Bryant's Empathy Index for children and adolescents: psychometric properties in the Spanish language

The present study investigated the following issues: (1) the structure of Bryant's Empathy Index for children and adolescents in a Spanish sample of 408 boys and 424 girls (M age=14.4 yr.), and (2) sex differences, including effect sizes and internal consistency of the scale. A principal components factor analysis with oblimin rotation showed that 20 of the index's 22 items load on three robust factors, related to Feelings of Sadness, Understanding Feelings, and Tearful Reaction with regard to the emotions of others. The 3-factor structure obtained an adequate fit to the data in the confirmatory factor analysis. Coefficients alpha ranged between .72 and .78. The 3 factors accounted for 42% of variance. As expected, girls scored higher than boys. It was concluded that the Spanish version of Bryant's Empathy Index has an acceptable reliability and construct validity, making it useful for research.     

Development and Validation of the Homophobia Scale

This study describes the development and validation of the Homophobia Scale. The scale was developed to assess the cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of homophobia. The participants (n=321 for the field trials and n=122 for test–retest reliability) were college students from a large Midwestern university. Results yielded a 25-item questionnaire consisting of three factors: a factor that assesses mainly negative cognitions regarding homosexuality, a factor that assess primarily negative affect and avoidance of homosexual individuals, and a factor that assesses negative affect and aggression toward homosexual individuals. Concurrent validity was established using The Index of Homophobia (Hudson & Ricketts, 1980). The phases of scale development and implications of the results are discussed.     

Cultural Adaptation,Translation and Validation of Tuberculosis Specific Health Related Quality of Life Measuring Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Tuberculosis (FACIT-TB) Scale in Sri Lanka

The aim of the present study was to culturally adapt, translate and validate the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy tuberculosis (FACIT-TB) scale with a view to assess health related quality of life among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Sri Lanka. The cultural adaptation was performed by Delphi method. The translation into Sinhala (the local Sri Lankan dialect) was carried out through forward–backward translation method by five translators. A multidisciplinary team of experts assessed the Sinhala FACIT-TB scale for its content validity. The construct validity, the reliability and the acceptability of the scale were determined by conducting a validation study among 225 pulmonary tuberculosis patients. The confirmatory factor analysis technique was used to assess the construct validity. The reliability was assessed through internal consistency by Cronbach’s alpha and test re- test reliability by intraclass correlation coefficient after one week of assessment. The FACIT-TB showed adequate content validity. The confirmatory factor analysis yielded high fit indices with the original five factor model of FACIT-TB: Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) =0.05, Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMSR) =0.07, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) =0.94 and Non –Normal Fit Index (NNFI) =0.94. Reliability showed high internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha values exceeding the Nunnally’s criteria of 0.7 and all factors of the scale showed high test-retest reliability with intra-class correlation coefficient exceeding 0.7. Overall the FACIT-TB Sinhala version showed adequate validity to assess health related quality of life among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Sri Lanka.

     

Measurement of attitudes toward obese people among a Canadian sample of men and women

A new scale for examining attitudes toward obese people had 44 items selected from previously published scales designed to indicate attitudes toward obese people. Reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach coefficient alpha of .92 for the total sample. A factor analysis yielded four factors. Employing the Body Mass Index as an indicator of obesity, the attitudes of 239 men and women were examined. Women were significantly more positive than men in their attitude toward obese people. When examining Body Mass Index as a factor, comparisons of obese and nonobese women indicated obese women were more positive on the Diet and Exercise factor of the scale. Suggestions for improvement and research are offered.     

Joint factor analysis of the K-ABC and McCarthy Scales

A joint-factor analysis was conducted using three major scales of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities and eight Kaufman-ABC sub-tests as variables. Subjects were 90 children ages 4 to 8 1/2 yr. The screen test produced three significant factors, each interpretable from the Kaufman-ABC model. McCarthy Verbal scale was closely associated with the Achievement/Verbal factor; McCarthy Perceptual performance scale loaded highly on the Simultaneous Processing dimension; and McCarthy Quantitative was associated with all three factors. These results provide useful guidelines for interpreting a child's performance on each Index of the McCarthy scales in terms of the mental processing approach used to solve the task. However, the psychometric results must be coordinated with the examiner's clinical observations of the child's problem-solving strategies during administration of the McCarthy scales to understand more completely the processing demands of the Verbal, Perceptual performance, and Quantitative Scales.     

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale in Hemodialysis Patients

Spiritual strategies may provide an effective way of coping with disease. This study sought to investigate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the spiritual coping strategies (SCS) scale among Iranian hemodialysis patients. A convenience sample of 204 hemodialysis patients was recruited to participate in the study. A forward–backward translation method was used to produce the Persian version of the scale. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha and item–total score correlation. Two-week test–retest reliability was also assessed. The convergent and divergent validity of the scale was evaluated using the Duke University Religion Index and a visual analogue scale for health status. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess the factor structure. Participants consisted of 113 males and 91 females (mean age 57.2 [SD = 9.7]). Cronbach’s alpha was acceptable (0.87). We found two underlying factors similar to the original scale. The correlations between the study scales confirmed the convergent and divergent validity of the SCS. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit to the data (GFI = 0.923, CFI = 0.948 and RMSEA = 0.068). The Persian version of the SCS has sound psychometric properties in Iranian hemodialysis patients. Future research should consider applying the scale to populations with other religious/cultural backgrounds.     

