Predicting parental social influences: The role of physical activity variability

Objectives

This study examined how variations in the activity of adolescents might relate to the social influences used by parents. Specifically, mean differences in activity across adolescents (individual differences) as well as variation in activity within adolescents (intra-individual variation) were used to predict the use of family social influence.

Design

A prospective design was used.

Methods

High school students (N = 329) completed measures of activity (six times) and social influences received from family (positive, negative, collaborative) (five times) over a one-year period. A multilevel analysis was used to predict each of the three types of social influence. The predictors included activity in two forms: The individual’s mean level of activity (i.e., individual differences) and activity at the previous time point as a deviation from the individual’s mean activity level (i.e., intra-individual variation).

Results

Controlling for age, gender and school, results revealed that both individual differences in mean activity level (b = 0.04, p < .001) and intra-individual variation in activity (b = −0.02, p = .055) predicted use of collaborative influence. For positive influence, only individual differences in mean activity level was a predictor (b = 0.02, p < .001). Neither form of activity predicted parental use of negative influence.

Conclusions

Results revealed support for the positive relationship between both positive and collaborative types of influence and individual differences in activity that is typically reported in the literature. However, a negative relationship between intra-individual variation in activity and collaborative social influences also was found. This negative relationship, where lower activity than normal by the adolescent was related to a greater use of collaborative influence by the parent, may be indicative of a regulatory form of social influence.     

Aggregating and Testing Intra-Individual Correlations: Methods and Comparisons

From a longitudinal study, we have repeatedly measured data from multiple individuals at multiple occasions. For each individual, the relation between 2 variables can be measured by the Pearson’s correlation. The question is how to aggregate the multiple correlations and conduct statistical inference on the aggregated intra-individual correlation. Several methods are proposed to aggregate and test intra-individual correlations: (a) a meta-analysis method based on Fisher’s Z transformed correlations, (b) a meta-analysis method based on the Pearson’s correlations, and (c) a multilevel modeling method using data standardized within each individual. The performance of the methods after bias corrections was compared using simulations with considering factors including numbers of individuals, numbers of time points, population effect sizes, and their distribution forms (homogeneous vs heterogeneous). The results from the simulation studies show that estimation biases were found using the meta-analytic methods and suggestions on when and how to correct biases were provided based on the simulation results. Furthermore, the performance of the 3 methods after necessary bias corrections was found to be comparable and reasonably good, indicating that all 3 methods worked for aggregating and testing intra-individual correlations. An empirical daily diary data set was then used to illustrate the applications of the 3 methods. The assumptions, advantages and disadvantages, and possible extensions of the 3 methods were discussed.     

Étude exploratoire de la stabilité à long terme des indices standard du WISC-IV

By a Test–Retest procedure, this study explores the long-term stability of the French WISC-IV index scores. The average Test–Retest interval was 2.33 years. The sample consisted of 96 non-clinical children aged between 8 and 12 years. Mean difference between the two testings was not statistically significant for VCI, PRI, WMI, GAI and FSIQ. Test–Retest reliability correlations between the two assessments are high for VCI, GAI and FSIQ (ranging from .81 to .82). An analysis of the performance differences between two assessments indicates intra-individual stability for WMI and GAI. In sum, only GAI demonstrates reliable long-term stability at an inter-and intra-individual level.     

Assessment of preschoolers at-risk with the WPPSI--R and the Stanford-Binet L-M.

The purpose of this study was to provide data on the validity of using the WPPSI--R with 16 preschoolers who had been referred for psychological assessment. A comparison of the preschoolers' performance on the WPPSI--R and the Stanford-Binet L-M was made. Children ranged in age from 3-0 to 6-0 years, with a mean age of 4-5 yr. The correlations between WPPSI--R and Stanford-Binet L-M scores were strong; WPPSI--R Verbal IQ and Stanford-Binet L-M IQ, r = .85; WPPSI--R Performance IQ and Stanford-Binet L-M IQ, r = .75, and WPPSI--R Full Scale IQ and Stanford-Binet L-M IQ, r = .82. For this very small sample of children whose mean IQ was significantly below average, the WPPSI--R appeared to assess validly their current intellectual functioning. Attention should be given concurrent and predictive validity as well as the efficiency of using the WPPSI--R with other and larger samples of referred children.     

