Intended versus Actual Behavior: Results from the Air Force Aviation Bonus Program

1989 ◽  
Vol 33 (13) ◽  
pp. 825-829
Author(s):  
William L. Derrick ◽  
Michael J. Fuller

To assess the validity of survey data collected from computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) for the prediction of retention behavior, data from 754 AF pilots were collected at two points in time. In January 1988 these pilots took part in a CATI study that revealed their intentions to sign contracts for additional years of military service in return for bonus payments of up to $12,000 per year. Beginning in January 1989, these pilots were offered aviation bonus contracts, similar to those studied with the CATI, under the Aviator Continuation Pay (ACP) program enacted by Congress. Two key variables from the survey—career intent and bonus intent—were very accurate in predicting ACP behavior at both the aggregate and the entity levels.

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas C Goldberg ◽  
Pascal Sciarini

Abstract This article assesses whether—and to what extent—turnout bias in postelection surveys is reduced by adding a short nonresponse follow-up (NRFU) survey to a mixed-mode survey. Specifically, we examine how the NRFU survey influences response propensities across demographic groups and political factors and whether this affects data quality. We use a rich dataset on validated voter turnout data, collected across two different ballots. In addition to the main survey that comprises computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) and web respondents, both studies include a short follow-up mail survey for nonrespondents. The results demonstrate that collecting extra information from additional respondents on so-called “central” questions is worth the effort. In both studies, the NRFU survey substantially increases representativeness with respect to sociodemographic and participation variables. In particular, voters and politically active citizens are more accurately represented in the NRFU survey. This tends to result in better estimates of turnout determinants in the final (combined) sample than is seen from CATI/web respondents only. Moreover, the increase in response rate and the decrease in nonresponse bias comes at almost no price in terms of measurement errors. Vote overreporting is only slightly higher in the mail follow-up survey than in the main CATI/web survey.


2001 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1287-1295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jóhanna Haraldsdóttir ◽  
Lotte Holm ◽  
Arne Vernon Astrup ◽  
Jytte Halkjær ◽  
Steen Stender

AbstractObjectives:To monitor trends in Danish food habits with respect to selected key elements, from 1995 to 1998, and to evaluate the appropriateness of the method developed for that purpose.Design and method:Two cross-sectional population surveys, in 1995 and 1998. Data collection by computer-assisted telephone interviews including 10 food-frequency questions, questions on type of fat used on sandwiches and drinking milk, and check questions on the previous day. Reproducibility was tested in a subgroup (n=222) in the 1998 survey.Setting:The Danish Nutrition Council initiated the survey.Subjects:Men and women aged 15–90 years, 1007 in 1995 and 1024 in 1998. Samples of private telephone numbers were drawn from regional telephone registers, geographically stratified. Participation rates were 62%.Results:Significant differences were observed between 1995 and 1998, some of these in accordance with dietary guidelines (decreased use of whole milk and fat spread on bread, increased use of skimmed milk, salad vegetables, rice/pasta and fish). Other changes were opposite to dietary guidelines (increased use of soft butter, decreased use of soft margarine and low-fat spreads, potatoes, and fresh fruit). Differences in average consumption frequency amounted to 4–13%. Several results were confirmed by comparison with other data, and the reproducibility of the method was acceptable. Data were suitable for analysis of food use patterns, a relevant approach when assessing food habits in a lifestyle context.Conclusions:The changes observed illustrate the dynamics of food habits and the need for frequent monitoring. This simple telephone method may be a valuable tool for that purpose, as a supplement to national dietary surveys, also in a public health context.


2010 ◽  
Vol 162 (5) ◽  
pp. 919-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna C Phillips ◽  
Douglas Carroll ◽  
Catharine R Gale ◽  
Janet M Lord ◽  
Wiebke Arlt ◽  
...  

