A shortened version of the Profile of Mood States

The feasibility of using a shorter version of the Profile of Mood States is examined. Eighty-three cancer patients were administered the Profile of Mood States. The scales' internal consistency (coefficient alpha) and the items' face validity were used as criteria for eliminating items. The number of items was reduced from 65 to 37 and the correlation coefficients between the short and original scales were all above .95, indicating the suitability of the short version for estimating the original mood scale scores in this population.     

Profile of Mood States: Australian normative data

The Profile of Mood States was administered to 90 Australian women, 30 depressed, 30 anxious, and 30 nonpsychiatric controls. Both clinical groups scored higher than the McNair, Lorr, and Droppleman (1971) normative samples on the negative mood states and scored lower on Vigor. The means for these groups are presented and compared with the 1971 normative data of McNair, Lorr, and Droppleman.     

French adaptation of the shortened version of the Profile of Mood States

The French adaptation and validation of the short version of the Profile of Mood States is examined. A sample of 110 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 50 men with prostate cancer were administered the French Canadian adaptation of the shortened version of the profile (37 items). Means, test-retest correlations, and internal consistency coefficients (alpha) replicated the English initial validation. These results support the reliability of the French Canadian version. In addition, significant decrease from initial to retest testing for Anxiety, Depression, and Confusion subscales also supported construct validity.     

Evaluating the approach run of class F11 visually impaired athletes in triple and long jumps

The present study examined stride pattern characteristics of Class F11 visually impaired long jumpers and triple jumpers. Athletes demonstrated initial ascending footfall variability followed by descending variability, on the second (long jumpers) and third (triple jumpers) stride prior to take-off, at a mean distance of 6.26 m (long jumpers) and 7.36 m (triple jumpers) from the take-off board. Toe-board-distance variability reached a maximum value of 0.36 m and 0.38 m for the long and triple jump, respectively. Last stride toe-board-distance variability was 0.29 m (long jump) and 0.25 m (triple jump). Class F11 visually impaired athletes exhibit regulation of goal-directed gait analogous to that of non-visually impaired athletes.     

Test-retest reliability of psychophysiological assessment

Thirty subjects participated in a study of the test-retest reliability of five psychophysiological assessment procedures: habituation. Quiz Electrocardiogram, anger imagery, aversive slides and startle. The procedures were presented in identical fashion, 2 weeks apart. Skin conductance level and response, heart rate, vasomotor response, skin temperature, frontalis and forearm electromyogram, respiration rate. and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were recorded continuously. The following analyses were performed on Test-Retest data: correlations, baseline changes, profile similarity, and stability of ranked standardized physiological scores. Significant but modest Test-Retest correlations were found for skin conductance level and response, skin temperature, respiration rate, heart rate and systolic blood pressure. Absolute scores were more often stable than change scores. All baselines were stable from Test to Retest. Four baselines and four test procedures had Test-Retest Profile Similarity Index scores indicating reliability. Chi-square analyses of Retest ranks of standardized physiological scores showed that the two most and least responsive measures accounted for Test-Retest stability. Conclusions were: (a) Psychophysiological response patterns are reliable for baselines and procedures, and single psychophysiological measures (especially absolute scores) are moderately stable; (b) Traditional (correlational) estimates of the reliability of single psychophysiological responses are limited by individual-response stereotypy, but multivariate analysis of response pattern provides a better index of reliability.     

Test-retest reliability of the Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire

Long-term reliability of the Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FCQ) was investigated in two follow-up studies of participants with psychosis using a test-retest method. In the first study (N = 56), the duration of the follow-up ranged from 6 months to 2 years; Spearman rho was .62 for the abridged (18 items) Spanish version of the questionnaire. In Study 2 (N = 21), in participants with stable schizophrenia, the follow-up ranged from 8 to 11 years; test-retest Spearman rho was .83 for the French version of the questionnaire. Subjective experiences could constitute, in psychosis-prone people, traits or markers of psychotic vulnerability.     

Computer use by the visually impaired

Several recent developments have made computers accessible to the blind and partially sighted: hard-copy (paper) and softcopy (raised-pin) braille output, magnified high-resolution characters, and synthetic speech. We report survey data on these users’ computer education, tasks, and goals; their hardware uses and preferences, particularly for special-purpose I/O devices; and seven classes of human-factors problems that affect the use of these I/O devices by the visually impaired.     

驾驶员情绪状态量表信度与效度的初步研究

本量表由愤怒、疲劳、精力、紧张和慌乱等5个分量表组成。每个分量表包括若干个形容词(如紧张的、烦恼的等),共34个形容词。各分量表的信度系数(Cronbach’s alphas)在0．763—0．893之间,全量表为0．863。除运用主成份因素分析法判断结构效度外,还通过比较安全组与事故多发组驾驶员的情绪状态得分检验量表的结构效度。研究结果表明,本量表具有较高的信度和效度,符合心理测量学标准,可作为评估驾驶员情绪状态的工具。     

Test-retest reliability of the relative work centrality measure

The Meaning of Work International Research Team in 1987 developed the Relative Work Centrality measure, on which individuals divide 100 points among five major domains (work, leisure, community, religion, and family) in their lives, based on their relative centrality. The present study examined the test-retest reliability of this measure in a convenience sample of 96 Israeli full-time workers over a 4-wk. period. The sample consisted of 41.7% men and 58.3% women, of whom 48.9% were married. The participants had a mean age of 36.0 yr. (SD = 11.5) and a mean education of 14.9 yr. (SD = 2.5). The Spearman rank correlation coefficients for work, leisure, community, religion, and family at Time 1 and Time 2 were, respectively, .66, .76, .64, .76, and .82. These values indicate a fairly high test-retest reliability of the Relative Work Centrality measure and support the notion that this measure can also be applied to assess the relative centrality of each of the other four major life domains, in addition to work.     

