Psychometric characteristics of the Iranian Acculturation Scale

The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid scale to measure acculturation of Iranian immigrants in Canada. The 20-item Iranian Acculturation Scale showed Cronbach alpha of .83. Item-total correlations ranged from .25 to .65. Four factors were extracted, based on responses from 119 Iranian immigrants (43 men and 76 women) living in Toronto. The scale tapped different acculturation dimensions, cultural identity, language, family-related attitude and family-related values. The longer these Iranian immigrants had lived in Canada, and the earlier the age of moving to Canada the better acculturation suggested by their scores.     

Use of the Conners-Wells' Adolescent Self-Report Scale: Short Form with Psychiatric Outpatients

To provide information about the psychometric properties of the Conners-Wells' Adolescent Self-Report Scale: Short Form (CASS:S; C. K. Conners, 1997), the CASS:S was administered to 110 (46%) female and 130 (54%) male psychiatric outpatients between 13 and 17 years old. The coefficient s for the CASS:S Conduct Problems, Cognitive Problems, Hyperactivity, and ADHD Index scales were, respectively, .73, .80, .84, and .80. An exploratory maximum-likelihood factor analysis of the 18 item ratings from the Conduct, Cognitive, and Hyperactive scales identified two positively correlated dimensions; one was composed of the six items from the Conduct scale, and the other was composed of the 12 items from the Cognitive and the Hyperactive scales. The results were discussed as supporting the clinical utility of the CASS:S.     

Development and Psychometric Characteristics of the Dissociation Tension Scale

The newly developed Dissoziations-Spannungs-Skala (Dissociation Tension Scale; DSS) is a self-rating instrument for the assessment of psychological and somatoform dissociative features (ranging from normal up to pathological) as well as aversive inner tension occurring within the past 7 days. The DSS contains 21 items assessing dissociative symptoms and 1 additional item assessing aversive inner tension. Ratings are made on a time-oriented scale ranging from 0% (never) to 100% (constantly). We measured the psychometric qualities of the DSS in a total of 294 patients and healthy controls. Internal consistency of the DSS was high (Cronbach's α = .92; Gutmann's split-half r = .92). We found good support for convergent, discriminant, and differential validity. There was clear evidence for the DSS being a sensitive instrument for the assessment of changing symptomatology. Assessment of dissociation and other psychopathological features over the same period of time are now possible.     

Psychometric Characteristics of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support

The initial study describing the development of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) indicated that it was a psychometrically sound instrument (Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & FarIey, 1988). The current study attempted to extend the initial findings by demonstrating the internal reliability, factorial validity, and subscale validity of the MSPSS using three different subject groups: (a) 265 pregnant women, (b) 74 adolescents living in Europe with their families, and (c) 55 pediatric residents. The MSPSS was found to have good internal reliability across subject groups. In addition, strong factorial validity was demonstrated, confirming the three-subscale structure of the MSPSS: Family, Friends, and Significant Other. Finally, strong support was also found for the validity of the Family and Significant Other subscales.     

Psychometric Evaluation of the Rage Outbursts and Anger Rating Scale in an Outpatient Psychiatric Sample

The primary objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a measure of anger/rage attacks—the Rage Outburst and Anger Rating Scale (ROARS)—in a sample of youth (n = 81, ages 7–17 years, 72.8 % male) receiving treatment at an outpatient pediatric psychiatric clinic. A trained rater completed the ROARS and Clinical Global Impression-Rage (CGI-Rage). Children completed the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale for Children and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Parents completed the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale for Parents. Internal consistency (α = .89), inter-rater reliability (κ = .94) and 1-week test–retest reliability (r = .72) were calculated for the ROARS. The ROARS was correlated with CGI-Rage (r = .68, ρ < .001), although not with parent- and child-rated anxiety symptoms or with child-rated depressive symptoms. Implications regarding clinical utility of the ROARS and directions for future research are discussed.     