ObjectivesThe aim of these analyses was to examine the association of cortisol, DHEAS and the cortisol:DHEAS ratio with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components.DesignThe analyses were cross-sectional.MethodsParticipants were 4255 Vietnam era US army veterans. From military service files, telephone interviews and a medical examination, occupational, socio-demographic and health data were collected. MetS was ascertained from data on body mass index; fasting blood glucose or a diagnosis of diabetes; blood pressure or a diagnosis of hypertension; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; and triglyceride levels. Contemporary morning fasted cortisol and DHEAS concentrations were determined. The outcomes were MetS and its components. Analysis was by logistic regression, first adjusting for age and then additionally for an array of candidate confounders.ResultsCortisol, although not in the fully adjusted analysis, and DHEAS were both related to MetS. Whereas high cortisol concentrations were associated with an increased risk of MetS, high DHEAS concentrations appeared protective. By far, the strongest associations with MetS were observed for the cortisol:DHEAS ratio; the higher the ratio, the greater the risk of having MetS. The ratio was also significantly related to four of the five MetS components.ConclusionsThe cortisol:DHEAS ratio is positively associated with MetS. Prospective analyses are needed to help untangle direction of causality, but this study suggests that the cortisol:DHEAS ratio is worthy of further study in this and other health contexts.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1523-1539 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Doloreux ◽  
Ekaterina Turkina

Purpose This paper aims to explore the effects of multiple external sources of knowledge and of the use of winemaker consultants on innovation in the Canadian wine industry. Design/methodology/approach The data for the study are taken from an original survey of wine firms in Canada covering the 2007-2009 period. The survey was carried out by computer-assisted telephone interviews, and it was addressed to winery firms that are engaged in growing grapes and producing wine. Findings The results show that the use of winemaker consultants positively affects all forms of innovation. At the same, as far as external knowledge sources are concerned, marketing sources positively affect all types of innovation, while research sources and general sources have a positive influence on particular forms of innovation. The results also show that winemaker consultants interact with other knowledge sources. Nevertheless, there are important nuances with regard to which type of knowledge sources is more compatible with the use of winemaker consultants for which type of innovation. Originality/value To date, there is no empirical evidence of the extent to which the use of external winemaker consultants and external knowledge sources interact together and what are their impacts on the introduction of different forms of innovation.


1993 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Spoth ◽  
Cleve Redmond

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the application of conjoint analysis, a consumer research technique, using data from a survey of parents' preferences for prevention programs. Design. This study utilized a one-time, cross-sectional telephone survey. Setting. Data were collected from subjects living in economically disadvantaged rural midwestern counties. Subjects. Subjects were 202 randomly selected parents with préadolescents who indicated interest in family-focused prevention programs. Measures. Conjoint analysis software was employed in computer-assisted telephone interviews to evaluate relative preferences for 39 individual features of family-focused prevention programs falling under 11 categories (e.g., program meeting time, facilitator background). The software also guided computer simulations of parent choices among four types of programs. Results. Findings indicated that meeting time was the most important category of program features. Strongly preferred individual features included meetings scheduled on weekday evenings, instruction by child development specialists, and programs based on extensive research. Two multiple-session programs evaluated via computer simulations incorporated several preferred features and received higher ratings than did single-session programs. Estimated variance z-tests indicated limited differences in perceived importance of program feature categories across sociodemographic subgroups. Conclusions. Findings highlight a) differences in the relative value parents place on various features of prevention programs in the surveyed population and b) the importance of practical aspects of program delivery.


Sexual Health ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Rissel ◽  
Paul B. Badcock ◽  
Anthony M. A. Smith ◽  
Juliet Richters ◽  
Richard O. de Visser ◽  
...  

