scholarly journals Is Preregistration Worthwhile? A Survey on Personal Experiences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Sarafoglou ◽  
Marton Kovacs ◽  
Bence Endre Bakos ◽  
Eric-Jan Wagenmakers ◽  
Balazs Aczel

The preregistration of research protocols and analysis plans is a main reform innovation to counteract confirmation bias in the social and behavioral sciences. While theoretical reasons to preregister are frequently discussed in the literature, the individually experienced advantages and disadvantages of this method remain largely unexplored. The goal of this exploratory study was to identify the benefits and challenges of preregistration from the researcher's perspective. To this aim, we surveyed 355 researchers, 299 of whom had used preregistration in their own work. The researchers indicated the experienced or expected effects of preregistration on their workflow. The results show that experiences and expectations are mostly positive. Researchers in our sample believe that implementing preregistration improves or is likely to improve the quality of their projects, and that preregistration makes it easier to avoid questionable research practices. Criticism of preregistration is primarily related to the increase in work-related stress and the overall duration of the project. The majority of researchers with experience in preregistration reported that the benefits outweigh the challenges. However, the majority of researchers without preregistration would not consider preregistration for future projects or recommend the practice to colleagues. Our interpretation of the results is that preregistration can have positive side-effects as it adds an extra preparatory step in researchers' workflow, thus requiring researchers to think through the theoretical and practical aspects of their project.

2016 ◽  
Vol 157 (49) ◽  
pp. 1955-1959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katalin Fusz ◽  
Béla Faludi ◽  
Dorina Pusztai ◽  
Nóra Sebők ◽  
András Oláh

Introduction: The quality of sleep can be influenced by several factors, insomnia in turn has an effect on the state of health. Aim: The aim of our survey is to measure the effects of insomnia, furthermore, the sleep affecting agents and habits to help to fall asleep among adults. Method: We collected the online nationwide and the written datas from the South-Transdanubia region, 455 adults filled the questionnaire which contains the Athens Insomnia Scale. Results: 13.4% of participants has insomnia, it is influenced by the quality of diet (p<0.001), comsumption of coffee (p = 0.045) and the physical activity (p = 0.011), what is more in correlation with the prevalency of chronic deseases (p = 0.001) and psychosomatic symptoms (p<0.001). The most frequent causes of sleep disorders are: work-related stress (35.6%), personal-life stress (35.4%) and pain (24.2%). In case of dormition problems most of the participants watch television (52.1%) and read (33%); 7.5% and 11.4% of the responders use sleeping pills and tisane. Conclusions: We attract attention to the prevalency and effects of insomnia, and the habits to help to fall asleep. Orv. Hetil., 2016, 157(49), 1955–1959.


2018 ◽  
pp. 99-108
Author(s):  
Nataliya Nikolenko ◽  
Yana Serova

The study investigates the changes taking place in the domestic market of social services expressed in the appearance of "new players" in the form of socially oriented non-profit organizations (SO NPO) within its field in addition to public institutions for social protection and social services of the population. The authors identify the advantages and disadvantages of SO NGO compared to government organizations and social services, describe the processes of shadow economy expansion to the social services market and formation of regional "quasi-markets". The empirical part of the article is based on the data of two studies conducted in the form of indepth interviews. First, with experts on "Practices of interaction and prospects of cooperation between NPO and government organizations of social services in the Volgograd region", N = 52 (27 representatives of the public sector, 25 representatives of NPO, January-March 2018). Then with recipients of social services from government organizations and clients of SO NPO on the theme "Availability and quality of paid and free social services provided in the Volgograd region for retiring aged women" N = 46, 60 years and older (21 people-clients of SO NPO, 25 people-recipients of social services. services, October 2017 – January 2018). The analysis of these in-depth interviews with experts allowed to draw the following conclusions. There is a duplication of functions of the organizations of public and non-public sectors providing social services to the population. The activities of modern SO NPO operating in the social services market contain innovative and commercial components. The expansion of the "platform" of the social services market does not yet lead to full competition between organizations, encouraging them to constantly improve the quality of services. The analysis of in-depth interviews with recipients of social services from government organizations and customers of SO NPO showed that the commercialization of activities of SO NPO does not make social services more accessible to those who are in need of them. There is the necessity of changes in the way social services are being provided in the Volgograd region as they do not meet the needs of women of retirement age, do not take into account their level of income and material well-being.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denny Meyer ◽  
Madawa W Jayawardana ◽  
Samuel D Muir ◽  
David Yen-Teh Ho ◽  
Olivia Sackett

