BASIC PREMISES OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL ATTITUDE CHANGE THEORY: AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS

Multidimensional attitude change models propose that (1) stimuli defining the domain of attitudes may consist of a multidimensional rather than unidimensional pattern; (2) stimuli associated with each other in the persuasion process will converge with each other in the multidimensional attitude domain. These two propositions receive clear support from three of the hypotheses tested in four-panel cohort data, which analyses show to be multidimensional. The sources of a persuasive message converge on the position they advocate. Multiple sources converge on each other. The findings provided partial support for two other hypotheses on the convergence of self-concept with advocated position and with sources of a persuasive message. A final, somewhat tangential hypothesis also receives clear support: existential associations of concepts are more effective than hortatory associations. These results support further development of multidimensional attitude change models.     

Reciprocal Effects of Self-Concept and Performance From a Multidimensional Perspective

ABSTRACT— We ( Marsh & Craven, 1997 ) have claimed that academic self-concept and achievement are mutually reinforcing, each leading to gains in the other. Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, and Vohs (2003) have claimed that self-esteem has no benefits beyond seductive pleasure and may even be detrimental to subsequent performance. Integrating these seemingly contradictory conclusions, we distinguish between (a) older, unidimensional perspectives that focus on global self-esteem and underpin the Baumeister et al. review and (b) more recent, multidimensional perspectives that focus on specific components of self-concept and are the basis of our claim. Supporting the construct validity of a multidimensional perspective, studies show that academic achievement is substantially related to academic self-concept, but nearly unrelated to self-esteem. Consistent with this distinction, research based on our reciprocal-effects model (REM) and a recent meta-analysis show that prior academic self-concept (as opposed to self-esteem) and achievement both have positive effects on subsequent self-concept and achievement. We provide an overview of new support for the generality of the REM for young children, cross-cultural research in non-Western countries, health (physical activity), and nonelite (gymnastics) and elite (international swimming championships) sport. We conclude that future reviews elucidating the significant implications of self-concept for theory, policy, and practice need to account for current research supporting the REM and a multidimensional perspective of self-concept.     

Progress in the development of a multidimensional measure of fear of failure: The performance failure appraisal inventory (pfai)

Abstract

Measuring fear of failure (FF) is a tremendous challenge for researchers and practitioners because (a) existing measures have demonstrated limited support for the validity of their score interpretations, and (b) existing measures are unidimensional while accumulating evidence suggests that FF is multidimensional. The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI) was developed to measures a set of empirically-derived congnitive-motivational-relational appraisals associated with FF. Results indicated that PFAI scores represented fears of (a) experiencing shame and embarrassment, (b) devaluing one's self-estimate, (c) losing social influence, (d) having an uncertain future, and (e) upsetting important others. Correlations with external measures of achievement goal orientations, trait anxiety, and social desirability were consistent with theoretical predictions. PFAI scores correctly classified 76.5% of participants' perceptions of underachievement.     

Empirically indistinguishable multidimensional IRT and locally dependent unidimensional item response models

Multidimensionality is a core concept in the measurement and analysis of psychological data. In personality assessment, for example, constructs are mostly theoretically defined as unidimensional, yet responses collected from the real world are almost always determined by multiple factors. Significant research efforts have concentrated on the use of simulated studies to evaluate the robustness of unidimensional item response models when applied to multidimensional data with a dominant dimension. In contrast, in the present paper, I report the result from a theoretical investigation that a multidimensional item response model is empirically indistinguishable from a locally dependent unidimensional model, of which the single dimension represents the actual construct of interest. A practical implication of this result is that multidimensional response data do not automatically require the use of multidimensional models. Circumstances under which the alternative approach of locally dependent unidimensional models may be useful are discussed.     

Validation of the BRIEF-P in a sample of Canadian preschool children

The Behavior Rating Inventory for Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P) is an instrument designed to assess preschoolers’ executive function (EF) in the context of where the behavior occurs. The present study examined the psychometric properties and measurement structure of the BRIEF-P using parents’ and teachers’ reports on 625 typically developing children aged 25 to 74 months. Results indicated that the BRIEF-P scales had good internal consistency and convergent validity in this sample of children. However, the measurement models examined exhibited poor fit statistics and showed that the EF construct was not unidimensional but rather multidimensional with interrelated subconstructs. Further analyses showed that three of the clinical scales (Emotional Control, Plan/Organize, and Working Memory) were unidimensional and invariant across informant. The other two clinical scales (Inhibit and Shift) were multidimensional and differed by informant. Results support a multidimensional construct of EF and, accordingly, different measurement models are proposed by informant.     