Background Current information about numbers of other-sex partners, experiences of different heterosexual behaviours and the recent heterosexual experiences among a representative sample of Australian adults is needed. It is not known whether these practices have changed between 2001–02 and 2012–13. Methods: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 9963 men and 10 131 women aged 16–69 years from all states and territories. The overall participation rate among eligible people was 66.2%. Results: Men reported more sexual partners than women, although the lifetime number of heterosexual partners reported by women increased significantly between 2001–02 and 2012–13. In 2012–13, 14.7% of men and 8.6% of women reported two or more sexual partners in the last year. Reporting multiple partners was significantly associated with being younger, being bisexual, living in major cities, having a lower income, having a blue-collar occupation and not being married. The proportion of respondents reporting ever having had oral sex or anal intercourse increased significantly since the last survey. At the last heterosexual encounter, 91.9% of men and 66.2% of women had an orgasm, oral sex was reported in only approximately one in four encounters and anal intercourse was uncommon. Conclusion: There were increases between 2001–02 and 2012–13 in partner numbers among women and in the lifetime experience of oral and anal sex. The patterns of heterosexual experience in Australia are similar to those found in studies of representative samples in other countries.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Mario Mustilli ◽  
Francesco Campanella ◽  
Eugenio D’Angelo

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the abnormal returns achieved by institutional investors. Distinguishing between institutional investors operating with a specific mandate to invest and those that operate their own choices independently from such a specific delegation, we show that the former achieve higher abnormal returns than the latter. The conceptual explanation of this result is attributable to the use of the fundamental analysis that the first type of institutional investors realized in a higher and more effective way than the second. This different approach in selecting securities might be due to the relationship between the institutional investor and the savers who provided capital. This different agency relationship might have been reflected in the institutional investor's investment policies through the agent behaviour, which changes depending on the nature of the principal who has given the mandate. The empirical analysis has been conducted on a sample of 5,500 institutional investors operating all around the world in 2014, drawing data from institutional investor's annual report, from their investment relations and from Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters, Bankscope, Eurostat and through Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews.


2020 ◽  
Vol 185 (9-10) ◽  
pp. e1632-e1639
Author(s):  
Brian A Moore ◽  
Willie J Hale ◽  
Jason L Judkins ◽  
Cynthia L Lancaster ◽  
Monty T Baker ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Contingency operations during the past 18 years have exposed millions of U.S. military service members to numerous combat and operational stressors. Despite this, a relative dearth of literature has focused on the experiences of deployed military medical personnel. As such, the present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by conducting individual and small group interviews with Air Force medical personnel who had recently returned from a deployment to Iraq. Interviews targeted self-reported factors related to psychological risk and resiliency across the deployment cycle, while also seeking recommendations for future military medical personnel preparing for medical deployments. Materials and Methods Inductive thematic analyses were conducted on transcripts from 12 individual and structured group interviews conducted with recently deployed U.S. Air Force medical personnel (N = 28). An interview script consisting of 18 prompts was carefully developed based on the experiences of study personnel. Two team members (n = 1 research psychologist; n = 1 military medical provider) coded exemplars from interview transcripts. A third team member (research psychologist) reviewed coded exemplars for consistency and retained themes when saturation was reached. Results In total we report on 6 primary themes. Participants reported feeling prepared to conduct their mission while deployed but often felt unprepared for the positions they assumed and the traumas they commonly experienced. Most participants reported deployment to be a rewarding experience, citing leader engagement, and social support as key protective factors against deployment-related stressors. Finally, following deployment, participants largely reported positive experiences reintegrating with their families but struggled to reintegrate into their workplace. Conclusion Findings from the present study indicate that the military is largely doing a good job preparing Air Force medical providers to deploy. Results of the present study indicate that military medical personnel would benefit from: (1) increased predictability surrounding deployment timelines, (2) improved cross-cultural training, (3) advanced training for atypical injuries in unconventional patient populations, and (4) improvements in postdeployment workplace reintegration. The present research has the potential to positively impact the overall quality of life for deploying military service members and their families; while simultaneously highlighting the successes and shortfalls in the deployment process for U.S. military medical personnel.


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