The gait of visually impaired pedestrians

The stride lengths, stride durations and walking speeds of visually impaired pedestrians were recorded under two conditions: firstly accompanied by a sighted guide, secondly walking independently. The same outdoor route was used for both conditions. When accompanied subjects walked at approximately the same speed as they would have on a force platform. However, when independent they were significantly slower (p = 0.051), with smaller strides (p = 0.083) which were of a longer duration (p = 0.062). Research into the gait of visually impaired pedestrians needs to take account of the effect of route conditions and the type of mobility aid being used.     

Test-retest reliability of subliminal facial affective priming

Since the seminal 1993 demonstrations o f Murphy an d Zajonc, researchers have replicated and extended findings concerning subliminal affective priming. So far, however, no data on test-retest reliability of affective priming effects are available. A subliminal facial affective priming task was administered to 22 healthy individuals (15 women and 7 men) twice about 7 wk. apart. Happy and sad facial expressions were used as affective primes and neutral Chinese ideographs served as target masks, which had to be evaluated. Neutral facial primes and a no-face condition served as baselines. All participants reported not having seen any of the prime faces at either testing session. Priming scores for affective faces compared to the baselines were computed. Acceptable test-retest correlations (rs) of up to .74 were found for the affective priming scores. Although measured almost 2 mo. apart, subliminal affective priming seems to be a temporally stable effect.     

Test-retest reliability of an emotion maintenance task

Research on working memory has suggested domain-specific components for visual, verbal, and spatial information, and more recently for emotion. Affective working memory has been proposed as the set of processes involved in the maintenance of emotions to guide behaviour. The current study examined the reliability of an emotion maintenance/affective working memory task over two experimental sessions separated by one week. Subjective accuracy based on individual ratings was found to correlate over time and was highest for negatively valenced pictures. Results suggest that this paradigm is a reliable measure of emotion maintenance, underscoring the utility of this measure as an assessment tool for normative and clinical populations.     

Test-retest reliability of the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness

This study investigated the test-retest stability of the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness. 54 nonclinical and 46 clinical subjects were administered the Index on two occasions 4 wk. apart. Test-retest correlation coefficients were calculated separately and together. The results evidenced high test-retest reliability. Correlation coefficients were .88 for nonclinical subjects and .83 for clinical subjects with an over-all test-retest reliability of .85 for all 100 subjects.     

Test-retest reliability of the Hand Test with normal subjects

The Hand Test (Wagner, 1962) was administered to 71 subjects; 14 days later these subjects were again administered the Hand Test. Results indicated the Hand Test is a highly reliable measure of an individual's behavioral action tendencies.     

Test-retest reliability of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale

Test-retest reliabilities of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale over 1- and 5-wk. intervals were examined for two samples of students, 73 boys and 88 girls in regular sixth, seventh and eighth grade classrooms (11 yr. to 14 yr.). For raw scores the test-retest Pearson r was .88 (1-wk.) and .77 (5-wk.), indicating good reliability. For both samples there was a small difference between test (12.2 for 1-wk. sample; 11.4 for 5-wk. sample) and retest (11.2 for 1-wk. sample; 9.8 for 5-wk. sample) mean raw scores. Implications for test use are discussed.     

Central clinical states: An examination of the Profile of Mood States and the Eight State Questionnaire

Two multidimensional mood-state inventories, the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Eight State Questionnaire (8SQ), were administered to 289 Australian college undergraduates. Intercorrelations for the combined 14 subscales were subjected to a higher-order factor analysis in order to elucidate the central clinical states within the mood-state sphere. Results suggested four major state dimensions pertaining to Neuroticism, Hostility/Anger, Vigor, and a combined Extroversion/Arousal-Fatigue entity. Both three- and five-factor solutions were taken out for comparative purposes. Furthermore, separate higher-order factorings of the POMS on normative samples of 350 male and 650 female psychiatric outpatients were conducted, corroborating three of the four central state dimensions, at least in the case of females. The implications of these findings for behavioral assessment are discussed.This study was supported by a Research Development Grant awarded to the author by the University of Melbourne.     

Smell and taste function in the visually impaired

Surprisingly few quantitative studies have addressed the question of whether visually impaired individuals evidence, perhaps in compensation for their loss of vision, increased acuteness in their other senses. In this experiment we sought to determine whether blind subjects outperform sighted subjects on a number of basic tests of chemosensory function. Over 50 blind and 75 sighted subjects were administered the following olfactory and gustatory tests: the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT); a 16-item odor discrimination test; and a suprathreshold taste test in which measures of taste-quality identification and ratings of the perceived intensity and pleasantness of sucrose, citric acid, sodium chloride, and caffeine were obtained. In addition, 39 blind subjects and 77 sighted subjects were administered a single staircase phenyl ethyl alcohol (PEA) odor detection threshold test. Twenty-three of the sighted subjects were employed by the Philadelphia Water Department and trained to serve on its water quality evaluation panel. The primary findings of the study were that (a) the blind subjects did not outperform sighted subjects on any test of chemosensory function and (b) the trained subjects significantly outperformed the other two groups on the odor detection, odor discrimination, and taste identification tests, and nearly outperformed the blind subjects on the UPSIT. The citric acid concentrations received larger pleasantness ratings from the trained panel members than from the blind subjects, whose ratings did not differ significantly from those of the untrained sighted subjects. Overall, the data imply that blindness, per se, has little influence on chemosensory function and add further support to the notion that specialized training enhances performance on a number of chemosensory tasks.