Further Psychometric Validation of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)

Mindfulness is an increasingly prominent construct in health research but its study has been impeded by a lack of well-validated measures. The Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown and Ryan, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84:822–848, 2003) is a promising measure and the goal of the present study was to further validate the MAAS in a large university sample (n = 711). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the unidimensional factor structure of the MAAS in the overall sample. No gender differences in MAAS performance were evident, but the factor structure was not confirmed in the subsample of men, apparently due to power limitations. No categorical differences were evident based on experience with meditation, and MAAS performance was not significantly associated with experience with meditation. These findings are interpreted as broadly supporting the MAAS as a valid measure of mindfulness, but suggesting that novice-level experience with meditation should not be presumed to be associated with greater mindfulness.     

Psychometric analyses of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS)--Bosnian translation

Methods for assessing psychological distress in culturally diverse populations are not firmly established. This study was designed to examine the psychometric properties of the Bosnian translation of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS; D. D. Blake, F. W. Weathers, L. M. Nagy, D. Kaloupek, G. Klauminzer, D. Charney, et al., 1995) in a Bosnian refugee sample. The authors interviewed 115 help-seeking Bosnian refugees with the CAPS-Bosnian translation to examine its internal consistency and convergent validity, and to provide an assessment of its factor structure. This study demonstrated optimal fit with a 2-factor model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); the authors also found high reliability with a coefficient alpha of 0.92 and strong convergent validity with instruments measuring depression, anxiety, and levels of psychosocial functioning. Future directions for the assessment of PTSD in cross-cultural populations are discussed.     

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Approach and Avoidance of Alcohol Questionnaire (AAAQ) in Alcohol Dependent Outpatients

The Approach and Avoidance of Alcohol Questionnaire (AAAQ; McEvoy et al. in Addiction 99:482–497, 2004) was administered to a clinical sample of 138 alcohol dependent men and women. An exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the AAAQ factor structure and a confirmatory analysis run on a second administration of the AAAQ. Convergent validity was examined by conducting an alcohol cue reactivity test and by administering the Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB), a retrospective calendar method for assessing alcohol consumption, and several measures of alcohol-related problems. The factor analysis supported a two-factor solution representing approach and avoidance dimensions. Regressions predicting measures of alcohol cue reactivity, alcohol consumption, and other alcohol-related constructs with the AAAQ provide support for its convergent validity. The results suggest that alcohol craving may be viewed as a multi-dimensional construct that includes both approach and avoidance inclinations which may vary depending on the population under examination.

Psychometric Properties of the Objectified Body Consciousness Scale (OBCS) in Spanish Preadolescents

Sex Roles - Objectification theory postulates that the body is constructed as a sexual object and is subject to observation and evaluation in such a way that a person may feel that their body is an...     

Psychometric appraisal of the Scale for Interpersonal Behavior (SIB) in France.

The present study was carried out in France to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Scale for Interpersonal Behavior (SIB), a multidimensional measure of difficulty and distress in assertiveness that was originally developed in The Netherlands. This appraisal was conducted with a clinical sample (N = 166) and a general population sample (N = 150). The clinical series comprised 115 patients with social phobia and 51 patients with personality disorder, 28 of whom were of the avoidant type. Support was found for internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the French SIB. Compared to controls, both social phobics and patients with an avoidant personality disorder had significantly lower mean scores on all performance scales and significantly higher ones on all distress scales, with the social phobics occupying a position in between. Findings in relation to convergent and divergent validity were quite satisfactory. Sensitivity of the French SIB for detecting change was demonstrated in a subgroup of the clinical Ss who had undergone 15 sessions of cognitive-behavioral group therapy for underassertiveness.     

