Table 5.

Major Coding Challenges and Solutions for Part III (Non-verbal behaviors)

Coding Challenges for resident non-verbal behaviors	Solutions	No. of videos with the issue
1. Clarification of different modifiers of “disengagement from the meal”.	There are four modifiers (closing eyes, distraction, falling asleep/becoming drowsy, others) underneath this code. Choose the most appropriate modifier based on observation of the action. If the action doesn’t qualify for any of the first three modifiers, code as “others” and make note of (describe) the action literally in the comment section.	5
2. When to code “prolonged chewing”, and how frequently can this code be used?	When there is food in the resident’s mouth, code “prolonged chewing” after 10 straight seconds counting of the continuous chewing activity. If the chewing activity is interrupted by another bite, drink, verbal communication, or other interruptive activities, start counting over from 1. If there is a short break of chewing (2–3 seconds) without any interruptive activities, don’t count during the short break and continue counting after the short break. This code can be used as many times as it occurs following the definition.	5
3. Clarification between “leaning forward/backward” and “turning head away”	“Leaning forward/backward” usually includes the entire upper body moving into a direction, whereas “turning head away” usually involves the movement of only the head, rather than the whole upper body.	2
Coding Challenges for staff non-verbal behaviors
1. Clarification between “offering different types of food/beverage/finger food/condiments” and characteristics of intake episodes coded in Part I	The codes “offering different types of food”, “offering beverage”, “offering finger food”, and “offering condiments” are general actions that describe situations that the staff is attempting to offer resident something. These actions are not necessarily followed up with an actual drink or bite, and are distinct from any codes from phase 1.	9
2. How to capture specific details of a situation in nonverbal behavior coding?	If a code is not specific enough to represent the nonverbal behavior, descriptive notes can be added to the comment section of that code to specify certain action or situation. For example: if the code “affirmative nodding” is used, it can be specified as to who they are directed towards by describing it in the comment section of this code in the Noldus software. Data in the comment sections can be exported to Excel worksheet for descriptive analysis.	6
3. How to code a specific instance that appears in the videos but seems not represented by any nonverbal behavior code?	Code the nonverbal behavior as “other” under one of the four categories as appropriate, and describe the behavior in details in the comment section in the Noldus software. Data on “other” codes and related comments can be exported to Excel worksheet and described/categorized for common themes as appropriate. The purpose is to see if all staff nonverbal behaviors can be represented using available codes, or if new nonverbal behavior codes can be developed to add to the coding scheme.	5
4. Clarification between “positive gestures/facial expressions”, “appropriate use of affectionate touch”, “affirmative nodding”, and “resident-directed eye gaze”	While “appropriate use of affectionate touch”, “affirmative nodding”, and “resident-directed eye gaze” may fall under the code “positive gestures/facial expressions”, these three codes describe specific gestures or facial expressions and should be used when specific instances are observed. “Positive gestures/facial expressions” is used as a general description of appropriate situations when none of the three specific behavioral codes can be applied, such as laughter, waving, blowing a kiss, and smiling.	4