Prevalence scores: an addition to behaviour sequence analysis
Journal of Criminal Psychology
ISSN: 2009-3829
Article publication date: 16 August 2023
Issue publication date: 27 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Behaviours occur across complex, dynamic timelines. Research methods to analyse these complex timelines have repeatedly used behaviour sequence analysis (BSA) as a primary method. Traditional BSA outputs, however, are limited in that they do not show how prevalent a behaviour sequence is throughout a sample or group. Until now, how many people in a sample showed the sequence was not analysed and reported. This paper aims to provide a new metric to calculate prevalence scores in BSA data sets.
Design/methodology/approach
Open access recorded responses including nonverbal communication of deceptive and truthful individuals were analysed initially with a standard BSA approach and then the prevalence scores of transitions were calculated.
Findings
Prevalence scores offered new insights into the distribution of sequences across groups. The prevalence score showed differences in which transitions were seen across the truthful and guilty samples. This offers new approaches to analysing nonverbal communication.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to provide a prevalence score for BSA research and show how it can be used in applied research. The current prevalence score metric is provided and suggested for all future research into sequences.
Keywords
Citation
Keatley, D., Marono, A.J. and Clarke, D.D. (2023), "Prevalence scores: an addition to behaviour sequence analysis", Journal of Criminal Psychology, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp. 394-404. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-05-2023-0036
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited