Exploration of Thalbourne's Manic-Experience Scale

The reliability of a 19-item scale to measure manic experience was explored in 138 undergraduates. Cronbach alpha was .77, and five factors were identified, indicating heterogeneity in the items.     

Self-reported comfort in athletic training to same- and opposite-sex athletes

To assess the comfort of athletic trainers in providing care to athletes of the same- and opposite-sex, the Gender Comfort in Athletic Training Questionnaire was developed. Cronbach alpha was .72. The 8-item questionnaire was mailed to 235 participants, who were senior athletic training students and clinical instructors affiliated with 14 university athletic training programs. 192 questionnaires were returned (82%). Only one t test showed a significant mean difference in reported comfort between women (n= 103, M=2.8, SD= 0.8; disagree) and men (n= 89, M=3.1, SD=0.8; neutral) on the statement: I feel more comfortable providing athletic training services to male athletes than female athletes. The women and men in this sample were similar in their self-ratings of comfort in providing athletic training services to male and female athletes.     

Development and validation of a multidimensional smoking behaviour questionnaire

We administered a 42-item smoking behaviour questionnaire to 150 adult smokers (75 men and 75 women), 18 to 70 years old (M = 37.1 yr., SD = 12.2). A principal component analysis of their responses followed by varimax rotation yielded four factors accounting for about 52% of the total variance: dependence, social integration, regulation of negative affect, and hedonism. Some sociodemographic and dispositional characteristics of the smokers predict these four dimensions. The predictors of each smoking dimension are quite different for male and female smokers.     

Are life satisfaction and self-esteem distinct constructs? A black South African perspective

As part of a longitudinal project on Quality of Life, a study was undertaken to extend the applicability of the 5-item Satisfaction With Life Scale, developed in the USA, in South Africa. Data on basic sociodemographic characteristics, the scale, and the 10-item Rosenberg Self-esteem scale were available for 360 Black South Africans (151 men and 209 women), ages 21 to 83 years (M = 38.6 yr., SD = 10.3). Factor analysis applied to scale scores gave two factors, accounting for 71% of the variance. Factor I was loaded by 10 Self-esteem items and Factor II by four of the five Life Satisfaction items. Coefficient alpha was .77 for the Satisfaction With Life Scale and .97 for the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Life Satisfaction was related to Self-esteem (r = .17, p < .01). It was concluded that Life Satisfaction and Self-esteem appear to be distinct, unitary constructs, but responses to Item 5 on the Satisfaction With Life Scale require cautious interpretation and may contribute to the weak r, although so may the collectivist culture of Black South Africans.     

Evaluating the AWARE Inventory as a measure of relationship factors among a sample of high school students

The Awareness of Attitudes and Relationship Expectations (AWARE) Inventory was administered to 160 high school students in Wyoming. Factor analysis showed the inventory did not have the expected 11 dimensional factor structure. Most of the intended 10-item scales yielded unacceptably low estimates of internal consistency reliability. Through an iterative process, one internally consistent scale of 17 items (alpha = .80) was derived. Researchers should be careful to evaluate the AWARE Inventory with their own samples before proceeding under an assumption that its scales reliably assess the 11 dimensions expected.     

A revised Emotional Intelligence Scale: factor re-evaluation and item reduction

The original Emotional Intelligence Scale of Fukunishi utilized 65 items measuring 3 basic dimensions: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and situational. 170 psychiatric outpatients (84 men and 86 women) completed the inventory. The mean age of the sample was 41.1 yr. (SD= 12.4). Compared with the 65-item scale, factor re-analysis yielded a new 34-item solution with significant correlations for the Intrapsychic (.97) and Interpersonal dimensions (.96) of the larger scale, but not with the Situational dimension (.43). The correlation between the total inventory scores was also significant (.94).     

Revising the Competitiveness Index using factor analysis

The Competitiveness Index is a 20-item true-false measure designed to assess the desire to win in interpersonal situations. To develop a more psychometrically sound form of the scale, 213 undergraduates were administered the original form and a modified version containing a 5-point Likert-type scale. An initial principal component analysis using a varimax rotation of the modified version yielded a four-factor solution accounting for 54.5% of the explained variance. Based on a subsequent reliability analysis. six items were dropped from the modified scale. A second analysis produced a two-factor solution accounting for 54.1% of the explained variance. Both factors (Enjoyment of Competition and Contentiousness) formed reliable subscales. The 14-item Revised Competitiveness Index had high internal consistency and was positively correlated with the original Competitiveness Index, the competitiveness subscales of the Work and Family Orientation Questionnaire, the Sports Orientation Questionnaire, and the Nach Naff measure of Need for Achievement.     