大学生媒体影响、体重指数和身体自尊的关系

采用问卷测量法,考察了432名大学生的媒体影响、体重指数与身体自尊的关系。结果表明:(1)媒体影响、现实体重指数、理想体重指数和身体自尊各个分量表之间存在明显的相关关系;(2)根据变量的相关关系构建的结构方程模型有着较为理想的拟合指数,表明媒体影响、体重指数对身体自尊有着直接或间接的影响作用。     

Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness: a study of psychometric properties in a Spanish sample

The study analyzed psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness in a Spanish sample of 400 men and 453 women who had had a partner for the last 6 mo. or longer at the time of the study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested a two-factor solution with the factors Initiation and No shyness/Refusal. Internal consistency values for total scores were .87 and .83 for the factors, respectively. Convergent validity tests were also satisfactory. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the Spanish version of the scale has appropriate psychometric properties.     

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.     

Development of the “Mentorship in Clinical Training Scale” (MiCTS)

Using an online survey, the researchers examined new family therapists’ experiences of four types of professional mentoring during their most recently completed family therapy training programs. The sample of 223 was mostly white, North American, female, and trained in master’s level graduate programs within the United States. Mentorship experiences were assessed with a new scale of quantitative items aimed to represent the four most common types of mentorship: psychosocial mentorship, career mentorship, clinical mentorship, and research mentorship. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified and supported a four-factor model of mentorship and an assessment scale of 26 items. Characteristics of the students, their mentors, and the programs, as well as the four mentoring factors were used in structural equation modeling to predict student satisfaction with their primary mentoring relationships. Suggestions are made for future research using the “Mentorship in Clinical Training Scale” (MiCTS). In addition, the MiCTS can be useful for measuring student and faculty outcomes with respect to training programs’ mentorship goals.     

Psychometric properties of the Life Regard Index-Revised: a validation study of a measure of personal meaning

A validation study of the English version of the 28-item Life Regard Index-Revised was undertaken with a sample of 91 participants from the general population. All previous studies of the Index have examined the Dutch version. The test-retest reliabilities at 8 wk. for the total Index (r =.87), Framework (r =.82), and Fulfillment (r =.81) subscales were very high. Cronbach alphas were .92, .83, and .87, respectively. A significant restriction of range was observed at the high-meaning end of the scale. Factor analysis only weakly supported the theorized two-factor structure. A very high disattenuated correlation between the Framework and Fulfillment subscales was observed (r=.94). The Index appeared to have adequate evidence supporting its concurrent and discriminant validity when compared with measures of hopelessness, spiritual well-being, and other measures of personal meaning. A significant positive association was found between the index and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (r=.38). The Index was also significantly associated with sex (women scoring higher) and marital status (divorced people scoring lower). Revisions of the English version may address the restriction of range problem by employing a 5-point rating scale, instead of the current 3-point scale, or by adding more discriminating items. Further factor-analytic studies with larger samples are needed before conclusions can be drawn regarding this scale's factor structure.     

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.     

Psychometric Properties and the Predictive Validity of the Insomnia Daytime Worry Scale: A Pilot Study

The relationship between presleep worry and insomnia has been investigated in previous studies, but less attention has been given to the role of daytime worry and symptoms of insomnia. The aims of the current study were (a) to assess the psychometric properties of a novel scale measuring insomnia-specific worry during daytime and (b) to examine whether levels of daytime worry predict severity of insomnia symptoms. Participants (N = 353) completed the Insomnia Daytime Worry Scale (IDWS) and the Insomnia Severity Index. An explorative principal-axis factor analysis extracted two factors from the IDWS, accounting for 70.5% of the variance. The IDWS demonstrated good reliability. The total score of IDWS and both factors predicted levels of insomnia severity in two separate hierarchical regression analyses. This preliminary evidence suggests that the IDWS is a valid and reliable scale to measure daytime worry in insomnia.     

Development and initial validation of the anti-racism behavioral inventory (ARBI)

This investigation reports on the development and initial validation of the anti-racism behavioral inventory, a measure designed to assess anti-racism awareness and behavior among students in counseling and counseling psychology programs within the United States (US). Data from 513 participants were collected over three related studies. Factor analyses suggested that the 21-item scale was best represented as a bifactor model with one general anti-racism behavior factor and three domain-specific factors, namely individual advocacy, awareness of racism, and institutional advocacy. Additional validity was supported through inverse associations with measures of symbolic racism and color-blind racial attitudes, as well as positive associations with scores on the Quick Discrimination Index. Potential utility of the measure and future directions for ongoing development is discussed.     

