Revised form of the Belief in Good Luck Scale in a Turkish sample

The aim of the study was to explore the patterns of belief in luck in a Turkish sample. For this purpose, a shorter version of Freedman and Darke's Belief in Good Luck Scale was given, including some more items related to the beliefs in 'consistent' versus 'variant' patterns of luck. This scale, together with Turkish versions of Rosenberg's measure of Global Self-esteem, Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, and the Satisfaction With Life Scale of Diener, Emmons, Larsen, and Griffin, was administered to a group of 173 (96 men, 77 women) undergraduate students from the Middle East Technical University attending an elective general psychology course. The mean age was 21 yr. (SD=2.1). The factor composition of the extended scale consisted of three scales, similar to the original version. Loading of new items on the General Belief in Luck factor indicates that this factor may describe a belief in an organised pattern of luck.     

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.     

The Life Attitudes Schedule Short Form: An Abbreviated Measure of Life-Enhancing and Life-Threatening Behaviors in Adolescents

An abbreviated version of the Life Attitudes Schedule (LAS) was developed, consisting of 24 items, each representing one cell of the original LAS theoretical matrix (4 content categories × 2 behavior types × 2 valence). Items were retained on the basis of high correlations with LAS total score and low correlations with gender. Psychometric properties of the LAS Short Form were robust and the Short Form total score correlated .93 with the original LAS total score. As with the original LAS, boys reported more injury-related behaviors than girls. Future research and clinical directions are suggested.     

Empirical testing of the Satisfaction With Life Scale: a South African pilot study

To explore applicability of the Satisfaction With Life Scale in a different racial and cultural context (South Africa), a questionnaire containing items on basic demographic characteristics, the 5-item Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the 10-item Rosenberg Self-esteem scale, was administered to a small convenient sample of 34 Black (13 men and 21 women) and 20 White (9 men and 11 women) South Africans aged between 17 and 70 years. As expected, Black respondents were less likely to have completed high school than White respondents and were more likely to be unemployed. Factor analysis of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (coefficient alpha of .92) yielded a single factor, accounting for 76% of the variance. Mean differences of the two groups were not significant when education and employment status were controlled. As anticipated, Life Satisfaction scores were correlated .86 with rated Self-esteem. Given the very small convenient sample, results are consistent with robust findings in western countries and encourage replication on a larger, representative sample.     

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Chinese Version of the Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale

The present study reported the initial validation of an abbreviated version of the Students' Life Satisfaction Scale- Chinese version (SLSS-Chinese) in two samples of Chinese middle school students. Initial analyses based on the original 7-item scale suggested that the two reverse-worded items functioned differently compared to other items. The plausible reasons behind this finding were discussed based on extant literature on mixed worded scales and cross-cultural research on life satisfaction scales. Then we compared the validity of three formats of the SLSS-Chinese: the 7-item (full scale), the 5-item (positively worded items only), and the 2-item (reverseworded items only) scales, respectively. Convergent evidence suggested that the two reverse-worded items hampered the scale's internal consistency, dimensionality, and validity. Also, the 5-item scale demonstrated good psychometric properties, and was clearly superior compared to the 7-item scale. These findings provide a solid foundation for applying the 5-item SLSS-Chinese in measuring Chinese adolescents' life satisfaction.     

Italian validation of the Jarel Spiritual Well-Being Scale

ABSTRACT

Spiritual well-being is a multidimensional construct that includes both existential and religious dimensions. It is associated with several indicators of well-being, as self-esteem and assertiveness. The study presents the adaptation of the Jarel Spiritual Well-Being Scale to the Italian context. The participants are 531 Italian adults. The survey includes: Hope State Scale, Adult Hope Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Vision about Future Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. The measures selected aim to verify the external validity of the Jarel Spiritual Well-Being Scale. Data analysis shows good psychometric properties of the Jarel Spiritual Well-Being Scale: the good external validity is confirmed by the significant correlations with the other measures, while the confirmatory factor analysis highlights some differences in the structure of the scale respect to the original version, probably due to cultural differences among US and Italian samples, that required a new factorial solution for the Italian version of the scale.     

