Financial inclusion through Kiosk-based banking services: a study with reference to business correspondent models in the state of Kerala

PurposeThe paper aims to study the outreach and performance of business correspondent (BC) models, which are implemented as a subsidiary agent of banks to accelerate the financial inclusion (FI) mission in India. In this regard, the study illustrates BC's products and services rendered to customers, forms of delivery channels and BC's view on banking services and Kiosk-based BC programs.Design/methodology/approachThe current paper is an empirical study based on surveying 200 Kiosk-based BCs working in the state of Kerala. After the preliminary screening analysis of the data with outlier deletion, removal of missing values and normality test, both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were executed followed by reliability test, convergent and discriminant validity tests. Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CBSEM) was performed for CFA and inferential tests were carried out by using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) and analysis of a moment structures (AMOS) and Eviews.FindingsChiefly, eight operational forms of BCs were found from the field survey. Hypothetical tests show the significant impact of the serviceability of banks on BC's profitability. Validity tests such as average variance extracted (AVE), composite reliability (CR), maximum shared variance (MSV) and average shared variance (ASV) were established after the removal of the cross-loaded items of the questionnaire from the rotated component matrix. BCs perform main banking services especially bank account opening facility and Akshaya E-Centers are widely used for this model as Kiosk banking in the surveyed state.Originality/valueSo far, no study has encompassed empirical research on performance analysis and outreach of the BC model in the state of Kerala where this BC model well functions. Since the study is a novel form of banking channelization for FI, the study can contribute to understanding the further feasibility and future dimension of the model based on experimental views of BCs.

Atherothrombotic factors and atherosclerotic cardiovascular events: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

Aims Traditional atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk factors fail to address the full spectrum of the complex interplay of atherosclerotic and atherothrombotic factors integral to ASCVD events. This study sought to examine the association between atherothrombotic biomarkers and ASCVD events. Methods and results The association between atherothrombotic biomarkers and 877 ASCVD events with and without adjustment for traditional risk factors was evaluated via Cox proportional hazards models and factor analysis in 5789 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants over a median follow-up of 14.7 years. Factor analysis accounted for multidimensional relationship and shared variance among study biomarkers, which identified two new variables: a thrombotic factor (Factor 1), principally defined by shared variance in fibrinogen, plasmin–antiplasmin complex, factor VIII, D-dimer, and lipoprotein(a), and a fibrinolytic factor (Factor 2), principally defined by shared variance of plasminogen and oxidized phospholipids on plasminogen. In a model including both factors, the thrombotic factor was associated with the higher risk of ASCVD events [hazard ratio (HR) 1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45, 1.70], while the fibrinolytic factor was associated with the lower risk of ASCVD events (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.70, 0.82), with estimated ASCVD free survival highest for low atherothrombotic Factor 1 and high atherothrombotic Factor 2. Conclusion Two atherothrombotic factors, one representative of thrombotic propensity and the other representative of fibrinolytic propensity, were significantly and complementarily associated with incident ASCVD events, remained significantly associated with incident ASCVD after controlling for traditional risk factors, and have promise for identifying patients at high ASCVD event risk specifically due to their atherothrombotic profile.

The Personality Meta-trait of Stability and Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis

Background: Several personality and affective traits increase risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Because many of these traits are correlated, much of their association with disease risk could reflect shared variance, rather than unique contributions of each trait individually. Within the Five Factor Model of personality, we examined a higher-order personality trait of Stability (comprising the shared variance of Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and inverse Neuroticism) as related to extent of preclinical atherosclerosis and tested whether any such relationship might be explained by correlated variation in cardiometabolic risk factors.Method: Among 798 community volunteers (30-54 yr; 52% women), lower-order traits of Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were modeled as latent variables (from self- and two informant ratings) and used to estimate the second-order factor, Stability. Aggregated cardiometabolic risk was similarly modeled from indicators of glycemic control, blood pressure, adiposity, and lipids. Carotid artery atherosclerosis was measured as intima-media thickness (IMT) by duplex ultrasonography.Results: A structural equation model incorporating both direct and indirect effects showed lower Stability associated with greater IMT. This relationship was accounted for by the indirect pathway via cardiometabolic risk, with no residual direct effect of Stability on IMT. Secondary analyses showed that: 1) Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were unrelated to IMT independent of their shared variance (i.e., Stability); and 2) Stability predicted variation in IMT significantly when estimated from informant-, but not self-rated, traits.Conclusion: Descriptively distinct, but correlated, personality traits may associate with atherosclerotic burden through their shared, rather than unique, variance, as reflected in the meta-trait of Stability.