Post-stroke depression: Main phenomenological clusters and their relationships with clinical measures

Objectives: To investigate the principal psychopathological dimensions of post-stroke depression (PSD) through the assessment of the factorial structure of the Post-Stroke Depression Rating Scale (PSDRS). Methods: We enrolled ninety-eight subjects with PSD, who underwent the PSDRS, MMSE and Barthel Index. Information about demographic, clinical, and neuroanatomical factors was collected. Results: The factor analysis extracted three factors accounting for 63.4% of the total variance, and identified as: 1) "Depressive and Anxious Symptoms" (DAS); 2) "Lack of Emotional Control" (LEC); 3) "Reduced Motivation" (RM). On multivariate statistics, DAS severity was predicted by previous history of mood disorders and Barthel Index; LEC severity was predicted by Barthel Index; RM severity was predicted by age. Conclusions: The PSDRS displayed a reliable factor structure that agreed with previous interpretation of PSD. In particular, core depressive symptoms seem to be related to premorbid personality and functional status, whereas apathy/anhedonia may be connected to brain aging.     

The Illness/Injury Sensitivity Index: Validation of a German Version of the ISI-R

Three fundamental fears-anxiety sensitivity, fear of negative evaluation, and illness/injury sensitivity-are considered integral components of anxiety-related psychopathology and also bear connections with chronic pain. Scales measuring the first two fears, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index and the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, have been translated into German; however, the nine-item Illness/Injury Sensitivity Index-Revised (ISI-R) that measures fears of injury and illness has not been available in German language yet. The aim of this study therefore was a translation of the ISI-R into German language and an initial validation of the translated scale in two different samples. The German ISI-R was translated by both professionals and laypersons, and a final version was decided on by consensus. In Study 1, participants included 96 undergraduate students (85% women) who completed the German version of the ISI as part of a larger study. An exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation was conducted and suggested a two-factor-solution with one factor representing fears of illness and the other fears of injury. This factor structure was confirmed via a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Study 2. Participants included 117 community members (79% women). Convergent validity was supported using a visual analogue scale for fear of illness in both samples and the German translation of the Whiteley Index in Study. Overall, the results supported the German translation of the ISI-R. Comprehensive results, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.     

The Illness/Injury Sensitivity Index: Validation of a German Version of the ISI-R

Three fundamental fears—anxiety sensitivity, fear of negative evaluation, and illness/injury sensitivity—are considered integral components of anxiety-related psychopathology and also bear connections with chronic pain. Scales measuring the first two fears, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index and the Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale, have been translated into German; however, the nine-item Illness/Injury Sensitivity Index-Revised (ISI-R) that measures fears of injury and illness has not been available in German language yet. The aim of this study therefore was a translation of the ISI-R into German language and an initial validation of the translated scale in two different samples. The German ISI-R was translated by both professionals and laypersons, and a final version was decided on by consensus. In Study 1, participants included 96 undergraduate students (85% women) who completed the German version of the ISI as part of a larger study. An exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation was conducted and suggested a two-factor-solution with one factor representing fears of illness and the other fears of injury. This factor structure was confirmed via a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Study 2. Participants included 117 community members (79% women). Convergent validity was supported using a visual analogue scale for fear of illness in both samples and the German translation of the Whiteley Index in Study. Overall, the results supported the German translation of the ISI-R. Comprehensive results, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.     

The facets of anxiety sensitivity represented in the childhood anxiety sensitivity index: confirmatory analyses of factor models from past studies

Results of past factor analytic studies of the Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index and Anxiety Sensitivity Index were used to formulate hypotheses about factor models of anxiety sensitivity. Using a nonclinical sample of 767 children and adolescents and confirmatory factor analysis, hypothesized models with 2, 3, and 4 lower order factors (facets) were tested. Goodness-of-fit criteria indicated that a model with 4 facets fits these data well. Support was found for factorial invariance of the 4 facets across age and gender, using nonclinical and clinical samples. Results support a hierarchical factor model in that there was a strong general factor, explaining 71% of the variance. Findings are discussed in the context of anxiety sensitivity theory and research with children and adolescents.     

Development and validation of a measure of perceived relative deprivation in childhood

Childhood adversity is known to impact psychological functioning and physical health in later life, but research into the mechanisms responsible has been impeded by the absence of a suitable retrospective measure of perceived relative deprivation in childhood. We developed and validated scores of the Perceived Inequality in Childhood Scale (PICS). In total, 683 students from Liverpool University, Liverpool Hope University and the University of East London were sampled by means of online methods. The data were separated using odd–even methods and an exploratory factor analysis identified a 2 factor solution: perceived relative deprivation (12 items) and family social capital (4 items). The measure was then subjected to confirmatory factor analysis and a 3 factor structure was revealed. The scale was further validated against Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores of childhood addresses. The PICS is a brief, practical scale suitable for both small and large-scale research studies.