Individual Differences in Various Parameters of Motor Learning

60 Ss practiced 6 days on the stabilometer. No reminiscence or warm-up decrement was found; loss of skill occurred from 1-day layoffs which lessened as learning progressed. A 3-component exponential equation fitted the learning trend (including relearning). Both individual differences and intra-individual variations decreased exponentially with practice, but the ratio of individual differences to mean score increased. Practice had little influence on adjacent trial rs. Between scores in any particular pair of separated trials, r decreased when increasing number of trials separated them. Averaging 8 initial and 8 final trials gave optimum learning score reliability (r = .95). Individual rates of learning were not appreciably correlated with amounts of learning (r = .23). Final performance levels could only be predicted 50% from initial skill and cumulated amounts of learning unless more than half of the total practice (i.e., more than 90% of the potential learning) had been accomplished. The pattern of zero order rs between amount of learning and initial and final skill levels differed markedly from that previously observed in learning the ladder climb.     

The Eysenckian personality factors and their correlations with academic performance

Background. The relationship between personality and academic performance has long been explored, and a recent meta‐analysis established that measures of the five‐factor model (FFM) dimension of Conscientiousness have similar validity to intelligence measures. Although currently dominant, the FFM is only one of the currently accepted models of personality, and has limited theoretical support. In contrast, the Eysenckian personality model was developed to assess a specific theoretical model and is still commonly used in educational settings and research. Aims. This meta‐analysis assessed the validity of the Eysenckian personality measures for predicting academic performance. Sample. Statistics were obtained for correlations with Psychoticism, Extraversion, and Neuroticism (20–23 samples; N from 8,013 to 9,191), with smaller aggregates for the Lie scale (7 samples; N= 3,910). Methods. The Hunter–Schmidt random effects method was used to estimate population correlations between the Eysenckian personality measures and academic performance. Moderating effects were tested using weighted least squares regression. Results. Significant but modest validities were reported for each scale. Neuroticism and Extraversion had relationships with academic performance that were consistent with previous findings, while Psychoticism appears to be linked to academic performance because of its association with FFM Conscientiousness. Age and educational level moderated correlations with Neuroticism and Extraversion, and gender had no moderating effect. Correlations varied significantly based on the measurement instrument used. Conclusions. The Eysenckian scales do not add to the prediction of academic performance beyond that provided by FFM scales. Several measurement problems afflict the Eysenckian scales, including low to poor internal reliability and complex factor structures. In particular, the measurement and validity problems of Psychoticism mean its continued use in academic settings is unjustified.     

Predicting negotiation skills

The purpose of this study was to validate a selection process that was designed to predict negotiation skills for a telephone collections job. First, a job analysis was performed (n=343) to identify the major functions and behavioral requirements of the job. Next, the test, a situational judgment inventory, was developed, and a concurrent criterion related validation study was completed (n=249). The criterion measures were supervisory ratings of performance. Validity coefficients ranged from r=.41 (p<.001) to r=.45 (p<.001). In conclusion, the situational judgment inventory was found an effective vehicle for measuring telephone negotiation skills.     

Intra-Individual Variability of Normal and Educable Mentally Retarded Children on a Coincidence Timing Task

A visual coincidence timing task was used to compare the level of performance (constant error) and the intra-individual variability of 100 normal and 100 educable mentally retarded children. The mean performance of the intellectually normal children on this task was significantly superior to that of the retarded children, and the intra-individual variability of the latter was significantly greater than that of the former. The hypothesis that high intra-individual variability and depressed level of performance are closely associated was not supported.     

Reliability and validity of retrospective self-reports of the age of pubertal onset using twin, sibling, and college student data

This study presents a methodology, derived from behavioral genetic research, designed to evaluate the validity of retrospective self-report inventories. The application of this technique to college student, twin, and sibling data demonstrated the reliability and validity of a retrospective self-report questionnaire on the timing of pubertal onset. Support was provided by four main findings: (1) substantial test-retest reliability coefficients for individual items (r ranged from .73 to .97) were obtained for a sample of college students; (2) nearly all of the monozygotic twin (MZ) intraclass correlations exceeded those for dizygotic twins (DZ); (3) the magnitude of the test-retest and intraclass correlations for recall of the timing of pubertal onset followed theoretical expectations for a trait demonstrating significant genetic influence (i.e., r for the same individual tested twice greater than r for MZs greater than r for DZs greater than r for siblings); (4) the expected secular trend of a cross-generational decrease in the age of sexual maturation was demonstrated for retrospective self-reports of family members representing three different generations. Moreover, the size of the mean differences across generations mirrored those reported for nonretrospective assessments of the actual age of pubertal onset. Finally, the value of retrospective self-report surveys in psychological research is discussed, and the relative merits of these instruments as indices of individual differences in pubertal development, as opposed to indices of the actual age of sexual maturation, are emphasized.     

