Testing the Production Effect in Memory for Words

Previous research on the production effect shows that reading words aloud improves people’s memory for those words compared to words read silently. The purpose of our study was to extend this research to see if reading words aloud would improve people’s memory compared to hearing someone else say the words aloud. We also wanted to see if the production effect depends on the type of words (abstract or concrete words) and the type of memory test (recall or recognition). Participants were shown 30 words, one at a time, with each word presented for 4 seconds on a PowerPoint slide. Half of the words were abstract words (such as value and reason) and the other half were concrete words (such as table and paper). One group was instructed to read each word aloud as it appeared on the screen. A second group was instructed to read each word silently as it appeared. In the third group, as each word appeared on the screen, participants heard an audio recording of the word spoken aloud by one of the researchers. After all 30 words were presented, the participants were asked to recall the words by writing down as many as they could remember. Next, they completed a recognition memory test in which they were given a sheet containing the 30 presented words mixed together with 30 words that were not presented in the PowerPoint. They were asked to circle the words that they remembered being presented earlier. We then compared participants’ memory performance to see if there were any significant differences among the groups, and whether the differences depended on the type of words or the type of memory test used

The number of inpatient consultations is negatively correlated with patient satisfaction in patients with prolonged hospital stays

Patient satisfaction is often measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey. Our aim was to examine the structural and clinical determinants of satisfaction among inpatients with prolonged lengths of stays (LOS)

Who is a Bennie? Who is a Johnie? An Analysis of Campus Inclusivity

The Hynes Scholars are a group of sophomore CSB students who spend a year engaged in learning and research related to gender and leadership. This year they are conducting research to understand how students and alumni conceptualize the “Bennie” and “Johnnie” identities and how to enhance inclusivity on the campuses of CSB/SJU

The number of inpatient consultations is negatively correlated with patient satisfaction in patients with prolonged hospital stays

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction is often measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey. Our aim was to examine the structural and clinical determinants of satisfaction among inpatients with prolonged lengths of stays (LOS). METHODS: Adult patients who were admitted between 2009 and 2012, had a LOS ≥ 21 days, and completed the HCAHPS survey were included. Univariate analyses assessed the relationship between satisfaction and patient/system variables. Recursive partitioning was used to examine the relative importance of the identified variables. RESULTS: 101 patients met inclusion criteria. The average LOS was 35 days and 58% were admitted to a surgical service. Satisfaction with physician communication was significantly associated with fewer consultations (p<0.01), non-operative admission (p<.001), no ICU stay (p<.01), non-surgical service (p<.01), and non-ER admissions (p=.03). Among these, having fewer consultations had the highest relative importance. CONCLUSIONS: In long stay patients, having fewer inpatient consultations was the strongest predictor of patient satisfaction with physician communication. This suggests that examination of patient-level data in clinically relevant subgroups may be a useful way to identify targets for quality improvement