Design of Paper-Based Visual Analogue Scale Items

Paper-based visual analogue scale (VAS) items were developed 100 years ago. Although they gained great popularity in clinical and medical research for assessing pain, they have been scarcely applied in other areas of psychological research for several decades. However, since the beginning of digitization, VAS have attracted growing interest among researchers for carrying out computerized and paper-based data assessments. In the present study, we investigated the research question “Which different design characteristics of paper-based VAS items are preferred by women and men?” Based on a sample of 115 participants (68 female), our results revealed that the respondents preferred a paper-based VAS item with a horizontal, 8-cm long, 3 DTP (“desktop publishing point”) wide, black line, with flat line endpoints, and the ascending numerical anchors “0” and “10”, both for women and men. Although we did not identify any gender difference in these characteristics, our findings uncovered clear preferences on how to design paper-based VAS items.     

1. Franz Weinert/Heinz Mandl (Hrsg.): Psychologie der Erwachsenenbildung. Enzyklopädie der Erwachsenenbildung. Serie I. Pädagogische Psychologie. Band 4

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Intercultural competence through cultural self-study: A strategy for adult learners

The author presents a strategy for increasing adult intercultural sensitivity and effectiveness that has emerged from cumulative lessons of twelve years teaching cross-cultural psychology to undergraduates. Following a tightly structured protocol, learners complete a rigorous process of utilizing concepts of culture in a self-study exercise. Subsequently they are vastly more fluent in applying these concepts in research and in intercultural situations. Students internalize concepts of culture in a way that they comprehend the power of culture, through recognition, both cognitively and emotionally, of how they are the vehicles for the expression of culture. The author presents an explanation of processes that mediate this learning, and a set of five propositions for further exploring the connection between cultural self-study and intercultural competence. Offered are a detailed example of a self-study protocol and practical advice about pedagogical factors that can facilitate or restrain reflexive cultural learning. Throughout, students’ writings are used to illustrate the feasibility and emotional power of the self-study process. This report is presented in the hope of stimulating exchange among teachers and trainers using cultural self-study with various populations, in different settings, for multiple purposes. Future studies of outcome, in terms of both knowledge and intercultural skill, are needed to advance development of the method.