Do required fields in online surveys in the social sciences impair reliability?

ABSTRACT

The present study is the first to examine empirically whether required fields in online surveys impair reliability and response pattern, as participants forced to respond to all items may provide arbitrary answers. Two hundred and thirteen participants completed a survey consisting of six questionnaires testing personal and social issues and perceptions. They were randomly assigned to one of two versions of the survey: optional-fields (N = 104) or required-fields (N = 109). Comparison of the Cronbach’s alpha of the two versions revealed identical reliability values for all questionnaires, save for somatization, where a minor difference was found. Confirmatory factor analysis showed no difference in the factor structure of the two versions, and no differences were found by Bayesian t-test and Levene’s test for equality of variances. The findings suggest that required fields do not impair reliability or change the response pattern, and therefore can be used in online surveys to prevent missing data.     

Childhood depression and spirituality: Insights for spiritually sensitive child-centred social work interventions

Based on a one-year longitudinal study of 1,769 children from schools across countries diagnosed with depressive symptoms, this randomized, controlled, trial-based research has investigated the influences and impact on childhood depression of two kinds of spiritual programs, customized and open-ended. Results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test showed that children had lower scores on depression scales and higher scores on the happiness scale post-intervention. Results of the logistic regression analysis and structural equation models specifically highlighted that boys, Christians, children from the middle class, and those who underwent the customized spiritual program were more likely to exhibit lower depressive symptoms and greater happiness, post-intervention. The implications of these findings for social work with depressed children have been discussed.     

南社研究没有统一协调的学术研究机构和学术研究组织

从九十年代中期开始，中国大陆掀起了一阵阵南社研究的热潮。总的来看，在十几年中，南社研究取得了许多可喜可贺的成果，但近几年来南社研究却步履艰难，进展缓慢。2007年6月，我在上海参加了一次南社学术研讨会，对南社研究中存在的一些问题发表了个人的看法。我认为，目前南社研究存在着很多问题。其中一个非常重要的问题就是南社研究总体上处于一个比较混乱无序的状态。     

Nb_2O_5掺杂对MnCoNi系NTC热敏电阻材料的影响

采用Ｘ射线衍射分析、ＳＥＭ、阻值测量等手段，通过实验研究了Ｎｂ２Ｏ５掺杂对ＭｎＣｏＮｉ系ＮＴＣ热敏电阻材料的影响。以ＭｎＣｏＮｉ系为基，掺入适量的Ｎｂ２Ｏ５后，其阻温特性变化规律与传统Ｍｎ－ＣｏＮｉ系材料一致，同时室温阻值、Ｂ值略有增加，电学稳定性提高了两倍以上。     

Predictors of Continued Conflict After Divorce or Separation: Evidence From a High-Conflict Group Treatment Program

High-conflict divorces appear to be different than other divorces due to the magnitude of ongoing hostile interactions and court involvement. This study assessed whether agreement, communication, and the beliefs that co-parents held regarding child welfare contributed toward conflict of divorced or separated co-parents. Results suggest that co-parents' communication and ability to agree with each other differed significantly based on the number of times they returned to court. Co-parents' agreement and their beliefs regarding child welfare predicted their perceived relationship quality. The findings indicate that these factors would likely be useful to address in treatment practices.     

Health Care and Female Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Health Professionals' Perspectives

The present study explored health professionals' experiences with adult survivors of child sexual abuse in New Zealand. Face-to-face, semistructured interviews of up to an hour took place with 13 health professionals. The participants were asked about training, screening practices, their response to disclosures, and advice to other health professionals. A model—transition to ethical practice—emerged from the data, where delivering more sensitive health care to child sexual abuse survivors sits on a continuum from lack of awareness of child sexual abuse to delivery of care where all patients are comfortable. We recommend making sensitive care for all as the standard care of practice and providing training for health professionals on how to deal with disclosures.     

Guidelines for Conducting a Victim-Sensitive Interview

Victim sensitive interviews allow the adult investigator to gather vital facts from a child. Within these interviews, the investigator is provided with an opportunity to elicit responses from the child regarding allegations that have taken place. These allegations often have many origins and may involve sexual impropriety, abuse, taunting, and torture of a physical nature, verbal nature, or both. The purpose of this article is to provide standardized guidelines that can assist individuals from various occupational fields in conducting victim sensitive interviews. The standardized guidelines provided offer an assemblage of general principles that have consistently appeared within literature as well as in manuals provided by various jurisdictions. These guidelines refer to a practice of conduct that is recommended; however, variance with implementation is allowed. It is assumed that the reader brings a level of clinical experience to the material provided in this article.     

Weak ties and the core discussion network: Why people regularly discuss important matters with unimportant alters

Researchers have paid increasing attention to the core discussion network, the set of friends and family people turn to when discussing important matters. For nearly thirty years, social network researchers have argued that the network is composed of ego's closest or most important alters. This assumption, however, has not been tested empirically. Using original data on an online representative quota survey of 2000 respondents, I find that 45% of the core discussion network is composed of people whom respondents do not consider important to them. In fact, the core discussion network includes doctors, co-workers, spiritual leaders, and other alters whom ego confides in without feeling emotionally attached to. I examine what respondents consider important matters and why they approach weak ties to discuss these. Placing emphasis on the process through which ego mobilizes alters, I develop two theoretical perspectives, which focus on how people identify those appropriate to a topic and how they respond to opportunities in interactional contexts. Findings suggest that ego discusses important matters with non-close alters at times because they are known to be knowledgeable (targeted mobilization) and at times because they are available when important issues arise (opportune mobilization). Results suggest that recent findings about changes in the core discussion network of Americans are consistent with several different possibilities about the nature of strong ties, including those in which there has been no change at all.     

“自然美”的展现及其塑造--以电视节目主持人为视觉

随着我国电视节目的蓬勃发展,出现了越来越多的优秀主持人,而主持人是一个节目的“形象代言人”。所以作为一名主持人,更应该具备“美”的基本素质。主持人的“美”应该是最贴近生活的自然美。     

基于共词分析的国内职业成长研究的热点探析

职业成长已成为无边界职业生涯时代工作选择的重要标准。以中国知网作为检索来源,输入“职业成长”作为主题词,确定文献类型为学术期刊,一共检索到217篇相关论文;并利用共词分析法对样本进行分析,综合运用SATI、SPSS、Ucinet等软件输出研究现状的分析图谱,从而确定出现有研究领域的8个热点范围：职业成长的基本理论研究、教师职业成长的思考、辅导员职业成长路径与工作、职业生涯与职业环境、企业员工的职业成长、教育教学与职业素质、管理者或企业家的职业成长机制、职场与职业能力;最后在分析结果的基础上对未来进行展望,从而为国内的相关研究提供一定参考。