Validating a “spurning scale” for nurses in Hong Kong

Based on a model on spumed helpers’ reactions, a spurning scale for nurses was constructed with items to assess the extent to which practicing nurses experience recurrent rejection of their help by patients and colleagues. Three approaches were employed to examine the validity of the scale: the relationship of the spurning scores with job satisfaction and turnover scores; the relationships of the spurning scores with burnout scores; and the relationships of the spurning scores with scores indicative of stress arising from interactions with one's patients, colleagues, and supervisor. Practicing nurses in Hong Kong (N = 212) who were enrolled in a refresher program of studies responded to a questionnaire containing the variables of interest. The results offered promising evidence for the validity of the scale.     

Validating a “spurning scale” for teachers

Based on a model on helpers’ reactions to rejection of their help, a spurning scale for teachers was constructed, comprising items that examine teachers’ perception of spurning of their help/advice by students and colleagues. Three avenues were taken to assess the validity of the scale: The relationships of the spurning scores with burnout scores; the relationships of spurning scores with job (dis)satisfaction and with job turnover; and relationships of spurning scores with job stresses from different sources. In-service teachers enrolled in a teacher training program were invited to fill out a questionnaire that contained these variables. Results suggest that the spurning scale is valid.     

The linkage between spurned help and burnout among practicing nurses

One objective of the present study was to further establish the external validity for a model on spurned helpers' reactions through examining the spurning-burnout linkage in practicing nurses. A second objective was to explore whether or not social support from one's supervisor and one's colleague could reduce the negative impact of spurn-ing on burnout. The last objective was to assess if workload would add to the effects of spurning on burnout. One-hundred seventy-two practicing nurses in Hong Kong responded to a questionnaire measuring the variables of interest. The results revealed once again the adverse effects of spurning on burnout, and that peer support and workload served as important moderators.     

The negative event scale: measuring frequency and intensity of adult hassles

This study examined the structure, concurrent validity, and reliability of a hassle measure for middle-aged adults in both event frequency and intensity recordings. The measure included a range of interpersonal day-to-day events and re-examined aspects of the primary appraisal confounding debate between Lazarus and colleagues (Lazarus, Delongis, Folkman, & Gruen, 1985) and Dohrenwend and Shrout (1985). Of the 373 participants, 73% were female, 72% were in paid work, 69% were in permanent relationships and 62% had children. Principal component analyses of separate hassle frequency and intensity scores highlighted components consistent with previous research. There were seven interpersonal and four non-interpersonal subscales associated with negative events with family and friends, work, health, money, and household. The subscales had very good reliability and concurrent validity and there were generally strong correlations (i.e. up .84) between frequency and intensity scores for each subscale. Given some important sampling limitations (e.g. female overrepresentation) the findings show a psychometrically sound hassle scale for adults.     

Validity and Reliability of a Turkish Version of the Modified Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire for Student Nurses

This study examined the validity and reliability of a Turkish version of the Modified Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire for Student Nurses (MMSQSN). After obtaining permission to adapt the MMSQSN into Turkish, the translation/back-translation method was used with expert opinions to determine content validity. Factor analysis was conducted to examine the construct validity and test–retest was performed on the questionnaire to determine reliability. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were calculated to assess for internal consistency. Participants included 272 baccalaureate degree student nurses who took ethics lessons prior to their clinical internship. The factor analysis revealed that even though the factor structure in the original scale was the same, relevant items were categorized with similar components, and factor loads were sufficient. The correlation coefficient in the analyses of test–retest scores was .66 for the total scale (p < .05) and the Cronbach’s alpha was .73 for the total scale. The translated MMSQSN is a valid and reliable measure of ethical sensitivity in student nurses in Turkey.     