Dimensions of the Turkish version of the Psychological Empowerment Scale

The purpose of the present study was to examine the dimensions of Spreitzer's Psychological Empowerment Scale for Turkish-speaking people. The scale was tested with a group of undergraduate students in Turkey (N = 214; M age = 22.6 yr., SD = 1.5, range = 19-27). Cronbach coefficient alpha was .84. By using maximum likelihood analysis with oblique rotation, three factors emerged and were labeled Influence, Meaning, and Competence.     

Development of a social interaction questionnaire for the trainers and mothers of children with disabilities participating in Dousa-hou (Japanese psycho-rehabilitation) camps

A 12-item Social Interaction Questionnaire was developed to measure the social interactions among trainers and mothers of children with disabilities in Dousa-hou camps. Dousa-hou is a Japanese psychological rehabilitation method which is widely used for children with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and autism in Japan and other Asian countries. The primary focus of the rehabilitation method is to improve bodily movements, posture, and social support to patients and their first-degree relatives as well as promoting social interaction among participants. Two factors of interaction, (1) educational and daily life matters and (2) health and care matters, emerged through factor analysis. Cronbach coefficient alpha of the questionnaire was .91. The back-translated version of the Social Interaction Questionnaire also yielded two factors and Cronbach coefficient alpha of .87. It was found that mothers or first degree relatives (N=138; M = 43.5 yr., SD = 12.3) of the patients reported more social interaction than trainers when interacting with their child's trainer, supervisor, other trainers, and other mothers during six-day Dousa-hou camps.     

Reliability, factorial validity, and means on the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale: a UK university sample

A sample of 243 (114 men and 129 women) British university undergraduates (M age=22.5 yr., SD=5.8; M age=22.0 yr., SD=5.7, respectively) completed the English version of the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale. Principal components analysis with the use of parallel analysis and a scree test suggest that in the current sample the items form a single factor and show a coefficient alpha of .92, denoting high internal consistency. No significant mean difference was found by sex. By and large, the Kuwait University Anxiety Scale can be recommended for use in research among college students in the United Kingdom.     

The validity of using prior ratings of perceive exertion to regulate resistance exercise intensity

This investigation examined the validity of using ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) to regulate intensity during resistance exercise. 19 male (M age = 22.2 yr., SD = 2.7) and 19 female (M age = 21.4 yr., SD = 2.3) participants estimated exertion when performing the knee extension at 40% to 90% of one-repetition maximum. One week later, participants were asked to produce weights for the knee extension that elicited the feelings of exertion associated with 9, 13, and 17 on the Borg RPE scale. The weight produced at 9, 13, and 17 during the production session was compared to the weight lifted at each RPE during the estimation session. The effect sizes associated with the differences in weight lifted across sessions at each RPE were generally small in magnitude, especially at the higher intensities (ES = .40, -.09, .15, respectively). The results of this investigation support the use of RPE as a method of prescribing the intensity of resistance exercise.     

Culture-specific approach to the study of individualism/collectivism

Studies in individualism/collectivism (Triandis, McCusker & Hui, 1990) have revealed a considerable cultural connotation of the phenomena. The aim of our investigation was to develop a cross-culturally equivalent psychometric instrument for measuring individualistic versus collectivistic orientation on the basis of the shared representation of individualism/collectivism among Bulgarians. By applying the psychosemantic methodology we extracted seven concepts which form the individualism/collectivism dimension. The proposed instrument, labelled Bulgarian individualism/collectivism (BIC) scale, consists of a preference choice between the two words in every possible pair of the seven words. Validation studies included investigation of the relationship between the BIC scale and value orientation, between the BIC scale and general views of society and political preferences, and between the BIC scale and behavioural intentions such as the intention to start a business of one's own, the intention to emigrate, and the choice of professional vocation. Results were compared with the relationship of these variables to other measures of individualism/collectivism (scales of Triandis and Brown). The results suggest that the BIC scale reveals a more global orientation, whereas the other scales are concerned with specific everyday behaviours. A comparison between Bulgarian and American samples revealed some specificity in the Bulgarian social representation of individualism/collectivism, which can be explained by the extremely collectivistic norms of the former communist society in Bulgaria.     

Reliability and factor structure of the Finnish version of the Sport Imagery Questionnaire

The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and factor structure of the Finnish version of the Sport Imagery Questionnaire, a measure which examines cognitive and motivational functions of imagery. The final sample comprised 231 participants drawn from 34 sports and ranging in age from 14 to 49 years (M = 20.9, SD = 5.8). Internal consistency and confirmatory factor analyses were undertaken to evaluate the reliability and factorial validity of the scale. Fit indices and modification data generated from examining the 30-item five-factor model were equivocal, suggesting minor amendment and recategorization of several items rather than major adjustment to the proposed latent factor structure. Cronbach coefficients alpha indicated the scale is reliable. Overall, these results provide positive additional support for the claim that the Sport Imagery Questionnaire has a reproducible factor structure and is a reliable test for measuring imagery use in Finnish athletes.     

