Cameron T. Whitley

Initial Validity Analysis of the Emergency Medicine Milestones.

OBJECTIVES The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Milestones describe behavioral markers for the progressive acquisition of competencies during residency. As a key component of the Next Accreditation System, all residents are evaluated for the acquisition of specialty-specific Milestones. The objective was to determine the validity and reliability of the emergency medicine (EM) Milestones. METHODS The ACGME and the American Board of Emergency Medicine performed this single-event observational study. The data included the initial EM Milestones performance ratings of all categorical EM residents submitted to the ACGME from October 31, 2013, to January 6, 2014. Mean performance ratings were determined for all 23 subcompetencies for every year of residency training. The internal consistency (reliability) of the Milestones was determined using a standardized Cronbachs alpha coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine how the subcompetencies were interrelated. RESULTS EM Milestone performance ratings were obtained on 100% of EM residents (n = 5,805) from 162 residency programs. The mean performance ratings of the aggregate and individual subcompetency scores showed discrimination between residency years, and the factor structure further supported the validity of the EM Milestones. The reliability was α = 0.96 within each year of training. CONCLUSIONS The EM Milestones demonstrated validity and reliability as an assessment instrument for competency acquisition. EM residents can be assured that this evaluation process has demonstrated validity and reliability; faculty can be confident that the Milestones are psychometrically sound; and stakeholders can know that the Milestones are a nationally standardized, objective measure of specialty-specific competency acquisition.

Political influences on greenhouse gas emissions from US states

Significance Population and affluence have long been seen as major drivers of environmental stress. A substantial empirical literature now substantiates their role in anthropogenic environmental change. Using data on greenhouse gas emission from US states, we show that the effects of population and affluence can be substantially moderated by political factors and in particular support for environmentalism. Our results indicate the potential of politics to ameliorate the effects of the scale of economic activity on the environment and our methods provide a vehicle for testing the influence of diverse hypothesized human drivers of environmental change. Starting at least in the 1970s, empirical work suggested that demographic (population) and economic (affluence) forces are the key drivers of anthropogenic stress on the environment. We evaluate the extent to which politics attenuates the effects of economic and demographic factors on environmental outcomes by examining variation in CO2 emissions across US states and within states over time. We find that demographic and economic forces can in part be offset by politics supportive of the environment—increases in emissions over time are lower in states that elect legislators with strong environmental records.

Trans-Kin Undoing and Redoing Gender: Negotiating Relational Identity among Friends and Family of Transgender Persons

The experiences of transgender persons have gained increased attention in academic discourse; however, few studies address how significant others, family members, friends, and allies (SOFFAs) process the transition of a loved one. This study seeks to fill this gap with research based on 133 observational hours and fifty interviews. Focusing on three relational identity themes—sexual orientation, social role, and religious identity—the findings suggest that SOFFAs use various intentional and unintentional strategies to negotiate relational identities. Furthermore, reflected appraisals and social stigma mediate the ability of SOFFAS to “undo” and “redo” gender when negotiating their relational identities.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words Applying Image-based Learning to Course Design

Although images are often used in the classroom to communicate difficult concepts, students have little input into their selection and application. This approach can create a passive experience for students and represents a missed opportunity for instructors to engage participation. By applying concepts found in visual sociology to techniques identified in the scholarship of teaching and learning, I created an image-based learning model to address this disconnect. I used discussion board image selection, posting and critique exercises (image-posts), and personal meaning maps (PMMs) as core assignments. This combination increased student comprehension, challenged and altered perceptions of key topics, and gave them a greater sense of agency through reflexive learning. Additionally, students’ reception of this model was favorable, with 97 percent reporting that the course met or exceeded their expectations and 95 percent reporting that they learned more in this class than in any previously taken college-level course.

Sustainability Behaviors among College Students: An Application of the VBN Theory.

Abstract While Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory has been widely applied to various populations, it has seldom been tested on college students. This study extends VBN theory to examine what socio-psychological factors influence sustainability behaviors among university students. Undergraduate students are an interesting and novel population, as they are still forming their values and beliefs, and therefore may be more open to engage in sustainability efforts. This study assessed five sustainability behaviors: (a) support for political candidates who say they will strengthen environmental policies, (b) recycling, (c) electricity use, (d) food selection, and (e) transportation choices. Findings support the notion that one’s values matter in environmental decision-making, but that different values are associated with different behaviors. Those who adhere to biospheric and altruistic values were more likely to engage in a range of sustainability behaviors whereas those who adhere to egoistic values were less likely to engage in most behaviors. Those who adhere to traditional or openness to change values showed mixed results. We discuss the theoretical application, practical recommendations for behavior change campaigns, and offer suggestions for future research.