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.     

Predicting sales skills

The purpose of this study was to validate a selection process designed to predict sales skills for a telephone sales job. First, a job analysis was performed (n=213) to identify the major functions and behavioral requirements of the job. Next, the test, a situational judgment inventory, was developed, and a concurrent criterion related validation study was completed (n=236). The criterion measures were supervisory ratings of performance. Validity coefficients ranged from r=.16 (p<.01) to r=.24 (p<.001). In conclusion, the situational judgment inventory was found an effective vehicle for measuring telephone sales skills.Sincere thanks to Roz Lobus for her assistance in the earlier phases of this study.     

中文版正念养育量表在母亲群体中的信效度检验

目的:对正念养育量表进行中文版修订并在母亲群体中检验其信效度。方法:采用正念养育量表对中国内地803名儿童的母亲进行测试,弗莱堡正念调查表(FMI)作为效标,两周后随机抽取126人进行重测。结果:探索性因素分析结果得到6个因子,分别为充分倾听、同情孩子、养育中的非评判性接纳、养育关系中的自我调控、对孩子的情绪觉知、对自我的情绪觉知,累积方差贡献率为55.89%。验证性因子分析表明数据拟合较好(SymbolcA@²/df=2.25,CFI=0.92,TLI=0.90,RMSEA=0.05,90%CI [0.045,0.056],SRMR=0.06)。总量表及6因子的Cronbach’s α系数为0.88,0.77、0.77、0.70、0.66、0.59、0.62; 总量表及6因子的重测信度为0.83,0.85、0.86、0.82、0.78、0.61、0.71; 总量表、各分量表与FMI的相关系数范围为0.29～0.56(均p<0.001)。结论:中文修订版正念养育量表信效度良好,可用于评估母亲的正念养育水平。     

The reliability and validity of a measure of reported affinity for figurative language

Figurative language, as the linguistic expression of metaphoric thought, occupies a central place in the study of human cognition and creativity. This article describes four initial investigations of the reliability and validity of a measure of affinity for figurative language. In Study 1, a factor analysis of the Language Preference Report (LPR) yielded three orthogonally rotated components of affinity for figurative language: Liking to Produce Figurative Language, General Dislike of Figurative Language, and Liking to Study Texts Which Include Figurative Language. The factors, based on 540 responses, accounted for 73% of the total variance and were correlated with each other (absolute values between .55 and .36). Study 2, based on repeated administrations to 103 students at 2‐week intervals, investigated the reliability of the LPR Internal consistency estimates ranged from .92 to .84, and test‐retest reliability estimates ranged from .86 to .69. In Study 3, 39 students responded to both the LPR and the Similes Test. Participants’ Similes Test scores were significantly correlated with the LPR Production factor (r = .53, p < .001) and the Study factor (V = .36, p < .05). In Study 4, 79 students completed the LPR and later read 3000 words of text in which they were presented with 20 opportunities to choose figurative or literal sentence completions. The number of figurative completions chosen was significantly correlated with the LPR Dislike factor (r = ‐.65, p < .0001), the Study factor (r = .63, p <. 0001), and the Production factor (r = .50, p < .001). These findings support the conclusion that this measure of affinity for figurative language is sufficiently reliable and valid for researching individual differences in creativity, problem solving, language production, and learning from text.     

Normative and reliability data for the children's depression inventory

The present study was undertaken to examine some of the psychometric properties of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), a self-report inventory devised by Kovacs and Beck (1977) to measure depression in children and adolescents. Normative and reliability data were obtained from three independent samples taken from eight public schools in central Pennsylvania. Age- and gender-related differences in reported characteristics of depression were also investigated. The subjects were 594 males and 658 females whose ages ranged from 8 to 16 years and whose combined mean age was 11.67 years (SD=1.91). The CDI was group-administered to all 1,252 subjects; 155 fifth-grade subjects (77 males and 78 females) were retested after 3 weeks, and 107 seventh- and eight-grade subjects (45 males and 62 females) were retested after 1 year. The distribution statistics for the combined samples yielded an overall CDI mean of 9.09, a standard deviation of 7.04, and a cutoff score of 19 for the upper 10% of the distribution. Reliability assessed through coefficient alpha, item-total score product-moment correlations, and test-retest coefficients proved acceptable. Gender differences were obtained for several item-total score correlations and for test-retest reliability of CDI scores.     