Stability of the MCMI Among Depressed Psychiatric Outpatients

The Milton Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) is a promising, yet somewhat unproven psychometric inventory developed to identify clinical syndromes and personality traits consonant with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed. [DSM-III]; American Psychiatric Association, 1980). The stability of its measures for both the theoretically more stable personality characteristics and the clinical syndromes was investigated in a group of depressed psychiatric outpatients. In this test-retest design with a 3-month interval between tests, clinical syndrome scales of relevance changed significantly as expected. However, many of the personality scales also changed significantly. Only four of the personality scales met a two-fold test of stability. Findings are discussed in terms of characteristics of self-report inventories such as the MCMI, the uniqueness of the depressed population, and characteristics of personality disorders.     

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Running Addiction Scale (RAS)

Despite the growing number of Spanish people who organize their lives to prepare and participate in marathons, bringing to it a very committed lifestyle that, sometimes, go in detriment of their own health. In this instrumental paper, we the adaptation and testing of the psychometric properties of the Running Addiction Scale (RAS) in Spanish. To this end, we conducted two independent studies. The aim of the first was to present the first preliminary psychometric data (pilot sample of 174 marathon runners). Explained the process of translation, adaptation and content validity of items, we carried out a statistical analysis of these, an exploration of dimensional structure and analysis of the reliability of the instrument. In the second study (sample of 975 marathon runners), the aim was to analyze the internal structure of the instrument with confirmatory procedures. The Spanish version of the RAS showed acceptable levels of internal consistency, temporal stability, inter-item correlations and total scale score. Also provides evidences of construct validity. Slight differences were obtained by sex and age. These findings support the use of the Spanish version of RAS to assess individual differences in negative addiction to running.     

Psychometric properties of the Driving Behaviour Scale (DBS) among polish drivers

Anxiety can negatively affect an individual’s psychological wellbeing and lead to mild-to-moderate functional impairment in various areas of their lives. Despite this, the relationship between anxiety and driving performance has received very little empirical attention. The Driving Behaviour Scale (Clapp, Olsen, Beck, et al., 2011, Clapp, Olsen, Danoff-Burg, et al., 2011) was developed as a measure of anxious driving behaviours to support research in this area. The current study details adaptation and validation of the Driving Behaviour Scale (DBS; Clapp, Olsen, Beck, et al., 2011, Clapp, Olsen, Danoff-Burg, et al., 2011) in 310 university students in Poland. The overall internal consistency for the DBS was 0.76, while the two subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (safety/cautious = 0.75 and hostile/aggressive behaviours = 0.85). The reliability estimates for performance deficit returned a lower coefficient of 0.65. Factor analysis produced a three-factor solution that supported the original structure of the DBS. The DBS may be utilised as a measure of driving anxiety in samples drawn from the general population.     

Psychometric qualities of the German version of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PTDS)

In the present study, the psychometric properties of the German version of the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PTDS; A. Ehlers, R. Steil, H. Winter, & E. B. Foa, 1996) were evaluated in a sample of 143 trauma survivors. To investigate convergent and discriminant validity of this questionnaire, the authors assessed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression symptoms, and social phobia. Internal consistencies of the PTDS and its subscales as well as their association with related measures show that the German PTDS is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of posttraumatic stress symptoms. A 3-factor structure was found that is, however, not exactly in concordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) formulation (Reexperiencing, Avoidance, and Hyperarousal) but rather comprises a Reexperiencing/Avoidance factor; an Emotional Numbing/Hyperarousal factor; and a 3rd factor, consisting of Hypervigilance and an Exaggerated Startle Response. The findings are discussed with respect to their equivalency to the original PTDS, core symptoms of PTSD, and desirable future research.     

Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS)

Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment - Distress tolerance represents the capacity to bear and manage negative psychological states associated with distress. Low distress tolerance...     