Developing and Testing a Spiritual Care Questionnaire in the Iranian Context

As most research exploring nurses?? perceptions on the topic of spiritual care was conducted in Western countries, these findings may not be applicable in Iran because of cultural and health system differences. Therefore, a new survey instrument was developed for the Iranian context. The study was conducted in two steps: (1) development and validation of items for perception scale and (2) distribution of the questionnaire among nursing students to determine scale reliability and construct validity. The preliminary scale consisted of 50 items designed to measure the participants?? perception of spiritual care. Construct validity of the scale was examined on the remaining 33 items. On interpretation of the items, the following four components were identified: (1) meeting patient as a being in meaning and hope, (2) meeting patient as a being in relationship, (3) meeting patient as a religious being, and (4) meeting patients as a being with autonomy. The results in this paper showed that preserving dignity in the nurses?? practice meant getting involved in interpersonal caring relationships, with respect for the involved peoples?? religious beliefs and their autonomy. Proper education and professionally led supervision with reflection on past and recent experiences may develop student nurses?? and nurses?? perceptions as well as their attitudes toward spiritual care and to achieve a realistic view of the profession.     

Burnout in Spurned Medical Caregivers and the Impact of Job Expectancy Training

This study represents an extrapolation to the practical realm of a theoretical model that has been supported thus far only by laboratory studies. The model regards the rejection of help by people in need as being stressful for caregivers partly because it violates their expectations of acceptance and threatens their self-image as competent caregivers. It was hypothesized that high levels of perceived rejection by patients and others at work would contribute to burnout in medical caregivers. It was also predicted that high levels of stress preparation in caregivers' training with regard to job expectancies and patient (non)compliance would lessen burnout and buffer the effects of spurning. Responses to a questionnaire by a sample of physicians and hospital nurses revealed a direct association of perceived spurning, as well as an inverse association of stress preparation with burnout, and gave some indication of buffering, as hypothesized. Expressions of violated expectancies and of job disillusionment were directly associated with burnout and inversely associated with stress preparation. Informal job expectancy shaped by coworkers was found to be directly associated with burnout in physicians, but it was inversely associated with burn out in nurses. The implications of these findings are considered     

Examining the validity of self‐reports on scales measuring students' strategic processing

Background. Self‐report inventories trying to measure strategic processing at a global level have been much used in both basic and applied research. However, the validity of global strategy scores is open to question because such inventories assess strategy perceptions outside the context of specific task performance. Aims. The primary aim was to examine the criterion‐related and construct validity of the global strategy data obtained with the Cross‐Curricular Competencies (CCC) scale. Additionally, we wanted to compare the validity of these data with the validity of data obtained with a task‐specific self‐report inventory focusing on the same types of strategies. Sample. The sample included 269 10th‐grade students from 12 different junior high schools. Methods. Global strategy use as assessed with the CCC was compared with task‐specific strategy use reported in three different reading situations. Moreover, relationships between scores on the CCC and scores on measures of text comprehension were examined and compared with relationships between scores on the task‐specific strategy measure and the same comprehension measures. Results. The comparison between the CCC strategy scores and the task‐specific strategy scores suggested only modest criterion‐related validity for the data obtained with the global strategy inventory. The CCC strategy scores were also not related to the text comprehension measures, indicating poor construct validity. In contrast, the task‐specific strategy scores were positively related to the comprehension measures, indicating good construct validity. Conclusion. Attempts to measure strategic processing at a global level seem to have limited validity and utility.     

Additional validation of the attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale

To provide information on the construct validity of the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help scale, relationships between prior treatment experiences and scores on the scale were evaluated. Participants were 270 students recruited from undergraduate psychology courses at a medium-sized university in the midwestern USA. 79% were women: their ages ranged from 18 to 53 years (M= 19.0, SD=4.4). In addition to completing the scale, the subset of 76 participants who reported prior mental health care treatment also evaluated these experiences using a rating scale anchored by 0: very dissatisfied and 4: very satisfied. For the total sample, prior experience with the mental health care delivery system was associated with higher scores on the scale, denoting more positive attitudes. In the subgroup with prior treatment experience, evaluation ratings were also associated with treatment attitudes, accounting for 17% of the variance in their scale score. These results provide additional support for the construct validity of this scale.