UNIQUE APPLICATION OF SALES-ORIENTATION CUSTOMER-ORIENTATION (SOCO) SCALE AS A BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT TOOL TO PREDICT FUTURE ORIENTATION OF STUDENTS: A STUDY

Sheep are exposed to numerous stressors and environments during the pre-export phase of the live export industry. Establishing how animal behavior, health and demeanor reflect their experiences prior to sea transport is the first step toward testing the suitability and practicality of animal welfare measures. A total of 240 merino wethers originating from four farms were assessed at four locations in the live export chain: on farm, upon arrival to the registered export feedlot (Fe1), prior to departing the feedlot (Fe2) and 30 min post loading onto a live export vessel. Each of these locations and time points represent relevant assessment points as part of the commercial live export process. Pen-side behavioral and health measures were collected. Video footage was collected and edited to provide 48 30–45 s duration clips that were then scored by 12 assessors against 10 demeanor terms using a Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA) methodology; data were analyzed using Principal Components (PC) analysis. Repeated Measures ANOVAs tested for variation in each dependent measure across each location and time point. There were low levels of health issues recorded overall; however, seven health and behavior measures significantly varied across the locations and time points. Most vocalizing was recorded on farm; most drinking, eating and resting behaviors were recorded at Fe1 and ruminating at Fe2; while the highest percentage of wethers with ocular discharge and lameness was on the vessel. For QBA, PC1 explained 30.5% of the variability, with agitated and nervous loaded to one end of the axis and calm and relaxed loaded to the opposing end. PC2 explained 24.5% of the variability, with interested, alert and sociable loaded to one end of the axis and lethargic loaded to the opposing end. Spearman's rank correlations between behavior, health and PC scores indicated that wethers eating, ruminating and resting were scored as more calm/relaxed, while those scored as more agitated/nervous or/ lethargic were also likely to vocalize. Determining how wethers respond to the different environments in the immediate pre-export phase of the journey informs on their welfare and the practicality of using a behavior tool to assess animal welfare.

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Near-infrared spectrometry for the measurement of central nervous system activation: A brief demonstration of an emerging behavioral assessment tool.

The Behavior Analyst Today ◽

10.1037/h0100056 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 121-127

Author(s):

Bryan Roche ◽

Shirley Coyle ◽

Tomás Ward ◽

Charles Markham ◽

Gary McDarby

Keyword(s):

Central Nervous System ◽

Nervous System ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Behavioral Assessment ◽

Infrared Spectrometry ◽

System Activation ◽

Near Infrared Spectrometry

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Combining practice and theory to assess strategic thinking

Journal of Strategy and Management ◽

10.1108/jsma-02-2017-0012 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 488-504 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ellen F. Goldman ◽

Karen S. Schlumpf ◽

Andrea Richards Scott

Keyword(s):

Assessment Tool ◽

Behavioral Assessment ◽

Principal Component ◽

Strategic Thinking ◽

Measurement Tool ◽

Delphi Panel ◽

Content Type ◽

Management Concepts ◽

Specific Competency ◽

The Individual

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the process used to develop and test the Individual Behavioral Assessment Tool for Strategic Thinking. Design/methodology/approach The instrument was developed using literature that identifies practices in use in organizations to assess strategic thinking competency and recommendations of scholars and practitioners to define strategic thinking and suggest how it could be assessed. Processes defined in the literature to develop competency measurements, both generally and for leadership and strategic management concepts specifically, were applied. A Delphi panel of experts reviewed the initial draft of the instrument which, with their refinements, was administered to participants in an executive leadership program. Findings Cronbach’s α and principal component analysis indicated that the instrument is internally consistent and unidimensional. Rasch analysis suggested a possible reduction in items that maintains good overall instrument performance. Research limitations/implications The study provides methodology for developing a measurement tool that fuses practice and theory. Further applications of the instrument across organizational levels and in single sectors would enhance its generalizability. Practical implications The instrument provides a consistent tool for use by practitioners to identify gaps in their own or another’s strategic thinking behaviors, specify a job-specific competency model, and direct professional development. Originality/value The instrument fills a gap in the theoretical literature by extending the descriptions of strategic thinking to include a comprehensive set of required individual behaviors. As such, it is the first theoretically based instrument to detail the specific competencies required to think strategically.

