Cognitive Interviewing to Evaluate the Content Validity of a Photo-Supported Preference Assessment

Photo-supported verbal assessments have shown to improve comprehension and expression of choices by older adults living with cognitive-communication challenges. The purpose of this study was to assess content validity (CV) of photographs used to supplement the Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory-Nursing Home (PELI-NH) from the perspective of older adults, using cognitive interviewing methods. Participants (N=21) were average age 75 (SD=5.67), mostly male (62%) and white (90%), living in residential communities (86%), with no known cognitive or communication deficits. Interview data was used to iteratively assess and revise photographs. A total of 46 photographs demonstrated CV; 26 demonstrated CV after revisions; 3 did not demonstrate CV after revisions. Content analysis revealed thematic codes describing participants’ photograph preferences including image quality, context, subject diversity, and relevance to long-term care. Discussion will include implications for clinicians and researchers on how to evaluate and improve CV of photo-supported verbal assessments.

Multiple Stimulus Without Replacement Preference Assessment for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) generally have behavior support plans that are based on a functional behavioral assessment. This article provides educators practical guidelines for conducting a multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessment to rank order preferred activities that will align with the function of behavior for use in behavioral interventions. The use of highly preferred reinforcers to reduce student problem behaviors can enhance educational outcomes for the student.

Assessing Preference for Activities and Instructional Contexts

Many teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are familiar with traditional preference assessment methodologies to identify high-preferred items. Traditional preference assessments are valuable; however, they may not be appropriate when identifying preferences for some educational activities and instructional contexts. The concurrent-chains preference assessment (CCPA) is a preference assessment variation that has been effectively used with students with ASD to identify preferred and nonpreferred activities and contexts. This article introduces teachers to the CCPA and discusses its utility and applications for students with ASD, as well as recommendations for effective implementation.

The Use of Stimulus Preference Assessments to Determine Procedural Acceptability for Participants

The social validity of behavior intervention is rooted in consumer perception. This information is typically garnered through questionnaires and interviews conducted with relevant consumers such as teachers or caregivers. Often, the participants (i.e., the individuals with disabilities receiving the intervention) play less of a role in the assessment of social validity, despite their primary role in intervention. This study examines a procedure for including participants in the assessment of social validity, namely procedural acceptability. Three participants selected their preferred intervention in a paired stimulus preference assessment. Videos presented the intervention options, and participants’ preferred interventions were implemented. These interventions decreased target behavior(s) and increased on-task behavior for all participants. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for use of this procedure and considerations for including participants in social validity assessments.

Shining a Light on the Challenging Behaviors of Adolescents with Comorbid Diagnoses: Use of Pictorial Concurrent Operant Preference Assessment

Currently, there are no published studies that have used the concurrent operant preference assessment procedure to identify functions of challenging behaviors displayed by individuals with comorbid diagnoses. Four participants (aged 11–16 years) with comorbid diagnoses who displayed multiple challenging behaviors were referred to this study. We modified the standard concurrent operant preference assessment and used the new modified version, the pictorial concurrent operant preference assessment, to identify the functions of the challenging behaviors. Utilizing the triangulation mixed-methods design, we compared the indirect functional behavioral assessment (FBA) and the direct FBA with the pictorial concurrent operant preference assessment. The results obtained successfully demonstrated the concordance among these assessments in identifying the behavioral function for each participant. The results further showed that (1) the preferences served the same functional effects on both the challenging behaviors and the adaptive behaviors and (2) the pictorial concurrent operant preference assessment can be used independently to identify potential behavioral function and to specify the reinforcing potency of each behavioral function. The significance of the study results, limitations of this study, and directions for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

