Nature in cities serves a multitude of purposes, one of which is that it provides citizens opportunities to recover from stressful daily urban life. Such stress recovering effects of nature can be experienced through urban green, which in urban planning and design contexts can be divided into large natural areas - urban green space - and small scale elements in urban streets: the urban greenscape. The current study aims at finding the extent to which various small scale natural elements in residential streets and their possible configurations influence citizens' preferences for those streets. The research was conducted through an online survey in four cities in the Netherlands (n = 4,956). It used stated choice methods in a virtual environment street design. The method yielded high quality data, indicating that the use of virtual environments and imagery is suitable for stated choice research in the built environment. The results show that especially trees very strongly influence preference, indicating they deserve more attention and space in cities. Grass, which is typically favored by local governments, and vertical green have the smallest effects in residential streets. Furthermore, the concept of greenscape intensity is introduced as the intensities of both the element and the configuration were found to be highly relevant. The results clearly show that the higher either of these intensities, the more likely a respondent will prefer the greenscape design. Furthermore, low intensity on the one can be compensated by high intensity on the other. With these results, urban design professionals and local governments can better trade-off the different aspects of costs versus positive effects of urban greenscape designs.
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Background: During the process of decision-making for long-term care, clients are often dependent on informal support and available information about quality ratings of care services. However, clients do not take ratings into account when considering preferred care, and need assistance to understand their preferences. A tool to elicit preferences for long-term care could be beneficial. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative descriptive study is to understand the user requirements and develop a web-based preference elicitation tool for clients in need of longterm care. Methods: We applied a user-centred design in which end-users influence the development of the tool. The included end-users were clients, relatives, and healthcare professionals. Data collection took place between November 2017 and March 2018 by means of meetings with the development team consisting of four users, walkthrough interviews with 21 individual users, video-audio recordings, field notes, and observations during the use of the tool. Data were collected during three phases of iteration: Look and feel, Navigation, and Content. A deductive and inductive content analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results: The layout was considered accessible and easy during the Look and feel phase, and users asked for neutral images. Users found navigation easy, and expressed the need for concise and shorter text blocks. Users reached consensus about the categories of preferences, wished to adjust the content with propositions about well-being, and discussed linguistic difficulties. Conclusion: By incorporating the requirements of end-users, the user-centred design proved to be useful in progressing from the prototype to the finalized tool ‘What matters to me’. This tool may assist the elicitation of client’s preferences in their search for long-term care.
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Objective: Dialysis patients frequently report a change of taste that is reversible after renal transplantation, suggesting that uremic toxins may negatively influence taste. Currently, frequent nocturnal home hemodialysis (NHHD) is the most effective method of hemodialysis, and is associated with the lowest levels of uremic toxins. We studied preferences for various foods as an indicator of taste perception. We questioned whether food preference differs between NHHD patients and those on conventional hemodialysis. Design and Patients: In this transverse, cross-sectional pilot study, we assessed food preference by means of a questionnaire for patients on NHHD (n = 6; 8 hours of dialysis per night, for 5 or 6 nights a week) and 3 age-matched and sex-matched control groups: chronic home hemodialysis patients (HHD; n = 9; 4 to 5 hours of dialysis per day, 3 days a week), chronic in-center hemodialysis patients (CHD; n = 18; 4 to 5 hours of dialysis per day, 3 days a week), and healthy control subjects (HC; n = 23). Results: Mean scores for food preference did not differ between groups (P = .32). Similarly, the preference for product groups did not differ between groups. On an individual product level, we found only minor differences. The NHHD patients had a preference for savory snacks, as did the HC and CHD groups, whereas the HHD group had a preference for sweet snacks (P < .05). Hemodialysis patients reported dry mouth more often than did the HC patients (P < .05). Conclusions: Frequent NHHD has no major impact on food preference. The change in taste reported by NHHD patients is not related to their particular food preferences. © 2010 National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
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Introduction: Zygomatic fractures can be diagnosed with either computed tomography (CT) or direct digital radiography (DR). The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of CT dose reduction on the preference for facial CT versus DR for accurate diagnosis of isolated zygomatic fractures. Materials and methods: Eight zygomatic fractures were inflicted on four human cadavers with a free fall impactor technique. The cadavers were scanned using eight CT protocols, which were identical except for a systematic decrease in radiation dose per protocol, and one DR protocol. Single axial CT images were displayed alongside a DR image of the same fracture creating a total of 64 dual images for comparison. A total of 54 observers, including radiologists, radiographers and oral and maxillofacial surgeons, made a forced choice for either CT or DR. Results: Forty out of 54 observers (74%) preferred CT over DR (all with P < 0.05). Preference for CT was maintained even when radiation dose reduced from 147.4 mSv to 46.4 mSv (DR dose was 6.9 mSv). Only a single out of all raters preferred DR (P ¼ 0.0003). The remaining 13 observers had no significant preference. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that preference for axial CT over DR is not affected by substantial (~70%) CT dose reduction for the assessment of zygomatico-orbital fractures.