Identifying the determinants of COVID-19 preventative behaviors and vaccine intentions among South Carolina residents

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented a global pandemic in 2020 and 2021, and has therefore spurred a flurry of research, whether related directly to the disease and its treatment or regarding its spread, containment, and effect on everyday lives. In particular, two pressing streams of research have investigated antecedents to COVID-19 preventative behaviors and vaccination intentions. This nascent research has led to many interesting and practically important findings, however, there remains many segmented, compartmentalized studies that address topics that, while certainly generative and meaningful, may not provide a full lens to possible antecedents. The current study takes an interdisciplinary approach that investigates commonly studied variables from biology and public health, political science, and psychology as they relate to COVID-19 preventative behaviors and vaccine intentions in a stratified sample of South Carolina residents (N = 1695). Results from correlations and multiple regression substantiated the findings of many previous studies, however, it was found that, when controlling for shared variance among predictors via relative weights analysis, COVID-19 knowledge, trust in science, age, and Trump approval were the strongest predictors of preventative behaviors. Alternatively, trust in science, gender, age, and conservatism were the strongest predictors of vaccine intentions. Understanding the variables that contribute to the practice of preventative behaviors and vaccine intentions can be used by public health officials to better target and tailor their educational campaign in the community.

Psychometric Properties of Student Evaluation of Teachers’ Performance Scale: Evidence from Debre Markos University Students’ Evaluation Dataset

Introduction. Student evaluation of teachers’ effectiveness is one of the most common tools used as a measure of teaching performance and accountability by various universities across the globe. The major purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and underlying structure of students’ evaluation of the higher education teaching effectiveness scale used by all public universities in Ethiopia. Methodology. Data collected from 1397 students at Debe Markos University were used for this analysis. Cronbach’s alpha values and average interitem correlation were used to study the internal consistency reliability of the scale. Composite reliability, average variance extracted, hetero trait-mono-trait ratio, maximum shared variance, average shared variance, and interconstruct correlations were used to assess the construct validity of the scale, and exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed with 20 items to test the hypothesis which introduced a four-dimensional construct for teachers’ evaluation scale. We used different goodness-of-fit indices to measure the fit of the models. Results. The scale was shown to have good internal consistency and convergent validity but lacked discriminant validity. Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four-factor model produced inadequate fit indices, revealing that the original factor structure of the scale changed. Conclusions. The results showed that Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness did not measure what it was supposed to be measuring. Moreover, the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis results indicate that a two-dimensional model is better than the four-dimensional model to explain the data structure, which places limitations on its use.

The Relation Between Gender Identity and Well-Being

Does strong gender identity help or harm one’s well-being? Previous research suggests that acceptance of one’s social group and feelings of belongingness to the group are positively related to well-being, regardless of the group’s social status. However, there are inconsistent findings about the relation between well-being and how central the group is to one’s identity (centrality), especially among disadvantaged groups (e.g., women). In Studies 1 to 10 (total N = 5,955), we clarified these relations by controlling for shared variance between distinct gender identity aspects. Acceptance and belongingness were positively related to a range of well-being variables. Centrality was negatively related to well-being. These results were consistent across genders. Studies 11 to 14 (total N = 2,380) found that the negative relation between gender centrality and well-being might be mediated by perceived pressure to conform to the masculine role among men and perceived gender inequality among women. These results uncover a burden of strong gender identity.

Distinct Regionalization Patterns of Cortical Morphology are Associated with Cognitive Performance Across Different Domains

Cognitive performance in children is predictive of academic and social outcomes; therefore, understanding neurobiological mechanisms underlying individual differences in cognition during development may be important for improving quality of life. The belief that a single, psychological construct underlies many cognitive processes is pervasive throughout society. However, it is unclear if there is a consistent neural substrate underlying many cognitive processes. Here, we show that a distributed configuration of cortical surface area and apparent thickness, when controlling for global imaging measures, is differentially associated with cognitive performance on different types of tasks in a large sample (N = 10 145) of 9–11-year-old children from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) study. The minimal overlap in these regionalization patterns of association has implications for competing theories about developing intellectual functions. Surprisingly, not controlling for sociodemographic factors increased the similarity between these regionalization patterns. This highlights the importance of understanding the shared variance between sociodemographic factors, cognition and brain structure, particularly with a population-based sample such as ABCD.