Psychometric properties and correlates of the Lester-Bean Attribution of Causes to Suicide Scale (German form)

Psychometric properties and correlates of the German form of Lester and Bean's 1992 Attribution of Causes to Suicide Scale, of 18 items tapping into lay theories of suicide (intrapsychic problems, interpersonal conflicts, and societal forces as causes), were investigated in a sample of the general population in Austria (n=156). The three attributional dimensions presented moderate internal consistencies and the 18 items appeared to be factorially orderly, as indicated by exploratory factor analysis. Previous results were replicated, with positive interrelations among all three dimensions, but these were largely confined to men. Societal causes of suicide were significantly less frequently endorsed than intrapsychic or interpersonal causes. Respondents' sex, intelligence, and knowledge about suicide were unrelated, and scores on the Big Five personality factors and social desirability were largely unrelated to the three dimensions. Endorsing intrapsychic causes to suicide was correlated with advanced age, religiosity, and conservative political orientation, and the three dimensions entertained meaningful associations with locus of control (internality, social externality, and fatalistic externality). All observed demographic and attitudinal correlates were, however, of modest magnitude. Implications of the findings and directions for further inquiry are discussed.     

Psychometric Properties of the Revised Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R) in Chinese Adolescents

The Revised Chen Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS-R) was developed to assess Internet addiction in Chinese populations, but its psychometric properties in adolescents have not been examined. This study aimed to evaluate the factor structure and psychometric properties of CIAS-R in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. 860 Grade 7 to 13 students (38 % boys) completed the CIAS-R, the Young’s Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA) in a survey. The prevalence of Internet addiction as assessed by CIAS-R was 18 %. High internal consistency and inter-item correlations were reported for the CIAS-R. Results from the confirmatory factor analysis suggested a four-factor structure of Compulsive Use and Withdrawal, Tolerance, Interpersonal and Health-related Problems, and Time Management Problems. Moreover, results of hierarchical multiple regression supported the incremental validity of the CIAS-R to predict mental health outcomes beyond the effects of demographic differences and self-reported time spent online. The CIAS is a reliable and valid measure of internet addiction problems in Hong Kong adolescents. Future study is warranted to validate the cutoffs of the CIAS-R for identification of adolescents with Internet use problems who may have mental health needs.     

Assessing Psychometric Properties of the Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale (SRES) with African Americans

The Sex-Role Egalitarianism Scale (SRES) is an instrument reported to be both reliable and valid. SRES was normed primarily on a Caucasian population, and there is little research on its psychometric properties with other ethnic groups. SRES' abbreviated version (BB) was administered to 148 African American men and women. There were no significant differences found between the norming sample and the study's sample. However, significant differences were found between African American men and women at the .01 level with African American women having a more egalitarian attitude. Further research should administer the SRES to a larger, more heterogenous African American sample to further support the psychometric findings of this study. The SRES should also be studied with other ethnic groups.     

Psychometric assessment of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) among Chinese adolescents

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) has the longest empirical track record as a valid measure of trait mindfulness. Most of what is understood about trait mindfulness comes from administering the MAAS to relatively homogenous samples of Caucasian adults. This study rigorously evaluates the psychometric properties of the MAAS among Chinese adolescents attending high school in Chengdu, China. Classrooms from 24 schools were randomly selected to participate in the study. Three waves of longitudinal data (N = 5,287 students) were analyzed. MAAS construct, nomological, and incremental validity were evaluated as well as its measurement invariance across gender using latent factor analyses. Participants' mean age was 16.2 years (SD = 0.7), and 51% were male. The 15-item MAAS had adequate fit to the one-dimensional factor structure at Wave 1, and this factor structure was replicated at Wave 2. A 6-item short scale of the MAAS fit well to the data at Wave 3. The MAAS maintained reliability (Cronbach's α = .89-.93; test-restest r = .35-.52), convergent/discriminant validity, and explained additional variance in mental health measures beyond other psychosocial constructs. Both the 15- and 6-item MAAS scales displayed at least partial factorial invariance across gender. The findings suggest that the MAAS is a sound measure of trait mindfulness among Chinese adolescents. To reduce respondent burden, the MAAS 6-item short-scale provides an option to measure trait mindfulness.