The Potential of Conjoint Analysis for Communication Research

Surveys on choices oftentimes rely on Likert-type scales. However, they prevent researchers from identifying the relative importance of different stimulus features for the choice decision. Here, it is shown that conjoint analysis offers a variety of advantages emerging from its use of questions that force the subject to trade off conflicting attribute levels. This study discusses some problems of Likert-type scale measures and shows when conjoint analysis may solve some of these problems. Differences between measurements are illustrated in a uses and gratifications study, assessing convergent validity on Likert-type scale measures with traditional conjoint analysis and choice-based conjoint analysis. Results show that subjects prefer “cognitive needs” by Likert-type scale measures against “tension release needs” by both conjoint analyses. The different outcome is independent from linguistic variation and from dual-process models of information processing. Implications for communication research are discussed.     

Library use and information-seeking behavior of veterinary medical students

Veterinary medical students at Iowa State University were assessed for general use of the veterinary library and for their information-seeking behavior. The library was most frequently used for studying and for making photocopies of materials. The typical respondent relied on course textbooks and handouts for current information on unfamiliar topics, instead of using indexes or abstracts for guidance to recent literature. Light use of library information resources raises the concern that students are developing an inadequate base of retrieval skills for finding information on new procedures, diseases and drugs. No differences were found between students with and without formal bibliographic instruction in their approaches to seeking information or in library use.     

Do schools affect girls’ and boys’ reading performance differently? A multilevel study on the gendered effects of school resources and school practices

Few studies on male–female inequalities in education have elaborated on whether school characteristics affect girls’ and boys’ educational performance differently. This study investigated how school resources, being schools’ socioeconomic composition, proportion of girls, and proportion of highly educated teachers, and school practices, being schools’ application of well-rounded assessment methods, influenced girls’ and boys’ reading performance differently. We hypothesised that positive effects of school resources would be greater for boys than for girls, and that more frequent use of well-rounded assessment methods would be associated with increased girls’ and decreased boys’ reading performance. Using advanced multilevel analyses of 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data, we found that boys profited more than girls from having a large proportion of girls in school. Contrary to our expectations, girls gained more than boys from a school’s advantaged socioeconomic composition. These gendered effects of school resources were not explained by differences in school learning climate.     

A biomechanical comparison of countermovement performance after short-term traditional and daily-undulated loaded vertical jump training

In order to assess lower extremity muscle mechanical properties in athletes, power-load characteristics during multi-joint tasks are frequently examined. This work compared 6 weeks of traditional (TP) and daily-undulated (DUP) periodized loaded countermovement jumping (CMJ). 20 amateur athletes (age: 24.2 ± 2.6 years, height: 175.6 ± 7.1 cm, body mass: 71.5 ± 7.7 kg, 10 males/10 females) exercised three times weekly using maximal CMJs with loads corresponding to 0%, 15% and 30% of body mass. Prior to the training period, subjects were once-only assigned by random to either the TP or DUP training scheme. Pre-to-post training, maximal center of mass (COM) -height, -take-off velocity, -power output and -impulse were compared during CMJ with additional loads corresponding to 0–30% of body mass. ANOVA (time * group) with repeated measures revealed significant (P < 0.05) temporal gains of maximal COM-height (2–11%), -take-off velocity (1–7%), -power (2–8%) and -impulse (3–9%) over most loading conditions for TP and DUP. However, ANOVA indicated no group effects for any outcome. Independent from the periodization model, maximal power output remained statistically unchanged with increased testing loads. For short-term conditioning periods, TP and DUP were equally effective in enhancing biomechanical jumping variables under varying loading conditions.     

Use of information resources by veterinary practitioners

Veterinary practitioners are often isolated from easy access to information in medical or hospital libraries, making necessary the use of a variety of information resources. A survey was conducted to assess the extent to which various information resources were used within the veterinary profession. Most responding veterinarians were small-animal practitioners who used the veterinary literature, colleagues, diagnostic laboratories, continuing education courses, association meetings, and pharmaceutical representatives as sources of information. Books and other practitioners were the preferred information source in critical-care situations, followed closely by diagnostic laboratories and journals. For keeping up-to-date with current advances in veterinary medicine, journals, books, other practitioners, and continuing education were used. University extension services, veterinary medical libraries, and computer applications to information use were not important resources ot most of the respondents. Many veterinarians indicated that they would use library services if they knew more about them. With the trend toward computerization in veterinary practice, it is possible for libraries to help reduce the information isolation of many veterinary practices.