Rodent Malaria Erythrocyte Preference Assessment by an Ex Vivo Tropism Assay

Circulating red blood cells consist of young erythrocytes (early and late reticulocytes) and mature erythrocytes (normocytes). The human malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax, have a preference to invade reticulocytes during blood-stage infection. Rodent malaria parasites that also prefer reticulocytes could be useful tools to study human malaria reticulocyte invasion. However, previous tropism studies of rodent malaria are inconsistent from one another, making it difficult to compare cell preference of different parasite species and strains. In vivo measurements of cell tropism are also subjected to many confounding factors. Here we developed an ex vivo tropism assay for rodent malaria with highly purified fractions of murine reticulocytes and normocytes. We measured invasion into the different erythrocyte populations using flow cytometry and evaluated the tropism index of the parasite strains. We found that P. berghei ANKA displayed the strongest reticulocyte preference, followed by P. yoelii 17X1.1, whereas P. chabaudi AS and P. vinckei S67 showed mixed tropism. These preferences are intrinsic and were maintained at different reticulocyte and normocyte availabilities. Our study shed light on the true erythrocyte preference of the parasites and paves the way for future investigations on the receptor-ligand interactions mediating erythrocyte tropism.

Penentuan Kriteria Pengunjung dalam Pemilihan Green Hotel di Kota Bandung Menggunakan Metode Discrete Choice Experiment dengan Desain Choice Sets Kombinatorial

This research discusses about planning of guest formulation in the selection of environmentally green hotels by using a 2k-p factorial fractional design and combinatorial choice sets on the Discrete Choice Experiment method. Discrete Choice Experiments is a quantitative method for survey-based respondents' preference assessment. This method asks respondents to choose the preferred choice from several alternative choices provided. With this method the authors will apply to the case of green hotel selection, because currently in the United States, investors are beginning to look at green building opportunities as a long-term investment in accordance with the operational costs of green buildings that are more efficient than conventional buildings. The concept of green building is one of the efforts to save energy that can be applied to a building. The material of this study is primary data by distributing questionnaires to respondents using voluntary sampling techniques. In this study, there are 8 independent variables consisting of 5 attribute variables and 3 respondent identity variables. This study aims to determine the criteria for visitors in choosing the most desirable green hotel. The results of this study are the results of green hotel research that is most sought after by visitors, namely hotels with quality luxury rooms, toiletries provided, visitors are required to improve the environment, there is the practice of using plastic on product packaging, and there is the use of lamps as well as energy-saving equipment. After further analysis of the demographics of respondents regarding the preference of the selected green hotel criteria for each respondent, and the results obtained at the time, gender, occupation and experience of staying in a green hotel together are not related to the involvement of the selected green hotel criteria chosen from each respondent. Abstrak. Skripsi ini membahas mengenai penentuan rancangan kriteria pengunjung dalam pemilihan hotel ramah lingkungan (green hotel) dengan menggunakan desain fractional factorial 2k-p dan choice sets kombinatorial pada metode Discrete Choice Experiment. Discrete Choice Experiment merupakan metode kuantitatif untuk menilai suatu preferensi seorang responden yang berbasis survei. Metode ini meminta responden untuk memilih pilihan yang diminati dari beberapa alternatif pilihan yang disediakan. Dengan metode ini penulis akan melakukan penerapan pada kasus pemilihan kriteria green hotel, karena saat ini di Amerika Serikat, para investor mulai melirik peluang green building sebagai investasi jangka panjang dikarenakan biaya operasional green building yang lebih hemat dibandingkan bangunan konvensional. Konsep green building merupakan salah satu upaya penghematan energi yang dapat diterapkan pada suatu gedung. Bahan dari penelitian ini merupakan data primer dengan melakukan penyebaran kuesioner kepada responden dengan menggunakan teknik sampling sukarela. Pada penelitian ini, terdapat 8 variabel independen yang terdiri dari 5 variabel atribut dan 3 variabel identitas responden. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kriteria pengunjung dalam memilih green hotel yang paling diminati. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah didapatkan kriteria green hotel yang paling diminati oleh pengunjung yaitu hotel dengan kualitas kamar mewah, perlengkapan mandi disediakan, pengunjung diwajibkan untuk menjaga lingkungan, ada praktik penggunaan plastik pada kemasan produk, dan ada penggunaan lampu juga peralatan hemat energi. Setelah itu dilakukan analisis lanjutan mengenai pengaruh dari demografi responden terhadap banyaknya keterpilihan kriteria green hotel terpilih pada setiap responden, dan diperoleh hasil bahwa usia, jenis kelamin, pekerjaan dan pengalaman menginap di green hotel secara bersama-sama tidak berpengaruh terhadap banyaknya keterpilihan kriteria green hotel terpilih dari setiap responden.