Objective and subjective indicators: Effects of scale discordance on interrelationships

Researchers in the social indicator movement are increasingly aware of the value of obtaining both subjective and objective measures. At the same time there is a recognition of the need to understand relationships between the types of measures. Studies utilizing both subjective and objective measures indicate that while relationships between them exist, relationships are often not strong. This paper suggests several explanations for such imperfect relationships. One is scale discordance, a term used to recognize that the territorial base of an individual's subjective evaluation may not coincide with the boundaries of the unites used for the collection of objective data. Using data from a metropolitan area study, relationships between objective measures of crime and respondents' feelings of safety are examined for people whose perceptions of neighborhoods vary in size. The hypothesis that the relationship between the objective and subjective measures is stronger among individuals whose view of neighborhood size is in line with the relatively large territorial base for objective crime statistics is tested and found to be correct. Implications of the findings for research and policy making are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43701/1/11205_2004_Article_BF00364601.pd

Sustainable Development Policies as Indicators and Pre-Conditions for Sustainability Efforts at Universities: fact or fiction?

Purpose - There is a widely held belief that Sustainable Development (SD) policies are essential for universities to successfully engage in matters related to sustainability, and are an indicator of the extent to which they are active in this field. This paper examines the evidence which currently exists to support this assumption. It surveys a sample of universities in Brazil, Germany, Greece, Portugal, South Africa, United Kingdom (UK) and United States of America (USA) to ascertain the extent to which universities that are active in the field of sustainable development have formal policies on sustainable development, and whether such policies are a pre-condition for successful sustainability efforts. Design/methodology/approach –The study involved 35 universities in these seven countries (five universities respectively). A mixed-methods approach has been used, ranging from document analysis, website analysis, questionnaires and interviewing. Findings – Although only 60% of the sampled universities had a policy that specifically addressed SD, this cannot be regarded as an indicator that the remaining 40% are not engaged with substantial actions that address SD. Indeed, all of the universities in the sample, regardless of the existence of a SD formal policy, demonstrated engagement with environmental sustainability policies or procedures in some form or another. This research has been limited by the availability and ability to procure information from the sampled universities. Despite this, it is one of the largest research efforts of this kind ever performed. Originality/value – Our findings provide some valuable insights about the connections between SD policies on the one hand, and the practice of SD in higher education institutions on the other

Work status and the quality of life

The general thesis from which this paper derived is that objective conditions are related to perceptions and evaluations of those conditions, but that such relationships are mediated by personal characteristics such as expectation and aspiration levels, and other motivational factors. The specific relationship examined is that between work status and overall life satisfaction among women. Although there is little difference in average levels of life satisfaction expressed by housewives and by women working outside the home, substantial differences emerge when women are distinguished by their motivation with respect to paid work: among women who want jobs, working women are more satisfied with their lives than are housewives; while among those who would prefer not to work, housewives are more satisfied. Evidence is also found in support of a hypothesis that work tends to be less central to the overall quality of women's lives than is true for men.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43690/1/11205_2004_Article_BF00353134.pd

A study of the impact of individual thermal control on user comfort in the workplace: Norwegian cellular vs. British open plan offices

In modern offices, user control is being replaced by centrally operated thermal systems, and in Scandinavia, personal offices by open plan layouts. This study examined the impact of user control on thermal comfort and satisfaction. It compared a workplace, which was designed entirely based on individual control over the thermal environment, to an environment that limited thermal control was provided as a secondary option for fine-tuning: Norwegian cellular and British open plan offices. The Norwegian approach provided each user with control over a window, door, blinds, heating and cooling as the main thermal control system. In contrast, the British practice provided a uniform thermal environment with limited openable windows and blinds to refine the thermal environment for occupants seated around the perimeter of the building. Field studies of thermal comfort were applied to measure users’ perception of thermal environment, empirical building performance and thermal control. The results showed a 30% higher satisfaction and 18% higher comfort level in the Norwegian offices compared to the British practices. However, the energy consumption of the Norwegian case studies was much higher compared to the British ones. A balance is required between energy efficiency and user thermal comfort in the workplace

A rapid screening tool for psychological distress in children 3--6years old: results of a validation study.

International audienceABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The mental health needs of young children in humanitarian contexts often remain unaddressed. The lack of a validated, rapid and simple tool for screening combined with few mental health professionals able to accurately diagnose and provide appropriate care mean that young children remain without care. Here, we present the results of the principle cross-cultural validation of the "Psychological Screening for Young Children aged 3 to 6" (PSYCAa3-6). The PSYCa 3--6 is a simple scale for children 3 to 6 years old administered by non-specialists, to screen young children in crises and thereby refer them to care if needed. METHODS: This study was conducted in Maradi, Niger. The scale was translated into Hausa, using corroboration of independent translations. A cross-cultural validation was implemented using quantitative and qualitative methods. A random sample of 580 mothers or caregivers of children 3 to 6 years old were included. The tool was psychometrically examined and diagnostic properties were assessed comparing the PSYCa 3--6 against a clinical interview as the gold standard. RESULTS: The PSYCa 3--6 Hausa version demonstrated good concurrent validity, as scores correlated with the gold standard and the Clinical Global Impression Severity Scale (CGI-S) [rho = 0.41, p-value = 0.00]. A reduction procedure was used to reduce the scale from 40 to 22 items. The test-retest reliability of the PSYCa 3--6 was found to be high (ICC 0.81, CI95% [0.68; 0.89]). In our sample, although not the purpose of this study, approximately 54 of 580 children required subsequent follow-up with a psychologist. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first validation of a screening scale for children 3 to 6 years old with a cross-cultural validation component, for use in humanitarian contexts. The Hausa version of the PSYCa 3--6 is a reliable and a valuable screening tool for psychological distress. Further studies to replicate our findings and additional validations of the PSYCa 3--6 in other populations may help improve the delivery of mental health care to children

Evaluating Open and Conventional Office Design

In an attempt to overcome limitations characteristics of past evaluations, a con ceptual model is presented as a guide to evaluators in collecting and analyzing data on office environments. A number of components of the model are then examined using data from a study of a new federal office building. Findings cooroborate those reported by others in showing that conventional offices are viewed more favorably by people occupying them than workers in either open or pooled office arrangements. The amount of workspace available to the worker is the most important factor associated with work station satisfaction, even after taking into account the type of work station and the workers' ratings of specific work station attributes. It is also demonstrated that people's feelings about the ambience of the agency within which they work and the architecture of the building influence their reactions to the immediate workspace. It is sug gested that space planners and designers who want their work appreciated by the user need concern themselves with the details of the workspace as well as the larger scale environment.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67299/2/10.1177_0013916582143005.pd

Measuring Overall Architectural Quality

Using data from a post-occupancy evaluation of an award-winning federal office building, asthetic or architectural quality and the factors associated with it are considered. Various measures of quality are derived from responses to questionnaires administered to three user groups: the office workers, public visitors, and the community at large. Findings show that, on average, the public is likely to agree the building is worthy of its architectural awards. The office workers on the other hand, tend to rate the architectural quality of the building poorly. The analysis demonstrates that views on architectural quality are significantly related to the way workers assess the building as a place to work and the general ambience of their particular agency. Agency ambience is seen as having both asthetic components and functional components such as noise levels, temperature, and people movement. It is suggested that linkages exist in the minds of occupants between the quality of the workplace including its nonaesthetic components and assessments of overall architectural quality.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66672/2/10.1177_0013916582146002.pd

Factors Influencing Individual Recycling Behavior in Office Settings

This study explores office recycling behavior and its antecedents through a survey administered to 1,788 workers in Taipei, Taiwan. The instrument measured household and office recycling behavior, commitment to and motives for recycling, and the convenience of carrying out recycling in their office settings. Prior experience was shown to be an excellent predictor of office-based conservation behavior. However, to be effective, prior experience must be of the same specificity as the office behavior being predicted. Thus prior experience with general household recycling was effective at predicting general office recycling behavior, but was unable to predict more specific recycling behavior. Likewise, prior experience with a particular material—In this instance paper—predicted office conservation behavior with respect to that material alone. Organizational commitment and individual commitment were found to be modest predictors of office-based conservation behavior, although economic motivation was not found to be a particularly effective predictor of such behavior. Implications for office-based recycling programs are discussed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67924/2/10.1177_0013916595273006.pd