Further validation of a single‐item measure of social identification

We examine the validity and reliability of a single‐item measure of social identification (SISI). Convergent validity is shown with significant positive correlations with previously published unidimensional and multidimensional measures of in‐group identification and other group‐relevant measures (e.g., entitativity and collective self‐esteem). Divergent validity is shown via nonsignificant correlations with social desirability measures. Predictive validity is shown with positive correlations with group‐relevant behavior (e.g., volunteerism and voting). External validity is shown with correlations with other in‐group identification measures in a community sample. The reliability of the scale is shown by examining scores of the SISI for six different identities at three points in time. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reciprocal effects between academic self-concept, self-esteem, achievement, and attainment over seven adolescent years: unidimensional and multidimensional perspectives of self-concept

In their influential review, Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger, and Vohs (2003) concluded that self-esteem--the global component of self-concept--has no effect on subsequent academic performance. In contrast, Marsh and Craven's (2006) review of reciprocal effects models from an explicitly multidimensional perspective demonstrated that academic self-concept and achievement are both a cause and an effect of each other. Ironically, both reviews cited classic Youth in Transition studies in support of their respective claims. In definitive tests of these counter claims, the authors reanalyze these data-including self-esteem (emphasized by Baumeister et al.), academic self-concept (emphasized by Marsh & Craven), and postsecondary educational attainment-using stronger statistical methods based on five waves of data (grade 10 through 5 years after graduation; N=2,213). Integrating apparently discrepant findings under a common theoretical framework based on a multidimensional perspective, academic self-concept had consistent reciprocal effects with both achievement and educational attainment, whereas self-esteem had almost none.     

La clarté du concept de soi : validation d’une échelle de mesure en langue française

IntroductionThe self-concept clarity scale (SCC, Campbell et al., 1996) measures the extent to which self-beliefs are perceived as clearly defined, internally consistent and temporally stable.ObjectiveThe study aimed at testing the reliability and validity of a French version of the SCC scale and its relevance to predict the relationship between self-concept and vocational preference.MethodThree studies have been conducted on a total sample of 1114 participants (691 women) aged 15 and 62.ResultsResults revealed that the French version of the SCC had a unidimensional factor structure and high levels of internal consistency and temporal stability (study 1). As predicted, high SCC scores were independently associated with high self-esteem, high conscientiousness, high agreeability, low neuroticism and low social comparison orientation (study 2). Finally, a criterion validity argument was provided by demonstrating that high SCC scores predicted high matching degree between self-concept and occupational preference prototype (study 3).ConclusionThe psychometric properties of the French version of SCC are satisfactory and comparable to those of the English original scale. The use of the SCC scale in academic guidance and career counseling is therefore discussed.     

On the need for negative local item dependence

While negative local item dependence (LID) has been discussed in numerous articles, its occurrence and effects often go unrecognized. This is due in part to confusion over what unidimensional latent trait is being utilized in evaluating the LID of multidimensional testing data. This article addresses this confusion by using an appropriately chosen latent variable to condition on. It then provides a proof that negative LID must occur when unidimensional ability estimates (such as number right score) are obtained from data which follow a very general class of multidimensional item response theory models. The importance of specifying what unidimensional latent trait is used, and its effect on the sign of the LIDs are shown to have implications in regard to a variety of foundational theoretical arguments, to the simulation of LID data sets, and to the use of testlet scoring for removing LID.This paper is based in part on a chapter in the first author's doctoral dissertation, written at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the supervision of William Stout. Part of this research has been presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Measurement in Education, San Diego, California, April 14–16, 1998.The research of the first author was partially supported by a Harold Gulliksen Psychometric fellowship through Educational Testing Service and by a Research and Productive Scholarship award from the University of South Carolina.     

Comparing five alternative factor-models of the Student Jenkins Activity Survey: separating the wheat from the chaff

The Student Jenkins Activity Survey (SJAS; Glass, 1977) is the most popular instrument for measuring Type A behavior in college undergraduates, and a variety of different unidimensional and multidimensional models for scoring the SJAS have been employed in the past. This study compared five alternative factor-models developed for the short (21-item) form of the SJAS in terms of their overall goodness of fit, factorial invariance, and factor reliabilities, using the data of two independent samples of undergraduates. Indices of relative fit for the five models ranged from .64 to .94 (median = .85), but only one unidimensional model and one multidimensional model achieved a minimum satisfactory goodness of fit (.90 or greater) for both samples. Reconceptualizing these models within a broader nomological net sheds light on their meaning and highlights existing gaps in the measurement of multifaceted Type A behavior.     

On the Discriminant Validity of Burnout,Depression and Anxiety: A Re-examination of the Burnout Measure

We investigated the discriminant validity of the frequently used Burnout Measure (BM) (Pines et al ., 1981), in relation to depressive symptomatology and anxiety. Following Russell's (1980) work on the multidimensional space of affective states, BM's items were hypothesized to reside in three separate regions of that space, labeled anxiety, depression, and wornout, with wornout representing a combination of physical and emotional exhaustion. Respondents were 704 senior army officers, who completed a questionnaire that included BM items, standard measures of depression and anxiety, and measures of military-related stresses. Their responses to the BM items and to the depression and anxiety scales were subjected to multidimensional scaling analysis. Excepting an unexpected finding related to a fourth construct, loss of vigor, the results were supportive of the hypothesis and led to the construction of three unidimensional measures, respectively gauging anxiety, depression, and wornout. The correlations of the three measures with the stress measures supported their discriminant validity. We suggest that future research using the BM should focus on the set of items that were found to load on the dimension of wornout, to the exclusion of items tapping depression and anxiety.     