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Predictive Behavioral Cues of Patient Violence in the Emergency Department

10.28971/532013rj84 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jessica Roy

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Behavioral Assessment ◽

Hospital Setting ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Research Education ◽

Behavioral Cues ◽

Pass Through ◽

Behavioral Cue

<p>Nurses are often subject to violence at the hands of their patients. The Emergency Department (ED) has become the area most vulnerable in the hospital setting, with contributing factors including the rise of polysubstance drug abuse, the increasing psychiatric population, and overall stressors related to the economy. The ED is the “gateway” to the availability of shelter, medications, and resources for many people that pass through every year. Accurate and timely identification of the most common and easily identifiable precursors of violence is essential in order to develop and implement effective de-escalation techniques that have the potential to reduce actual events. The purpose of this research project was to demonstrate the usefulness of a behavioral cue assessment tool in providing a simple predictor for potential violence in the ED setting. The methodology included a behavioral assessment checklist containing 17 cues developed by Wilkes, Mohan, Luck and Jackson (2010). Nurses completed the 17 item behavioral assessment on all patients being treated in the ED during a three-week time period. All 17 behavioral cues demonstrated a positive predictive factor for violence based on statistical analysis. Given the simplicity, cost effective nature, and predictability, the checklist appears to be feasible to use to potentially reduce healthcare costs related to injuries and emotional distress of nurses at the hands of violent patients. Further research is indicated. This study further exemplifies the qualities of an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), including research, education, cost containment, and improved patient care.</p>

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Qualitative Behavioral Assessment in Juvenile Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar): Potential for On-Farm Welfare Assessment

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2021.702783 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Susan Jarvis ◽

Maureen A. Ellis ◽

James F. Turnbull ◽

Sonia Rey Planellas ◽

Francoise Wemelsfelder

Keyword(s):

Aquatic Environment ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Emotional Experience ◽

Behavioral Assessment ◽

Principal Component ◽

Farmed Fish ◽

Welfare Assessment ◽

Farmed Salmon ◽

Video Clips ◽

Observer Reliability

There is a growing scientific and legislative consensus that fish are sentient, and therefore have the capacity to experience pain and suffering. The assessment of the welfare of farmed fish is challenging due to the aquatic environment and the number of animals housed together. However, with increasing global production and intensification of aquaculture comes greater impetus for developing effective tools which are suitable for the aquatic environment to assess the emotional experience and welfare of farmed fish. This study therefore aimed to investigate the use of Qualitative Behavioral Assessment (QBA), originally developed for terrestrial farmed animals, in farmed salmon and evaluate its potential for use as a welfare monitoring tool. QBA is a “whole animal” approach based on the description and quantification of the expressive qualities of an animal's dynamic style of behaving, using descriptors such as relaxed, agitated, lethargic, or confident. A list of 20 qualitative descriptors was generated by fish farmers after viewing video-footage showing behavior expressions representative of the full repertoire of salmon in this context. A separate, non-experienced group of 10 observers subsequently watched 25 video clips of farmed salmon, and scored the 20 descriptors for each clip using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). To assess intra-observer reliability each observer viewed the same 25 video clips twice, in two sessions 10 days apart, with the second clip set presented in a different order. The observers were unaware that the two sets of video clips were identical. Data were analyzed using Principal Component (PC) Analysis (correlation matrix, no rotation), revealing four dimensions that together explained 79% of the variation between video clips, with PC1 (Tense/anxious/skittish—Calm/mellow/relaxed) explaining the greatest percentage of variation (56%). PC1 was the only dimension to show acceptable inter- and intra-observer reliability, and mean PC1 scores correlated significantly to durations of slow and erratic physical movements measured for the same 25 video clips. Further refinements to the methodology may be necessary, but this study is the first to provide evidence for the potential of Qualitative Behavioral Assessment to serve as a time-efficient welfare assessment tool for juvenile salmon under farmed conditions.