Validity and Reliability of the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI-SF) Applied to a Chilean Sample

The Parenting Stress Index was developed in response to the need for a measure to assess the parent-child system. Its abbreviated version, the Parenting Stress Index Short Form, is an instrument with multiple clinical applications and is useful for research and intervention purposes. The Parenting Stress Index Short Form was standardized for use with parents of children ranging from 1 month to 12 years old. Several validation studies are available, most of them not supporting the original structure of three factors. No validation studies for this instrument currently exist in Latin America for a socially vulnerable population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate both the validity and internal consistency of Parenting Stress Index Short Form in a Chilean sample including 336 dyads (mean age of mothers 21.4 years; SD?=?7.38; and mean age of children 84.8 days; SD?=?78.0), demonstrating risk for negative health outcomes and who attend public primary health care. An exploratory factor analysis showed a three-factor structure that was compatible with the original version and explained 41.45?% of the variance. Internal consistency was high both for the total scale (Cronbach’s α?=?0.92) and the three subscales (0.81: Parenting Distress; 0.89: Parent–Child Dysfunctional Interaction and 0.88: Difficult Child). The Goldberg General Health Questionnaire was used to assess external criterion related validity and a positive and statistically significant correlation was found (0.86). The evidence suggests that the Parenting Stress Index Short Form can be used as an instrument to measure the relationship between parenting and stress. Due to its psychometric characteristics, it can be applied to a vulnerable Chilean population. The contribution of this study is the validation of this instrument in a Spanish speaking population with characteristics of social vulnerability.     

Adapting Item Format for Cultural Effects in Translated Tests: Cultural Effects on Construct Validity of the Chinese Versions of the MBTI

This study investigated the interaction between different cultural groups and item type, and the ensuing effect on construct validity for a psychological inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI, Form G). The authors analyzed 94 items from 2 Chinese-translated versions of the MBTI (Form G) for factorial differences among groups of examinees. The sample comprised 1,111 male medical undergraduate students, 19 to 22 years of age. There were 3 significant findings. First, items loading on a hypothesized "correct" factor increased nearly 50% from the 1997 version to the 1999 version. Nonliteral translations modified 86.62% of these 13 items. Second, among the 3 item types, phrase items changed the most and word-pair items, the least. Third, the Sensation-Intuition (SN) scale split into 3 independent subtype personalities in the 1999 Chinese version. Results of 2 factor analyses provided qualified support for a 4-factor solution and showed that cultural differences significantly influence construct validity interpretations.     

Initial Reliability and Validity of the Life Satisfaction Scale for Problem Youth in a Sample of Drug Abusing and Conduct Disordered Youth

Responses to Life Satisfaction Scale for Problem Youth (LSSPY) items were examined in a sample of 193 substance abusing and conduct disordered adolescents. In responding to the LSSPY, youth endorse their percentage of happiness (0 to 100%) in twelve domains (i.e., friendships, family, school, employment/work, fun activities, appearance, sex life/dating, use of drugs, use of alcohol, money/material possessions, transportation, control of one's life). Results indicated that the LSSPY yielded three factor structures (i.e., Social Satisfaction, External Obligations Satisfaction, Substance Use Satisfaction), demonstrated good initial psychometric properties, and appears to be a useful instrument in the evaluation of treatment outcome in problem youth. Males were more satisfied in the Social and External Obligations domains than females, although no gender differences were indicated in Substance Use Satisfaction. Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic youths responded to LSSPY items similarly. Future directions are discussed in light of these results.     

Longitudinal reliability of the Life Satisfaction Index (Short Form) with nursing home residents: a cautionary note.

We administered the Life Satisfaction Index (Short Form) 18 times over a 39-wk. period to an initial sample of 76 old, frail, multiply impaired, and depressed nursing home residents participating in a longitudinal quasi-experimental study of the effects of cognitive group interventions on cognition and depression. As no changes over time were observed on the outcome variable of life satisfaction, the stability of the instrument's internal consistency could be examined. Kuder-Richardson KR-20 coefficients ranged from .11 to .60, with a mean of .42 (SD = .11). We conclude that caution should be used when applying this instrument to measure life satisfaction in frail nursing home residents.     