The multidimensional nature and multicultural validity of a new measure of social anxiety: the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults

Much has been written about the situations most often feared by persons with social phobia, and several self-report measures are frequently used to assess such feared situations. However, it is not clear whether the situations feared by persons with social phobia form unidimensional or multidimensional factors. If these situations are multidimensional, reliance on a total score of feared situations would not reflect important differences between those dimensions. This research examined the multidimensional nature and multicultural validity of a newly developed instrument (the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults [SAQ-A]) in two studies with a total of 539 patients diagnosed with social phobia and 15,753 nonpatients from 20 different countries. The structure (five clear and solid factors) and psychometric properties of the final instrument (the SAQ-A30) support the multidimensional nature of social anxiety and provide a new perspective in the assessment of social phobia.     

Improving measurement precision of test batteries using multidimensional item response models

A conventional way to analyze item responses in multiple tests is to apply unidimensional item response models separately, one test at a time. This unidimensional approach, which ignores the correlations between latent traits, yields imprecise measures when tests are short. To resolve this problem, one can use multidimensional item response models that use correlations between latent traits to improve measurement precision of individual latent traits. The improvements are demonstrated using 2 empirical examples. It appears that the multidimensional approach improves measurement precision substantially, especially when tests are short and the number of tests is large. To achieve the same measurement precision, the multidimensional approach needs less than half of the comparable items required for the unidimensional approach.     

Sales Force Compensation Plans Incorporating Multidimensional Sales Effort and Salesperson Efficiency

Sales force compensation models are often constrained by the assumption that salesperson effort is unidimensional. Some models have extended this scenario to multiple products but retain the “single-effort” assumption. In addition, salesperson efficiency has been ignored. As selling is clearly multidimensional, we present a formulation of an agency model (MIPAM) that incorporates multidimensional sales effort as well as salesperson efficiency. Using the model, we also show that under certain assumptions, we can build the second-order condition of the agent’s maximization into the principalagent problem, instead of assuming it, as has been done in the past.     

复杂决策规则下MIRT的分类准确性和分类一致性

介绍多维项目反应理论模型下分类准确性和分类一致性指标, 采用蒙特卡罗方法实现复杂决策规则下指标计算, 并从数学上证明分类准确性指标两类估计量在均匀先验和相同决策规则条件下依概率收敛于同一真值。研究结果表明：分类准确性指标可以比较准确地评价分类结果的准确性; 分类一致性指标可以较好地评价分类结果的重测一致性; 在一定条件下, 基于能力量尺的指标优于基于原始总分的指标; 纵使测验维度增加, 估计精度仍比较好; 随着测验长度和维度间相关增加, 分类准确性和分类一致性更高。指标可以用来评价标准参照测验或计算机分类测验的多种决策规则下分类信度和效度。     

What Do Implicit Measures Tell Us? Scrutinizing the Validity of Three Common Assumptions

ABSTRACT— Experimental paradigms designed to assess "implicit" representations are currently very popular in many areas of psychology. The present article addresses the validity of three widespread assumptions in research using these paradigms: that (a) implicit measures reflect unconscious or introspectively inaccessible representations; (b) the major difference between implicit measures and self-reports is that implicit measures are resistant or less susceptible to social desirability; and (c) implicit measures reflect highly stable, older representations that have their roots in long-term socialization experiences. Drawing on a review of the available evidence, we conclude that the validity of all three assumptions is equivocal and that theoretical interpretations should be adjusted accordingly. We discuss an alternative conceptualization that distinguishes between activation and validation processes.     

A Case Illustrating the Concept of the Alpha Schizophrenic

The construct validity of the Academic Self-Concept Scale (Reynolds, in press) as a measure of an academic facet of general self-concept in college students was examined. Subjects were 589 undergraduate students from three colleges. Convergent validity was demonstrated in the form of correlations between the academic self-concept measure and subjects' grade point average (GPA), and scores on measures of general self-concept and locus of control. A multiple regression analysis of the Academic Self-Concept Scale produced a multiple correlation of .59 with GPA and general self-concept. Discriminant validity was shown via low correlations between academic self-concept and measures of mental ability and social desirability. As expected, differences in academic self-concept between year levels in college were also found. Factor analysis of the Academic Self-Concept Scale and subsequent oblique rotation resulted in seven interpretable factors. The results of this investigation lend support for the construct validity of the Academic Self-Concept Scale.     

The Relationship of Three Measures of Locus of Control to Environment Activism

In response to the issues raised by the critical literature and the desire to more fully explore the role of locus of control in ecologically responsible behavior, this study (a) assessed the adequacy of various locus of control measures for predicting environmental activism and willingness to engage in personal conservation and antipollution activities; (b) examined the modifiability of locus of control under the pressure of a relevant sociopolitical event; and (c) compared unidimensional vs. multidimensional and generalized vs. situation-specific representations of the locus of control construct. The results indicated that locus of control was significantly associated with environmental activism and personal conservation attitudes but that locus of control feelings changed among activists after a disappointing political defeat. The situation-specific, multidimensional locus of control measure was superior to the generalized, unidimensional and generalized, multidimensional measures both in predicting behavior and attitudes and in responding to the sociopolitical event.