Development of a short form of the Treatment Evaluation Inventory for acceptability of psychological interventions

The Treatment Evaluation Inventory of Kazdin, French, and Sherick is a 19-item measure of the perceived acceptability of behavioural treatments. Development of two brief forms was based on data from two sources. For Study 1, data from 218 completed questionnaires were used to develop internally consistent brief scales. In Study 2 internal consistency and the validity of the brief forms were estimated for a set of 131 questionnaires. Item reduction was achieved by analysis of item-total minus item correlations. Brief forms with 3, 6, 9, and 12 items were proposed. Their internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) and construct validity were based on correlations of scores on each short form with the full scale scores and on comparing means of different forms. Discriminant validity was based on the difference between two groups (estimated effect size 0.7). Scores for all forms showed high internal consistency and correlated highly with total scale scores. Only the 12-item brief scale yielded mean scores similar to the full scale. The 3-item form could be used as a quick screen, and the 12-item form for more intensive purposes as it is most similar to the full-scale.     

Reliability and validity of a measure of emotional intelligence in an Iranian sample

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, Version 2.0, in the Iranian culture. The sample included 353 students (168 male, 185 female) from senior high schools in Shiraz, ranging in age between 16 and 18 years (M=17.1), SD=.5), and 394 students (113 male, 281 female) from Shiraz University, ranging in age between 19 and 25 years (M=21.3, SD= 1.7). The subscale-total score correlations were in the upper fifties. Cronbach coefficient alpha was .86 for the full score and ranged from .58 to .86 for the 4 subscales of the test. The factor analysis supported 1- and 2-factor solutions of the emotional intelligence domain. The results generally supported the reliability of the test at the total score level for research in the Iranian culture.     

Measuring generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation: initial scale development and implications

A scale measuring generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation (NMR) was developed. The construct was defined as the expectancy that some behavior or cognition will alleviate a negative mood state. Data from five samples of college undergraduates (N = 1,630) were reported. Internal consistency, discriminant validity from social desirability, and temporal stability were demonstrated for a 30-item scale derived from an initial pool of 50 items. Further analyses revealed (a) modest correlations of the 30-item scale with internal-external control, (b) that high scorers on the NMR scale reported few symptoms of depression, and (c) that the NMR scale predicted a different pattern of emotions than the Beck Depression Inventory did. Discussion focused on possible roles for expectancies for negative mood regulation in the coping process and directions for future research on the mood regulation process.     

Measuring Generalized Expectancies for Negative Mood Regulation: Initial Scale Development and Implications

A scale measuring generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation (NMR) was developed. The construct was defined as the expectancy that some behavior or cognition will alleviate a negative mood state. Data from five samples of college undergraduates (N = 1,630) were reported. Internal consistency, discriminant validity from social desirability, and temporal stability were demonstrated for a 30-item scale derived from an initial pool of 50 items. Further analyses revealed (a) modest correlations of the 30-item scale with internal-external control, (b) that high scorers on the NMR scale reported few symptoms of depression, and (c) that the NMR scale predicted a different pattern of emotions than the Beck Depression Inventory did. Discussion focused on possible roles for expectancies for negative mood regulation in the coping process and directions for future research on the mood regulation process.     

An inventory to measure helplessness, hopelessness, and haplessness

Using a sample of 69 undergraduates, scales were devised to measure helplessness, hopelessness, and haplessness and shown to have good reliability. Briefer scales were also developed whose scores were independent of one another in a factor analysis. Scores for 19 male and 50 female undergraduates on the 4-item scales of Helplessness and Hopelessness were associated with two different measures of depression, but scores on Hopelessness provided the stronger correlate.     

A Psychometric and Cross-National Examination of a Belief in a Just World Scale

The study examined the psychometric properties of Dalbert, Montada, and Schmitt's (1987) English version of their 6-item belief in a just world scale using a sample of 253 Canadian management undergraduates. This study found strong support for the homogeneity of the scale, the independence of the scale from the influence of social desirability, and the concurrent validity of the scale as seen in significant correlations with Rubin and Peplau's (1975) 20-item just world scale. Cross-national comparisons show that this Canadian sample scored significantly higher than did the European and Hawaiian samples reported by Dalbert and her colleagues.     

Predicting attitudes toward operation Iraqi freedom

98 male and female college students ranging in age from 17 to 22 years (M= 19.2, SD= 1.1) were administered a questionnaire that contained Altemeyer's 20-item Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale (RWA), questions about the legitimacy of the 2000 presidential election, Mayton's Physical Nonviolence Subscale, and a scale designed to measure attitudes toward Operation Iraqi Freedom. RWA scores, perceptions of the legitimacy of the 2000 presidential election, and scores on the Physical Nonviolence subscale were independent predictors of attitudes toward Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition, those who had higher RWA scores were more likely to perceive the 2000 presidential election as legitimate. There was no significant correlation between RWA scores and attitudes toward physical nonviolence.