Factorial validity of the Conners' Parent Rating Scale-revised: short form with psychiatric outpatients

To assess the factorial validity of the 27-item Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form (CPRS-R:S; Conners, 1997), 100 (50%) male and 100 (50%) female psychiatric outpatients between 5 and 16 years old were rated by a parent. A confirmatory factor analysis of the 18 item ratings from the CPRS-R:S Oppositional, Cognitive Problems, and Hyperactivity scales provided only tentative support for scoring these scales as Conners (1997) recommended. However, an exploratory principal-axis factor analysis with all 27 item ratings found 2 dimensions: 1 dimension was composed of the 6 items in the Oppositional scale, and other dimension contained the remaining 21 items. An attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Total Symptoms scale was constructed by summing the ratings for these 21 symptom ratings, and this scale was found to be as effective as the Hyperactivity scale was in discriminating between youth who were and were not eventually diagnosed with an ADHD. We discuss the results as providing an alternate way of scoring the CPRS-R:S to screen for an ADHD in child and adolescent psychiatric outpatients.     

中国人获得感的结构研究

获得感是一个具有心理内涵与时代特色的新生概念。为了探究获得感的结构内涵,通过自由联想法形成量表的初始项目,先后进行两次预测并根据结果修订量表。然后对量表进行正式施测并检验其信效度,同时采用中文版生活满意度量表和幸福倾向量表进行效标效度检验。结果显示,中国人的获得感是个体对获取自身需求满足的内容、实现途径与所需条件的认知评价以及在此过程中的心理体验,包括获得体验、获得环境、获得内容、获得途径和获得分享五个维度。信效度分析表明,编制的中国人获得感量表符合心理测量学的标准,可用于相关的社会心理研究与应用。     

Validation of a 28‐item version of the Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation in an Irish context: the SCORE‐28

This article describes the development, in an Irish context, of a three‐factor, twenty‐eight‐item version of the Systemic Clinical Outcome and Routine Evaluation (SCORE) questionnaire for assessing progress in family therapy. The forty‐ item version of the SCORE was administered to over 700 Irish participants including non‐clinical adolescents and young adults, families attending family therapy, and parents of young people with physical and intellectual disabilities and cystic fibrosis. For validation purposes, data were also collected using brief measures of family and personal adjustment. A twenty‐eight‐item version of the SCORE (the SCORE‐28) containing three factor scales that assess family strengths, difficulties and communication was identified through exploratory principal components analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the factor structure of the SCORE‐28 was stable. The SCORE‐28 and its three factor scales were shown to have excellent internal consistency reliability, satisfactory test‐retest reliability and construct validity. The SCORE‐28 scales correlated highly with the General Functioning Scale of the Family Assessment Device, and moderately with the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale, the Kansas Marital and Parenting Satisfaction Scales, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Mental Health Inventory – 5, and the total problems scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Correlational analyses also showed that the SCORE‐28 scales were not strongly associated with demographic characteristics or social desirability response set. The SCORE‐28 may routinely be administered to literate family members aged over 12 years before and after family therapy to evaluate therapy outcome.     

Adaptation of the "Recovery Experience Questionnaire" in a Spanish sample

The aim of this work was to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the "Recovery Experience Questionnaire" developed by Sonnentag and Fritz. The sample was made up of 941 professionals from the security sector. Results from the exploratory factor analysis suggested the possibility of considering a four-factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the four-factor model with three correlated items each provided the best fit to the data (CFI=0.97, GFI=0.96, NNFI=0.96, RMSEA=0.05 y AIC=171.76). Therefore, the questionnaire maintains the four recovery experiences -psychological detachment from work, relaxation, mastery experiences and control over leisure time--but with 12 items instead of 16 items as in the original scale. Reliability analysis showed good internal consistency for this scale with Cronbach alpha coefficients for the factors ranging from .75 to .88. Significant correlations were found between the recovery experiences and various external variables, providing evidence of construct validity. Thus, this Spanish version shows adequate psychometric properties and may help to achieve a better understanding of this topic.     

