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Ecological Change ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Scale Estimate

Coral reef ecosystems are in decline worldwide, owing to a variety of anthropogenic and natural causes. One of the most obvious signals of reef degradation is a reduction in live coral cover. Past and current rates of loss of coral are known for many individual reefs; however, until recently, no large-scale estimate was available. In this paper, we show how meta-analysis can be used to integrate existing small-scale estimates of change in coral and macroalgal cover, derived from in situ surveys of reefs, to generate a robust assessment of long-term patterns of large-scale ecological change. Using a large dataset from Caribbean reefs, we examine the possible biases inherent in meta-analytical studies and the sensitivity of the method to patchiness in data availability. Despite the fact that our meta-analysis included studies that used a variety of sampling methods, the regional estimate of change in coral cover we obtained is similar to that generated by a standardized survey programme that was implemented in 1991 in the Caribbean. We argue that for habitat types that are regularly and reasonably well surveyed in the course of ecological or conservation research, meta-analysis offers a cost-effective and rapid method for generating robust estimates of past and current states.

Designing and Developing Exercises to Enhance Capability - A Meta Analytic View

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 (1) ◽  
pp. 745-761
Author(s):  
Geeva Varghese ◽  
Thomas Coolbaugh
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Timely Manner ◽  
Exercise Programs ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
Response Organization ◽  
After Action Reviews

ABSTRACT A robust preparedness framework is essential to maximize response effectiveness and safeguard success. Exercises are an integral part of oil spill preparedness and emergency management. Exercises enhance the capability of an organization to respond by validating plans and procedures and seeking affirmations on assumptions and stakeholder expectations. Since planning and preparing for exercises can be costly and time consuming, it is important that lessons learned are accurately captured, widely communicated and implemented in a timely manner so that they can lead to measurable improvements in the way we prepare and respond to incidents. On average, international Oil Spill Response Organizations (OSRO) may be involved in thirty to forty oil spill response exercises in a given year, ranging from small scale exercises testing communication between various stakeholders to highly complex, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional scenarios. Participation in multiple exercises in various capacities ranging from planning, designing and facilitation to participation, performance and capability assurance as an Oil Spill Response Organization, presents varied opportunities to view and analyze exercises from both ends of the spectrum, as a planner as well as a participant. A meta-analysis of these exercises offers a unique opportunity to systematically identify recurring areas for improvement and to examine new avenues to explore and test capabilities with operators who have established robust exercise programs. A key outcome of this would be to translate learnings into important enhancements for industry’s collective response and preparedness capability. This paper presents a meta-analysis view of recent OSRO-industry exercises with a focus on a comparative assessment of specific After Action Reviews (AAR). The purpose is to identify common themes in terms of lessons learned and areas for improvement, especially when designing and planning future exercises. It also considers whether exercises have evolved to incorporate changing response capabilities and realistically testing any increased information requirements of the stakeholder community. Finally, it will also examine how successfully companies have sought out emerging technologies that will positively impact preparedness, response and recovery. It is anticipated that the recommendations put forward from this meta-analysis will assist operators in realizing the full benefits of the time and effort invested in exercise programs.

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