THE COMPLEMENTARY EFFECTS OF EMPATHY AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING ON PERSUASION CAPABILITIES

This paper investigates the possible complementary effects that training in empathy and nonverbal communication may have on persuasion capabilities. The narrative considers implications from the literature and describes an exploratory study in which students, in a managerial setting, were trained in empathy and nonverbal communication. Subsequent evaluations of these students by faculty evaluators and the students themselves provide preliminary evidence that training in empathy, on the one hand, and nonverbal communication on the other can be effective, but concurrent training in both of these is superior to concentration in only one. This is the first research report which deals with such concurrent training and its impact on persuasion effectiveness in business communication

Integrating Management, Research, and Monitoring: Balancing the 3-Legged Stool

Research and monitoring programs are often thought of as competing with “on the ground management” for attention and funding. This is false trichotomy; instead, it is more appropriate to view management, research, and monitoring as complementary endeavors, in which loss of any 1 of the 3 is disruptive to the remaining 2. There is often significant or even profound uncertainty about the system’s likely response to management, beyond environmental and other sources of uncontrolled variation. Sometimes this uncertainty can be reduced through directed research studies, including experimentation. However, management decisions usually cannot await the completion of elaborate, multiple-year studies. Adaptive resource management (ARM) provides managers a way to make optimal decisions with respect to resource objectives, given the current level of uncertainty about system response, and in anticipation that learning will improve decision-making through time. Under ARM, resource goals and objectives are always paramount and research and monitoring programs exist to provide managers with the tools they need to make better decisions. The essentials of ARM are clear, compelling, and critically needed in natural resource management. We can no longer afford the luxury, if we ever could, of management divorced from research and monitoring, and vice versa. By keeping the focus on management decision-making and resource objective outcomes, ARM places an explicit value on research and monitoring that then can be used to justify monitoring and research programs

On the Estimation of Detection Probabilities for Sampling Stream-Dwelling Fishes.

To examine the adequacy of fish probability of detection estimates, I examined distributional properties of survey and monitoring data for bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi), chinook salmon parr (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and steelhead /redband trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss spp.), from 178 streams in the Interior Columbia River Basin. Negative binomial dispersion parameters varied considerably among species and streams, but were significantly (P<0.05) positively related to fish density. Across streams, the variances in fish abundances differed greatly among species and indicated that the data for all species were overdispersed with respect to the Poisson (i.e., the variances exceeded the means). This significantly affected Poisson probability of detection estimates, which were the highest across species and were, on average, 3.82, 2.66, and 3.47 times greater than baseline values. Required sample sizes for species detection at the 95% confidence level were also lowest for the Poisson, which underestimated sample size requirements an average of 72% across species. Negative binomial and Poisson-gamma probability of detection and sample size estimates were more accurate than the Poisson and generally less than 10% from baseline values. My results indicate the Poisson and binomial assumptions often are violated, which results in probability of detection estimates that are biased high and sample size estimates that are biased low. To increase the accuracy of these estimates, I recommend that future studies use predictive distributions than can incorporate multiple sources of uncertainty or excess variance and that all distributional assumptions be explicitly tested

Ecologic and geographic distribution of filovirus disease

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no1/03-0125.htmWe used ecologic niche modeling of outbreaks and sporadic cases of filovirus-associated hemorrhagic fever (HF) to provide a large-scale perspective on the geographic and ecologic distributions of Ebola and Marburg viruses. We predicted that filovirus would occur across the Afrotropics: Ebola HF in the humid rain forests of central and western Africa, and Marburg HF in the drier and more open areas of central and eastern Africa. Most of the predicted geographic extent of Ebola HF appear to have been observed; Marburg HF has the potential to occur farther south and east. Ecologic conditions appropriate for Ebola HF are also present in Southeast Asia and the Philippines, where Ebola Reston is hypothesized to be distributed. This first large-scale ecologic analysis provides a framework for a more informed search for taxa that could constitute the natural reservoir for this virus family

Modelling pinniped abundance and distribution by combining counts at T terrestrial sites and in-water sightings

Pinnipeds are commonly monitored using aerial photographic surveys at land- or ice-based sites, where animals come ashore for resting, pupping, molting, and to avoid predators. Although these counts form the basis for monitoring population change over time, they do not provide information regarding where animals occur in the water, which is often of management and conservation interest. In this study, we developed a hierarchical model that links counts of pinnipeds at terrestrial sites to sightings-at-sea and estimates abundance, spatial distribution, and the proportion of time spent on land (attendance probability). The structure of the model also allows for the inclusion of predictors that may explain variation in ecological and observation processes. We applied the model to Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Glacier Bay, Alaska using counts of sea lions from aerial photographic surveys and opportunistic in-water sightings from vessel surveys. Glacier Bay provided an ideal test and application of the model because data are available on attendance probability based on long-term monitoring. We found that occurrence in the water was positively related to proximity to terrestrial sites, as would be expected for a species that engages in central-place foraging. The proportion of sea lions in attendance at terrestrial sites and overall abundance estimates were consistent with reports from the literature and monitoring programs. The model we describe has benefit and utility for park managers who wish to better understand the overlap between pinnipeds and visitors, and the framework that we present has potential for application across a variety of study systems and taxa

Moderators and Predictors of Response to Behavior Therapy for Tics in Tourette Syndrome