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Abstract 16831: Identifying Barriers to Hypertension Care: Development and Validation of a Behavioral Assessment Tool for Optimizing Linkage and Retention to Hypertension Care in Kenya (LARK Hypertension Study)

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.132.suppl_3.16831 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra Douglas ◽

Jackson Rotich ◽

Peninah Kiptoo ◽

Kennedy K Lagat ◽

Kennedy Mutai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Focus Groups ◽

Behavioral Change ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Health Workers ◽

Behavioral Assessment ◽

Study Groups ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Rater Agreement ◽

Qualitative Feedback ◽

Development And Validation

Introduction: Hypertension is the leading risk factor for global mortality. Hypertension treatment rates are low, partly due to inadequate linkage and retention to care. The LARK Study evaluates the use of community health workers (CHWs), equipped with a behavioral assessment and a tailored behavioral change strategy, to improve linkage and retention to hypertension care in Kenya. Here we describe the development and validation of the assessment tool used by CHWs to identify patients’ barriers to care, facilitating behavioral change communication. Methods: We derived behavioral assessment items from prior research on barriers to hypertension care in Kenya. Patients, CHWs, and clinicians scored each item for clarity and representativeness, and provided qualitative feedback during focus groups. A content validity index (CVI), representing inter-rater agreement of scores, was calculated for each item. Multivariable linear mixed-effects models were used to compare CVIs and level of modification (none, minor, major, or deleted) by participant category. Results: We tested 70 items in 9 focus groups. Mean CVIs were greater than 0.9 in all study groups (Table). Multivariable adjustment revealed that patients and CHWs had significantly higher CVIs than clinicians. Despite this, qualitative feedback from patients and CHWsled to higher item modification rates. 37 items were retained in the linkage assessment and 57 items in the retention assessment. Conclusions: The mean CVI was greater than 0.9 in all study populations, indicating excellent inter-rater agreement of the overall clarity and representativeness of assessment items. However, CVI alone could not account for modifications suggested during qualitative discussions. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods yielded the most informative evaluation of assessment items. These findings may be relevant to the validation of similar assessment tools in other low-resource settings.

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Testing the Psychometric Properties of the Habits of Health Scale for Children and Youth

Children and Teenagers ◽

10.22158/ct.v3n1p1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. p1

Author(s):

Valerie A. Ubbes ◽

Karly S. Geller ◽

Rebecca Schweitzer ◽

Katherine Robison

Keyword(s):

Academic Success ◽

Health Status ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Behavioral Assessment ◽

Criterion Validity ◽

Children And Youth ◽

Perceived Health Status ◽

Health Measurement ◽

Health Habits ◽

Validity Testing

This paper describes the validity testing we performed on one-half of the Habits of Health and Habits of Mind© model to increase research on the daily habits of children and youth and to substantiate the teaching and dissemination of the model with greater confidence. Child and adolescent health habits were tested with a new Habits of Health Scale (HHS). The study purpose was to test the construct and criterion validity of the habits of health measurement subscales which included physical activity, nutrition, relationships, safety, and hygiene behaviors. Two specific hypotheses were tested. The first hypothesis was that the HHS items would show acceptable factorial validity. The second hypothesis was the HHS factors would demonstrate high criterion validity, or the sensitivity of the scale to detect differences and associations that theoretically should exist. The HHS factors were expected to differ based on participants’ gender, perceived health status, perceived academic success, Body Mass Index (BMI), and multiple health behaviors. Results showed that each subscale demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and criterion validity. Health patterns and routines of kids can now be measured by the Habits of Health Scale, which is a multi-behavioral assessment tool that assesses the health status of children and youth.

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