Development of the Friendships and Social Skills Test (FASST): A Parent Report Measure

This paper describes the initial development of the Friendships and Social Skills Test (FASST), a clinically oriented 25-item parent report measure of child peer relationships and social skills in a community (N = 423) and clinical sample (N = 159) of elementary school age children. Confirmatory factor analyses supported five factors measuring pro-social skills, negative peer directed behavior, friendship interactions, peer victimization, and the level of concern expressed about a child’s social functioning. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability of the FASST factors predominately ranged from moderate to very good. Validity was supported through higher scores in at-risk and clinical groups compared to children in the community and through correlations with an existing measure of social skills and emotional and behavioral functioning. Cross-informant validity was supported by correlations with teacher-report. Moreover, the scales measuring negative social behaviors and pro-social skills predicted changes in peer victimization and concern expressed about the child over a 1-year duration. By assessing positive and negative aspects of peer-directed behaviors and relationships the FASST has the potential to facilitate the identification and treatment of childhood social deficits in mental health settings.     

Validation of the Wisconsin Personality Disorders Inventory-IV with the SCID-II

The Wisconsin Personality Disorders Inventory (WISPI-IV; Klein & Benjamin, 1996) is the latest version of a self-report measure of DSM-IV personality disorders (PDs) derived from an interpersonal perspective. When categorical diagnoses derived from the WISPI-IV were compared with independent SCID-II diagnoses, the majority of the kappas were poor (>.40). However, all but one of the effect sizes for the differences in WISPI-IV means between groups with and without SCID-II diagnoses were large (>.80). When SCID-II and WISPI-IV dimensional scores were considered, the average r between profiles was .61 (median = .58) and correlations between corresponding PD scales (mean diagonal r = .48; mean off-diagonal r = .18) indicated good convergent and discriminant validity for five of the WISPI-IV scales. These results add to the cumulating evidence suggesting greater reliability and validity of dimensional over categorical scores for PDs. Researchers and clinicians interested in having an efficient method of assessing PDs may consider using a dimensional approach such as the WISPI-IV as an alternative to diagnostic interview.     

Psychometric testing and applications of the Body Attitudes Questionnaire translated into Portuguese

Although many body attitudes scales have been developed, none have been translated into Portuguese. This study aimed to translate the Ben-Tovim and Walker Body Attitudes Questionnaire and assess validity and reliability for a Brazilian sample. Women with (n = 39) and without (n = 57) eating disorders completed the scale, to assess discriminant validity. Convergent validity was assessed by the correlations between the scores and a measure of body dissatisfaction. The questionnaire was applied twice to controls after 1 mo. to evaluate reliability. Eating-disordered women had significantly higher mean scores on Feeling Fat, Disparagement, Salience and Lower Body Fatness, and lower scores on Attractiveness. No mean difference on Strength and Fitness was found. Most subscales were significantly correlated with the body-dissatisfaction measure. Test-retest coefficients ranged from .57 to .85. The translated version of the Body Attitudes Questionnaire seems to be a valid and reliable measure of body attitudes.     

中文版婴儿态度量表在已婚育龄女性中的信效度检验

目的 将婴儿态度量表(Attitude Toward Babies Scale,ABS)进行汉化,并检验在中国已婚育龄女性中的信效度。方法 采用方便取样的方法,选取贵州、山西、湖北等地的700名育龄女性进行施测,通过项目分析、内容效度分析、探索性因素分析、验证性因素分析、效标关联效度、Cronbach α系数、分半信度、重测信度评价其信效度。结果 项目分析表明,婴儿态度量表各条目与量表各维度总分显著相关,具有良好的区分度; 内容效度分析表明专家间一致性水平(IR)为1,I-CVI在0.83～1之间,S-CVI/UA为0.82,S-CVI/Ave为0.97; 探索性因素分析得出5个特征值>1的因子,累计方差贡献率为54.399%; 验证性因素分析表明五因素模型拟合度较好(χ2/df=2.500,CFI=0.922,TLI=0.914,RMSEA=0.048,SRMR=0.050); 各效标与该量表显著相关; 总量表Cronbach α系数为0.748,量表的分半信度为0.661,重测信度为0.639。结论 修订后的ABS具有良好的信效度,可以作为已婚育龄女性生育动机的有效测量工具。