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Purpose: Collaborative deliberation comprises personal engagement, recognition of alternative actions, comparative learning, preference elicitation, and preference integration. Collaborative deliberation may be improved by assisting preference elicitation during shared decision-making. This study proposes a framework for preference elicitation to facilitate collaborative deliberation in long-term care consultations. Methods: First, a literature overview was conducted comprising current models for the elicitation of preferences in health and social care settings. The models were reviewed and compared. Second, qualitative research was applied to explore those issues that matter most to clients in long-term care. Data were collected from clients in long-term care, comprising 16 interviews, 3 focus groups, 79 client records, and 200 online client reports. The qualitative analysis followed a deductive approach. The results of the literature overview and qualitative research were combined. Results: Based on the literature overview, five overarching domains of preferences were described: “Health”, “Daily life”, “Family and friends”, ”Living conditions”, and “Finances”. The credibility of these domains was confirmed by qualitative data analysis. During interviews, clients addressed issues that matter in their lives, including a “click” with their care professional, safety, contact with loved ones, and assistance with daily structure and activities. These data were used to determine the content of the domains. Conclusion: A framework for preference elicitation in long-term care is proposed. This framework could be useful for clients and professionals in preference elicitation during collaborative deliberation.
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Intermediate reports of my PhD project which reports the results of a Stated Preference Experiment conducted within 18 companies within the chemical industry
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Sexual interest in children is an important factor contributing to sexual (re)offending against children. The current state of research makes it difficult to conclude if people with pedophilia are overly interested in children, or have lower interest in adults, or both. This is relevant knowledge in treatment for preventing sexual (re)offenses against children. This study aimed to systematically analyze sexual interest in both children and adults in samples of men with pedophilia and comparison groups. A total of 55 studies (N = 8465) were included in four meta-analyses and a systematic review. Most included studies considered people who had sexually offended against children (PSOC; nPSOC = 5213). Results indicated that PSOC with pedophilia did not have a clear sexual preference for either children or adults. Compared to comparison groups, they had more absolute sexual interest in children and lower sexual interest in adults. We conclude that the lack of sexual interest in adults may be a relevant factor in PSOC with pedophilia. More studies are needed to disentangle sexual interest in children from sexual interest in adults, while using carefully matched comparison groups and appropriate research designs.
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This chapter examines how the Berlin neighborhood of eastern Kreuzberg attained its mythical image as a youth culture neighborhood. It combines theories of myth-making and canonization with the concept of preference construction, thereby developing new tools to assess how certain ideas and images (e.g. from youth cultures) come to be collectively preferred and believed as more exceptional or true in spite of similar ones. It argues that through the construction of preferences, people have become invested in Kreuzberg’s historically alternative and contemporary trendsetting images. Through this case study, the chapter shows that youth cultures appeal to people because of their outspoken and elusive nature, something that continually urges people to ask themselves how they relate to them. People thus cultivate preferences when they take a position regarding youth cultures. When people become collectively invested in certain shared ideas and images, subcultural myths are born.
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Purpose: Employer branding (EB) has become a powerful tool for organizations to attract employees. Recruitment communication ideally reveals the image that companies want to portray to potential employees to attract talents with the right skills and competences for the organization. This study explores the impact of EB on employer attractiveness by testing how pre-existing employee preferences interact with EB and how this interaction affects employer attractiveness. Design/methodology/approach: A quasi-experiment among 289 final-year students was used to test the relationships between EB, perceived employer image, person-organization (P-O) fit and employer attractiveness, and the potential moderating variables of pre-existing preferences, in this case operationalized as locational preferences. Students are randomly assigned to four vacancies: one with and one without EB cues in two different locations: Groningen and Amsterdam. The authors used standard scales for attractiveness, perceptions of an employer and person-organization fit. The authors test the relationships using a regression analysis. Findings: Results suggest that if respondents have previous predispositions, then their preference can be enhanced using an EB-targeted strategy. Based on these results, the authors can conclude that EB and related practices can be successful avenues for organizations in the war for talent, particularly if they reaffirm previous preferences of potential employees. Originality/value: The research is original in the way it provides empirical evidence on the relationship between EB and attractiveness, particularly when previous employee preferences exist. This is of value to employers using EB as a tool to influence employer attractiveness.
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