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Reliability of Expert Judgement Elicitation in the field of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
Get PDFThis thesis examines the reliability and validity of expert judgment in Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), particularly how judgments differ when experts are informed versus uninformed about context-specific details. The investigation centers on developing and testing performance metrics for expert judgments to evaluate their effectiveness in MCDA settings, where decision-making often depends on the accurate interpolation of missing or incomplete data.
Utilizing empirical research methods, the study systematically tests the accuracy of expert judgments by creating experimental conditions that mimic real-world data scenarios. This involves the preparation of multiple datasets, including basketball statistics and occupational safety metrics, where controlled missing values simulate incomplete information. The research then employs a data elicitation process where both expert and non-expert groups are surveyed to assess their ability to accurately interpret and fill data gaps. These groups are further divided into subgroups of informed and uninformed participants to rigorously test the impact of having contextual knowledge on the accuracy of their judgments.
Initial results indicate a significant enhancement in judgment accuracy when participants have access to contextual information, underscoring the importance of informed decision-making in MCDA. The study also highlights that while expert knowledge can partially compensate for a lack of specific data, the presence of detailed background information substantially improves the quality of decision- making across all participant groups. Moreover, this research contributes to methodological advancements in MCDA by proposing new metrics for assessing the reliability and validity of expert judgments. These metrics aim to standardize the evaluation of expert input and enhance the predictive accuracy of MCDA models, particularly in high-stakes environments where poor decisions can have severe consequences.
In conclusion, the thesis not only bridges significant gaps in empirical research concerning the reliability of expert judgment in MCDA but also proposes actionable strategies to enhance decision-making processes. This study lays the groundwork for future research aimed at refining these methodologies and expanding their application across diverse fields and decision contexts
Evaluating Self-Control Choice in a Child with Autism
No full textThis study began as a systematic replication of Ragotzy et al. (1988) using computer-presented choices between smaller, sooner (SS) and larger, later (LL) rewards. An 8-year-old student at a special education day program who was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder served as the participant. Phase 1 of the study involved an increase to the LL reward in 5 s increments. A planned phase 2 would have evaluated effects on self-control choice of increasing the delay to both the SS and LL rewards. This phase could not be implemented because the criterion to move to this phase was not met. Instead, a series of conditions manipulating the presentation of the task were conducted
A Component Analysis of Sleep-Conducive Behavior in a Young Adult with Autism
No full textChildren with autism often display sleep problems (i.e., difficulty falling and staying asleep). A lack of sleep has been associated with challenging behavior, decreased academic performance, and increased parental stress. Behavior analytic interventions have been found effective in increasing sleep. However, there is limited research evaluating interventions for improving sleep for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who reside in a residential group home. In addition, most studies have included multiple component interventions without an evaluation of whether all components were necessary. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a component analysis of interventions to determine which were most effective in decreasing the latency to sleep onset in individuals with autism at a residential group home. Components included prompting a bedtime routine, providing continuous access to soothing sounds, contingency review with delayed reinforcement, and bedtime fading. These components were systematically introduced until sleep-onset latency was reduced to criterion levels, and the effects of intervention was replicated using a reversal design. Sleep, or sleep-conducive behavior, defined as minimal motor movements and a resting heart rate, were obtained from a Fitbit. All treatment components were necessary for decreasing latency to sleep-conducive behavior to criterion levels for one adult man with ASD
PROMOTING MISSION THROUGH THE LAW REVIEW: ADVANCING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING
Get PDFA Foreword to Issue 2 of Western New England Law Review praising the publication\u27s dedication to Western New England Law School\u27s mission of advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
Long-term Analysis of Competing Stimuli in the Treatment of Automatically Maintained Problem Behavior
Get PDFAbstract
Competing stimulus assessments (CSAs) are used as pretreatment assessments to identify stimuli that, when made freely available, reduce problem behavior. Although CSAs have demonstrated broad utility across various topographies and classes of problem behavior, the extent to which improvements noted during the CSA persist over time is unknown. We conducted initial CSAs and long-term analyses for participants with automatically maintained problem behavior. High-competition stimuli were identified during the initial CSA for all participants. When the effects of leisure stimuli were evaluated over the course of 12 weeks, the outcomes remained relatively unchanged for four of the six participants. These findings suggest that stimuli identified via a CSA are likely to retain their efficacy over time, particularly for individuals who do not require modifications to identify competing stimuli
Effects of Single and Multiple Exemplar Training on Acquisition and Generalization of Functional Skills