Exploring the structure of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Form V in a Spanish sample

The psychometric properties of the original version of the Sensation Seeking Scale (Form V) were analyzed in a sample of 1,006 Spanish university students. The total sample was randomly split into two halves. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted on the calibration sample (n=504), whereas confirmatory factor analysis procedures were performed on the validation sample (n=502). As previous studies have suggested, exploratory factor structure indicated that several items load on a different factor or have loadings lower than .30. Those problems were surpassed when the best five items per factor were factor analyzed again. The confirmatory factor analyses showed that a 4-factor simple structure model gave a clearly imperfect fit. A model of 20 items (5 items per factor) gave a better fit, although with similar problems regarding the low reliabilities of the Experience Seeking and Boredom Susceptibility subscales. The need for improvement of the four-factor structure is discussed.     

Developing a Short Affect Intensity Scale

The purpose of this study was to construct a brief version of the 40-item Affect Intensity Measure. Since the assumed one-dimensionality of the scale has been criticized lately, special attention was paid to the factor structure of the full and the brief scales. The scales were tested in three different samples: 510 Belgian citizens representative of the Belgian population, and 204 and 166 students of the University of Antwerp. The Short Affect Intensity Scale has 20 items. Mean scores on the original Affect Intensity Measure were 3.68, 3.67, and 3.67 for the three samples, respectively, while for the Short Affect Intensity Scale the following respective mean scores were registered: 3.76, 3.78, and 3.75. Correlations between the original and brief scales were .94, .93, and .93 for the three samples, respectively. Three factors underlie the Short Affect Intensity Scale: Positive Intensity, Negative Affectivity, and Serenity. Furthermore, the scores for the Short Affect Intensity Scale suggest it is reliable and valid.     

Refinement and Psychometric Properties of the Eight-Item Brazilian Positive and Negative Affective Schedule for Children (PANAS-C8)

This study aimed to refine the Brazilian Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS-C34). A total of 1,160 children, between seven and 16 years of age (M = 11.2; SD = 1.92), from public elementary schools in eight Brazilian southern cities participated in the study. Four studies were conducted for this project. Study I (n = 370) evaluated the factorial structure of the PANAS-C34 (the original 34-item version). Ten potential items were selected for the instrument’s refined version. Employing an independent sample (n = 340), Study II assessed the utility of this ten-item version. Exploratory factor analysis, parallel analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis supported a bi-factorial solution. However, significant modification indices emerged for two items (happy and sad) regarding their respective factors and thus they were excluded. In Study III, using another independent sample (n = 450), it was demonstrated that the eight-item version (PANAS-C8) had better fit indices than the ten-item version. In Study IV (N = 1,160) a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the measurement invariance of the factorial solution across gender. Moreover, convergent validity was also evaluated using the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) and the General Life Satisfaction Scale for Children (GLSS-C). Measurement invariance was obtained for the PANAS-C8 across all the investigated model parameters. The correlations between the PANAS-C8 and both the CDI and the GLSS-C were of similar magnitude to those obtained using the PANAS-C34. The PANAS-C8 had adequate validity indices, demonstrating its usefulness in evaluating positive and negative affect in children.     

Structure of subjective well-being among the elderly

This article interprets subjective well-being within the framework of cognitive theories of emotion. A model consisting of three recurrent components of expressions of well-being--positive affect, negative affect, and cognition--was compared with two variations of models proposed by Liang. Drawing two random samples of persons with minimum age equal to 65 from the Myth and Reality of Aging in America Survey, lisrel analyses were undertaken on 17 items from the Affect Balance Scale and the Life Satisfaction Index Form A. All models provided an acceptable fit as indicated by ratios of chi-square to degrees of freedom. Implications are noted for the conceptualization and study of subjective well-being.