Developing social responsibility and political engagement: Assessing the aggregate impacts of university civic engagement on associated attitudes and behaviors

Universities have become increasingly interested in incorporating civic engagement into undergraduate education with the goal of enhancing leadership skills and creating socially responsible global citizens. What is unclear is which educational experiences are most effective in achieving this goal. In this study, we seek to determine the impact of three types of educational experiences—curricular civic engagement, extra-curricular civic engagement, and participation in a living-learning community on social responsibility and political engagement (two components of civic engagement) attitudes and behaviors. Using a survey of 1240 undergraduates, our findings indicate that while all three types of experiences are positively related to civic engagement attitudes and behaviors, extra-curricular civic engagement has the most impact. Furthermore, student civic engagement attitudes are already relatively high; so instructors should focus on behaviors. The greatest potential for growth is in political engagement behaviors. We identify what this means for higher education and how implementations in the university can lead to increases in aggregate student development.

Animal Imagery in the Discourse of Climate Change

Science has long been recognized as having an important role in generating popular discourses on animals and the natural world, and the paucity of information on how animals are represented in popular science narratives of environmental degradation is striking. Our study begins to fill that gap. We examine representations of animals in articles on climate change published over two decades in the most widely read popular science magazine in the world, National Geographic. National Geographic uses a variety of animal representations to make salient the problem of a changing climate. Analysis of 108 photographs and their captions in articles on climate change revealed four major themes: vulnerability of wildlife to climate change, representation of animals as specimens in climate change adaptation and conservation, the contribution of food animal consumption to climate change, and the vulnerability of the livelihoods of draft animals (sled dogs) and their human companions to climate change. We conclude that popular science is contributing to an expanded public discourse on climate change that extends beyond the vulnerability of iconic wild megafauna to include insects and amphibians and issues facing the relationship we have with other animals, such as the widespread consumption of animals for food.

Delaying the American Board of Emergency Medicine Qualifying Examination Is Associated With Poorer Performance

OBJECTIVES The initial step in certification by the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) requires passing a multiple-choice-question qualifying examination. The qualifying examination is typically taken in the first year after residency training. This study was undertaken to determine if a delay in taking the qualifying examination is associated with poorer performance. The authors also examined the relationship between in-training examination scores and qualifying examination scores. METHODS This was a pooled time-series cross-section study. Primary measurements were initial qualifying examination scores, the timing of the qualifying examination, and in-training examination scores. The three groups, based on qualifying examination timing, were immediate, 1-year delay, and ≥2-year delay. In-training examination scores were analyzed to determine the relationship between intrinsic ability, examination timing, and qualifying examination scores. For analysis, a generic pooled ordinary least-squares dummy variable model with robust standard errors was used. A pre hoc level of significance was determined to be α < 0.01. RESULTS There were 16,353 qualifying examination test administrations between 2000 and 2012. In-training examination scores were positively correlated with qualifying examination scores (p < 0.001). The group pass rates were 98.9% immediate, 95.6% 1-year delay, and 86.6% ≥2-year delay. After controlling for in-training examination scores, delay taking the qualifying examination of 1 year was associated with a decrease in score of -0.6 (p = 0.003). A delay in taking the qualifying examination ≥2 years was associated with a decrease in score of -2.5 points (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS After accounting for innate ability using in-training examination scores, delay taking the qualifying examination was associated with poorer performance. This effect was more pronounced if the delay was ≥2 years.

Turking Statistics: Student-generated Surveys Increase Student Engagement and Performance

Thirty years ago, Hubert M. Blalock Jr. published an article in Teaching Sociology about the importance of teaching statistics. We honor Blalock’s legacy by assessing how using Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) in statistics classes can enhance student learning and increase statistical literacy among social science gradaute students. In addition, we assess whether using MTurk has an impact on student ability to make professional progress. We find that, compared to traditional teaching methods, using MTurk increased student performance, perceptions, and outcomes. In addition, using MTurk resulted in a measurable increase in statistical literacy. We recommend that instructors teaching statistics consider how MTurk or similar technologies can be used in their classrooms.

Public receptiveness to policies promoting plant-based diets: framing effects and social psychological and structural influences

ABSTRACT Governmental and non-governmental organizations, social movements, and academics have called for reductions in meat consumption due to the environmental, animal welfare, and public health consequences of industrial animal agribusiness. An impactful move toward plant-based diets would require changes in public policy. First, we assess if there are different social and structural factors that influence support for policies that promote plant-based diets. We look at four categories of policies (action frames) that will likely reduce meat consumption: environmental, animal welfare, public health, and direct meat reduction. Second, we use a manipulation rhetorical frame to see if support can be altered by providing individuals with information about meat reduction, framing the issue in terms of environmental protection, animal welfare, or public health. Different social and structural factors predict support for different policy groupings, meaning that it matters how policies are enclosed in action frames. However, providing information to individuals about a particular impact (rhetorical frame) has limited influence on policy support.