BACKGROUND Workplace programs designed to improve the health and psychological well-being of employees are becoming increasingly popular. However, there are mixed reports regarding the effectiveness of such programs and little analysis of what helps people to engage with such programs. OBJECTIVE This evaluation of a particularly broad, team-based, digital health and well-being program uses mixed methods to identify the elements of the program that reduce work stress and promote psychological well-being, sleep quality, and productivity of employees. METHODS Participation in the Virgin Pulse Global Challenge program during May to September 2016 was studied. Self-reported stress, sleep quality, productivity, and psychological well-being data were collected both pre- and postprogram. Participant experience data were collected through a third final survey. However, the response rates for the last 2 surveys were only 48% and 10%, respectively. A random forest was used to estimate the probability of the completion of the last 2 surveys based on the preprogram assessment data and the demographic data for the entire sample (N=178,350). The inverse of these estimated probabilities were used as weights in hierarchical linear models in an attempt to address any estimation bias caused by the low response rates. These linear models described changes in psychological well-being, stress, sleep, and productivity over the duration of the program in relation to gender and age, engagement with each of the modules, each of the program features, and participant descriptions of the Virgin Pulse Global Challenge. A 0.1% significance level was used due to the large sample size for the final survey (N=18,653). RESULTS The final analysis suggested that the program is more beneficial for older people, with 2.9% greater psychological well-being improvements observed on average in the case of women than men (P<.001). With one exception, all the program modules contributed significantly to the outcome measures with the following average improvements observed: psychological well-being, 4.1%-6.0%; quality of sleep, 3.2%-6.9%; work-related stress, 1.7%-6.8%; and productivity, 1.9%-4.2%. However, only 4 of the program features were found to have significant associations with the outcome measures with the following average improvements observed: psychological well-being, 3.7%-5.6%; quality of sleep, 3.4%-6.5%; work-related stress, 4.1%-6.4%; and productivity, 1.6%-3.2%. Finally, descriptions of the Virgin Pulse Global Challenge produced 5 text topics that were related to the outcome measures. Healthy lifestyle descriptions showed a positive association with outcomes, whereas physical activity and step count tracking descriptions showed a negative association with outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The complementary use of qualitative and quantitative survey data in a mixed-methods analysis provided rich information that will inform the development of this and other programs designed to improve employee health. However, the low response rates and the lack of a control group are limitations, despite the attempts to address these problems in the analysis.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel J Dickman

This report seeks to explore the findings of a qualitative research study concerning the motivations behind child welfare work. Child welfare is a major field within the social work profession that demands a great deal of expertise and effort from workers. Professionals employed as case managers within the child welfare field are held accountable for a wide variety of social work roles, often placing these individuals at risk of emotional trauma and high levels of work-related stress. Due to this, workers who remain in the field for extensive periods of time often experience strong sensations of purpose relative to their work. Our study found that child welfare caseworkers were motivated by altruism and a deep desire to improve the lives of their clients.  They were also kept motivated by the successes that came from time to time. While trials seem to be experienced on a regular basis, child welfare caseworkers generally found their work to be a positive presence within the families they serve. Further research is needed to expound upon the findings of this study. 


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 304-324
Author(s):  
César Carrillo García ◽  
María Isabel Ríos Rísquez ◽  
Laura Escudero Fernández ◽  
María Emilia Martínez Roche

Objetivos: Analizar la presencia de estrés laboral en el equipo volante de enfermería de un Hospital General Universitario tomando como referencia el modelo demandas-control-apoyo de Karasek.Método: Estudio observacional de corte transversal. La muestra estuvo constituida por 38 profesionales de enfermería del equipo volante de un Hospital General Universitario. Instrumentos de evaluación: para conocer la percepción de los profesionales de enfermería sobre el contenido de su trabajo y determinar los estresores laborales, se empleó el cuestionario Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) traducido y validado para enfermería hospitalaria.Resultados: La tasa de participación fue del 90,47% (N=38). Se registró una media para la dimensión de apoyo social de 2,59±0,47, para la dimensión de demandas psicológicas en el trabajo de 3,26±0,47, y para la dimensión de control sobre el trabajo se obtuvo una media de 2,87±0,40. El análisis de datos puso de manifiesto un nivel moderado de estresores, destacando un déficit de apoyo social por parte de los superiores, que resultó ser más acusado en el grupo de profesionales adscritos a la dirección de enfermería (2,89 vs 2,49; p<0,05). Ninguna de las tres dimensiones se mostró asociada a las variables socio-laborales de sexo, edad, turno, adscripción y tipo de vinculación al hospital.Conclusiones: Existe una percepción moderada de estresores laborales, resaltando el escaso apoyo social por parte de los superiores, siendo este aspecto una área de mejora sobre la que intervenir. Objectives: To analyse the presence of work-related stress in the nursing bureau of a University General Hospital taking as reference Karasek's demand-control-support model.Methods: Cross-sectional observational study. The sample included 38 nursing professionals from the nursing bureau of a University General Hospital. Assessment tools: the Job Content Questionnaire (JQC), translated and validated for hospital nursing, was used to know the perception of nursing professionals concernins their work, and to determine the presence of any work-related stressors. Results: The participation rate was 90.47% (N=38). The average for the social support dimension was 2.59±0.47, for the psychological demands of 3.26±0.47, and for control over their own work of 2.87±0.40. Data analysis pointed to a moderate level of stress, reflecting a deficit in the social support provided by superiors, particulary in the group of professionals assigned to nursery management (2.89 vs 2.49; p<0.05). None of the three dimensions showed a link of any kind with socio-occupational variables of gender, age, shift, assignment or type of connection to the hospital.Conclusion: Improvement is needed in this area on the part of human resources management in order to lessen the effect of work-related stress, psychological demands and lack of control over these.