Get PDFPrevious research has shown that Multiple Exemplar Training (MET) produces greater generalization than Single Exemplar Training (SET). The current study directly compares the effects of SET and MET using a parallel-treatments design. In the MET condition, we used a simplified approach to general case instruction called an instructional matrix. The instructional matrix borrowed elements from matrix training, such as organizing the relevant stimuli into a table to determine combinations for teaching and subsequent probing for generalization; and, it borrowed from general case instruction, the programming of common stimuli. The training and generalization settings were set up in the same way as multiple exemplar components are arranged in matrix training. In each axis of the matrix, there were variants of a single dimension of the context (e.g., a location or instruction). For each of 6 participants different functional skills were assigned to each of the two methods (SET and MET). Both methods, SET and MET, were effective in teaching the skills, but generalization results were superior using MET in 8 out of the 9 comparisons. Stakeholders were satisfied with outcomes, and they approved the procedures used
Preventing wounded warriors: Addressing gaps in education of joint protection strategies for the ROTC
Get PDFIn the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), injury during the first 9-weeks of training has the highest risk for injury (Sefton et al, 2016; Radzak et al, 2020; Wooldridge et al, 2022). Most injuries are musculoskeletal injuries (MSKI) and occur most of the time within the joint or supporting structures (Chiaramonte, 2019; Radzak et al, 2020). The cadets often do not fully understand the consequences to occupational domains from injuries, and fewer than half are confident to prevent injury (Wooldridge et al, 2022). Education of ergonomics in cadet-specific domains and non-specific domains is a barrier to cadets being independent of being able to prevent injuries in themselves and others. Specific domains are in reference to activities that a cadet would be expected to participate in as part of an ROTC program, where a nonspecific domain would be any other activity that any individual would participate in daily. The Preventing Wounded Warriors program was created as part of the 2024 Doctoral Experiential (DEx) capstone project to address the gaps in education for joint protection strategies for ROTC cadets. Over 14 weeks, the program gathered data from surveys and tests in a quasi-experimental format before four one-hour classes educational interventions in ergonomics were applied once per week for the participants (n = 6). At the conclusion of a participant group’s four weeks, post- survey (Appendix C) and test (Appendix D) data was gathered to measure the change in participant confidence and knowledge of joint-injury prevention
Pulling the Tap: Examining Ergonomic Intervention on Bartenders Experiencing Occupational Deficits
Get PDFMusculoskeletal disorders causing chronic pain has become a growing issue in the brewing industry and has caused workers to be prone to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and chronic pain. The explanation for this trend is due to engagement in repetitive motions such as lifting heavy or awkward objects, reaching, standing, bending, or twisting repetitively. Long term, these injuries can negatively impact occupational engagements outside of work. Current literature indicates that ergonomic educational programs can reduce musculoskeletal injuries for workers and be cost effective for small businesses. Data gathered from previous case studies related to breweries and ergonomic programs was used to deconstruct the positive correlation between workers in the brewery industry and improved productivity due to modifications in their body mechanics and strengthening and stretching routines. The implementation of an ergonomic program is largely attributable to changes in staff productivity and reducing susceptibility to injury
STOPPING THE SPREAD: CRITICAL DISABILITY THEORY TREATMENT OF THE ATTACK ON DISPARATE IMPACT DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS
Get PDFDuring a surge in the COVID pandemic, the Perkiomen Valley School District moved from mandatory masking to optional masking. This prevented some medically vulnerable children with conditions like asthma from safely attending school due to their increased risk of serious infection, prompting the children’s parents to bring suit on their behalf. The court found that while the optional policy was neutral on its face, it should nevertheless be enjoined because it prevented the students from having meaningful access to their education. This disproportionate impact on students with disabilities was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
To reach this result, the Perkiomen court applied the disparate impact theory of discrimination. All but one circuit have held that disparate impact claims are cognizable under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the ADA; the Sixth Circuit, however, set itself apart in 2019, creating a split by holding that only intentional discrimination is prohibited. The intentional discrimination framework would not have reached the school’s facially neutral masking policy.
While just one circuit has denied Section 504 or Title II disparate impact claims, the implications of that decision extend beyond the Sixth Circuit as more district courts rely on its ruling, joining the broader attack on disparate-impact-based civil rights discrimination claims. This Note argues that the Sixth Circuit’s narrow interpretation of these important disability laws is wrong. By applying several tenets of Critical Disability Theory, it highlights the ways that, by failing to consider the lived experiences of people with common impairments, society can unintentionally contribute to exclusion. Further, it examines the burdens that some courts claim make cases of disparate impact too costly to remedy, weighing the alleged burdens against the fundamental human rights, such as access to public schools, that these remedies protect. In this way, it provides future litigants with a new argument to protect the right to a remedy for disability discrimination using the disparate impact framework.
While the case and argument in this Note are set in the context of a school during the COVID pandemic, their relevance extends beyond that to the many public programs and services covered under Title II and Section 504
Unlimbited Wellness©: Peer Support for Psychosocial Wellness in Limb-Different Families
No full textParents of children with upper limb difference (ULD) face many secondary conditions to their limb difference. Some secondary conditions include depression and anxiety, and these psychosocial aspects can alter self-image, body image and the ability to feel comfortable in society as a person with limb difference. There is nominal research on the psychosocial components for this population and limited resources and peer support networks available to them. Occupational therapists (OT) can provide tools for parents of children with ULD to support their mental health concerns. The unique lens of OTs can supply different resources to improve the quality of life for this population through education, group support, and coping skills resources