Response-shift effects in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: estimating response-shift-adjusted scores using equating

Background In our companion paper, random intercept models (RIMs) investigated response-shift effects in a clinical trial comparing Eculizumab to Placebo for people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). RIMs predicted Global Health using the EQ-5D Visual Analogue Scale item (VAS) to encompass broad criteria that people might consider. The SF36™v2 mental and physical component scores (MCS and PCS) helped us detect response shift in VAS. Here, we sought to “back-translate” the VAS into the MCS/PCS scores that would have been observed if response shift had not been present. Methods This secondary analysis utilized NMOSD clinical trial data evaluating the impact of Eculizumab in preventing relapses (n = 143). Analyses began by equating raw scores from the VAS, MCS, and PCS, and computing scores that removed response-shift effects. Correlation analysis and descriptive displays provided a more comprehensive examination of response-shift effects. Results MCS and PCS crosswalks with VAS equated the scores that include and exclude response-shift effects. These two sets of scores had low shared variance for MCS for both groups, suggesting that corresponding mental health constructs were substantially different. The shared variance contrast for physical health was distinct only for the Placebo group. The larger MCS response-shift effects were found at end of study for Placebo only and were more prominent at extremes of the MCS score distribution. Conclusions Our results reveal notable treatment group differences in MCS but not PCS response shifts, which can explain null results detected in previous work. The method introduced herein provides a way to provide further information about response-shift effects in clinical trial data.

Development and Validation of a Customer Satisfaction Measuring Instrument With Laboratory Services at The University Hospital of Kinshasa

Background: In clinical laboratory, monitoring customers’ satisfaction is an important indicator of the quality management system and required by laboratory quality standards, such as ISO 15189: 2012 and ISO17025: 2017. However, there is no reliable and valid scale to measure clinical laboratory customers’ satisfaction in Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this article, an instrument for measuring customer satisfaction with clinical laboratory services is developed and validated.Methods: In order to develop a reliable and valid measurement tool, the general methodological approach recommended by Churchill was followed. Principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was used to study the dimensionality of the construct. The developed questionnaire was checked for reliability and validity using exploratory and confirmatory analysis. The reliability checks were done using the internal consistency reliability by analyzing the Cronbach’s Alpha, composite reliability and Jöreskog Rhô values. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to determine whether the hypothesis of the conceptual framework is acceptable in measuring customer satisfaction.Results: The PCA results showed a three-dimensionality of Customer Satisfaction. Cronbachs alpha coefficients (0.983, 0.981 and 0.981), Jöreskog Rhô (0.973, 0.970 and 0.967) and composite reliability values (0.95, 0.92 and 0.93) of the latent variables were greater than 0.9, which confirms the very high reliability of the model. Indicator loadings were all greater than the threshold of 0.7 or higher. Also, all the latent variables have average variance extracted (AVE) greater than 0.5, therefore, convergent validity has been achieved. Both the Maximum Shared Variance (0.195, 0.297 and 0.234) and the Average Shared Variance (0.805, 0.703 and 0.766) were lower than the AVE (0.897, 0.839 and 0.875) for all the constructs in the scale. Therefore, Discriminant validity has been achieved. Fit indices used to assess CFA and structural equation model were found to be at an acceptable level for the two-factor model where chi-square/df was 1.6, p=0.476, GFI = .99, AGFI= .99, SRMR= .069 , RMSEA= .000 , CFI= 1.00, NFI= .98, RFI= .98, IFI= .98, TLI= .98. Conclusion: The instrument demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties and thus the tool is fit for measuring customer satisfaction with laboratory services.

Correlations between person-descriptive items are predictable from the product of their mid-point-centered social desirability values

This paper presents a series of pre-registered analyses testing the same theoretically derived hypothesis: If (a) the attitudes that perceivers have toward targets contribute to the variance of judgments on most items, and (b) items’ rated social desirability values align very closely with the extent to which that is the case, then the product of two items’ mid-point-centered social desirability values should predict the amount of shared variance, and thus the correlation, between these items. This hypothesis applies equally to other ratings and self-ratings. Across samples, effect sizes ranged from r = .36 to r = .80 (average r = .61) and were statistically significant in every single case. We also found that the average effect is much larger for other-ratings ( r = .71) than for self-ratings ( r = .49). This difference was also replicable and is likely rooted in the greater relative importance of the attitude factor in other-ratings, as compared to self-ratings. An exploratory item resampling analysis suggested that scales may achieve good internal consistency, and correlate substantially with other scales, based solely on shared attitude variance. We discuss the relevance of these findings across different domains of psychological assessment, and possible ways of dealing with the issue.