2000 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias Mpofu ◽  
Debra A. Harley

Minority counselors are an important resource for diversity sensitive rehabilitation services. However, their work-related experiences have not been the subject of study in the rehabilitation literature. Tokenism theory is utilized to explore possible work-related stress experienced by minority counselors. Specifically, minority counselors may experience the tokenism effects of visibility, contrast, role encapsulation, and assimilation from their interaction with majority counselors and from their self-perceptions. Counselor education in work-place diversity and an asset approach to counselor utilization should enhance the perceived quality of the work environment by both minority and majority counselors.


2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 585-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Aranda Beltrán ◽  
Manuel Pando Moreno ◽  
José G. Salazar Estrada ◽  
Teresa M. Torres López ◽  
María Guadalupe Aldrete Rodríguez

The consequences of work-related stress on health are worrisome, and by the same token, so is Burnout Syndrome. However, it has been shown that social support can prevent, reduce or even combat individuals' responses to stress.A descriptive, transverse study was carried out with the objective of determining the prevalence of both Burnout Syndrome and receiving social support for traffic police in Mexico. 875 traffic police participated in the study, men and women alike, from all work shifts, day and night. Three questionnaires were administered: one to record sociodemographic and professional data, as well as the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the modified Diaz Veiga Social Resources Inventory. Our data analysis obtained frequencies and percentages and also identified associations between the study's variables.The prevalence of Burnout Syndrome was found to be 54.9% among the study's participants. The social support networks designated as “low or poor” were shown to be associated with Burnout Syndrome, with p values less than .05, an odds ratio (OR) greater than 1 and a confidence interval that did not include the number one.In spite of the strong network of social support reported by participants, it seems that those social effects were not strong enough to combat Burnout Syndrome, and some resolution strategy ought to be implemented at the individual, group and organizational levels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 5793-5804
Author(s):  
María del Mar Sánchez-Fuentes ◽  
Ludgleydson Fernandes de Araújo ◽  
Sandra Milena Parra-Barrera ◽  
Érika Rhayane Sousa Fontes ◽  
José Victor de Oliveira Santos ◽  
...  

Abstract The present research aimed to identify and discuss the social representations of trans women related to gender identity and transphobia in Brazil and Colombia. In this study participated 43 Trans women, 22 from Brazil, aged between 18 and 55 years (M=29.09, SD=8.53) and 21 from Colombia, aged between 21 and 41 years (M=28.19, SD=7.63). This study adopted a qualitative approach in which semi-structured interviews were used. The data were analyzed by the Iramuteq software, which identified the social representations in classes. The results showed what the participants understood about transphobia and how they regarded their experiences with this gender identity. The participants presented negative social representations, aiming at their personal experiences related to their social context. Themes related to violence, discrimination, prejudice, denial of rights and family support emerged from both the Brazilian and Colombian sample. Implications for Tran´s quality of life are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-156
Author(s):  
Hana Samaržija

This article will attempt to explain how the spatial characteristics of built environments affect both the cognitive processes of producing knowledge and the epistemic quality of other doxastic states. Recent discussions in philosophy and the social sciences have been vocal about the changing dynamics of contemporary life. As clouded boundaries between labor and leisure make individuals spend most of their time in built environments, personal experiences of space, buildings, and interiors are becoming a decisive factor in self-perception and cognition. These circumstances have encouraged the advent of a new scientific field: neuro-architecture, a branch of functional design supported by neurological brain scanning technologies and the concept of neuroplasticity, the brain's capacity to change its structure along our behavior and surroundings. After articulating neuro-architecture's ambition to define spaces most suitable for promoting positive emotions, good health, and intellectual agility, the article will critically assess its epistemological implications and its potentially unfavorable impact on architectural aesthetic autonomy. This intrusion of natural sciences into the ostensibly artistic domain of architecture bears certain similarities to the tension between traditional analytic philosophy - which was preoccupied with idealized models of intellectual practices and mental processes - and scientific insights into human cognition, perhaps best illustrated by the mind-brain identity theory.


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