Objective: To examine moderators and predictors of response to behavior therapy for tics in children and adults with Tourette syndrome and chronic tic disorders. Methods: Data from 2 10-week, multisite studies (1 in children and 1 in adults; total n = 248) comparing comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT) to psychoeducation and supportive therapy (PST) were combined for moderator analyses. Participants (177 male, 71 female) had a mean age of 21.5 ± 13.9 years (range 9–69). Demographic and clinical characteristics, baseline tic-suppressing medication, and co-occurring psychiatric disorders were tested as potential moderators for CBIT vs PST or predictors of outcome regardless of treatment assignment. Main outcomes measures were the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale Total Tic score and the Clinical Global Impression–Improvement score assessed by masked evaluators. Results: The presence of tic medication significantly moderated response to CBIT vs PST (p = 0.01). Participants showed tic reduction after CBIT regardless of tic medication status, but only participants receiving tic medication showed reduction of tics after PST. Co-occurring psychiatric disorders, age, sex, family functioning, tic characteristics, and treatment expectancy did not moderate response. Across both treatments, greater tic severity (p = 0.005) and positive participant expectancy (p = 0.01) predicted greater tic improvement. Anxiety disorders (p = 0.042) and premonitory urge severity (p = 0.005) predicted lower tic reduction. Conclusions: Presence of co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or anxiety disorders did not moderate response to CBIT. Although participants on tic medication showed improvement after CBIT, the difference between CBIT and PST was greater for participants who were not on tic-suppressing medication. ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: The child and adult CBIT studies are listed on clinical trials.gov (NCT00218777 and NCT00231985, respectively). Classification of evidence: This study provides Class I evidence that CBIT is effective in reducing tic severity across subgroups of patients with chronic tic disorders, although the difference between treatments was smaller for participants on tic-suppressing medications, suggesting reduced efficacy in this subgroup

Neurocognitive Correlates of Treatment Response in Children with Tourette\u27s Disorder

This paper examined neurocognitive functioning and its relationship to behavior treatment response among youth with Tourette\u27s Disorder (TD) in a large randomized controlled trial. Participants diagnosed with TD completed a brief neurocognitive battery assessing inhibitory functions, working memory, and habit learning pre- and post-treatment with behavior therapy (CBIT, Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics) or psychoeducation plus supportive therapy (PST). At baseline, youth with tics and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibited some evidence of impaired working memory and simple motor inhibition relative to youth with tics without ADHD. Additionally, a small negative association was found between antipsychotic medications and youth\u27s performance speed. Across treatment groups, greater baseline working memory and aspects of inhibitory functioning were associated with a positive treatment response; no between-group differences in neurocognitive functioning at post-treatment were identified. Within the behavior therapy group, pre-treatment neurocognitive status did not predict outcome, nor was behavior therapy associated significant change in neurocognitive functioning post-treatment. Findings suggest that co-occurring ADHD is associated with some impairments in neurocognitive functioning in youth with Tourette\u27s Disorder. While neurocognitive predictors of behavior therapy were not found, participants who received behavior therapy exhibited significantly reduced tic severity without diminished cognitive functioning

Impact of employees' character strengths of wisdom on stress and creative performance

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90584/1/j.1748-8583.2010.00157.x.pd

A Multicenter Examination and Strategic Revisions of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale

Objective To examine the internal consistency and distribution of the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) scores to inform modification of the measure. Methods This cross-sectional study included 617 participants with a tic disorder (516 children and 101 adults), who completed an age-appropriate diagnostic interview and the YGTSS to evaluate tic symptom severity. The distributions of scores on YGTSS dimensions were evaluated for normality and skewness. For dimensions that were skewed across motor and phonic tics, a modified Delphi consensus process was used to revise selected anchor points. Results Children and adults had similar clinical characteristics, including tic symptom severity. All participants were examined together. Strong internal consistency was identified for the YGTSS Motor Tic score (α = 0.80), YGTSS Phonic Tic score (α = 0.87), and YGTSS Total Tic score (α = 0.82). The YGTSS Total Tic and Impairment scores exhibited relatively normal distributions. Several subscales and individual item scales departed from a normal distribution. Higher scores were more often used on the Motor Tic Number, Frequency, and Intensity dimensions and the Phonic Tic Frequency dimension. By contrast, lower scores were more often used on Motor Tic Complexity and Interference, and Phonic Tic Number, Intensity, Complexity, and Interference. Conclusions The YGTSS exhibits good internal consistency across children and adults. The parallel findings across Motor and Phonic Frequency, Complexity, and Interference dimensions prompted minor revisions to the anchor point description to promote use of the full range of scores in each dimension. Specific minor revisions to the YGTSS Phonic Tic Symptom Checklist were also proposed

Using Modeling and Simulation to Examine the Benefits of a Network Tasking Order

The Global Information Grid (GIG) is the military’s computer and communications network which supports the myriad of military missions. Military missions are highly planned, passing through many hands in the strategy-to-task methodology to ensure completeness, accuracy, coordination, cohesion, and appropriateness. A benefit of this planning is the possibility to collect knowledge of future conditions that could be of use to network designers whose goals include optimizing and protecting the GIG. This advanced knowledge includes which networked military equipment will be involved, what their capabilities are, where they will be, when they will be there, and particulars on the required data flows. A Network Tasking Order process is proposed as a means of collecting this information, analyzing the information to generate network taskings, and disseminating those taskings. Tactical integration of assets in mobile networks is introduced as another planning variable in the battlefield; not unlike logistical considerations such as fuel, ammunition, water, and so on used currently in operation planning. Modeling and simulation is used to support the proposed benefits