Development of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale - Short Version (SCAS-S)

The literature provides several examples of anxiety symptoms questionnaires for children. However, these questionnaires generally contain many items, and might not be ideal for screening in large populations, or repeated testing in clinical settings. The Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) is an extensively used and evaluated 44-item questionnaire developed to assess anxiety symptoms in children, and provides a sound base for the development of an abbreviated anxiety symptoms questionnaire. Although methodological standards have been presented in how to develop abbreviated questionnaires, previous studies have often suffered from several limitations regarding validating procedures. Guided by these methodological standards, the current study aimed at developing an abbreviated version of the SCAS, while retaining the content, convergent, and divergent validity of the original scale. A school-based sample (n?=?750) was used to reduce the number of items, and an independent school-based sample (n?=?371) together with a clinical sample (n?=?93), were used to validate the abbreviated scale. The abbreviated version of the SCAS contained 19 items, it showed a clear factor structure as evaluated in the independent sample, and it performed as good as the original questionnaire regarding classification accuracy, convergent, and divergent validity. In our view, the abbreviated version is a very good alternative to the original scale especially for younger children, in initial screening, or in order to reduce response burden.     

Dimensionality of the Children’s Depression Inventory: Meta-analysis of Pattern Matrices

This meta-analysis of 24 studies, comprising 35 independent samples with 18,099 participants, examined the factor structure of the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). The 5-factor solution involving Somatic Concerns, Externalizing, Negative Self-Concept, Lack of Personal and Social Interest, and Dysphoric Mood was supported for all samples. The 5-factor solution was appropriate for child, adolescent, general, at-risk/clinical, and English-speaking samples, whereas the 4-factor solution was the best for samples using non-English versions of the CDI. As the factor structure varied among study subgroups, the strength of relations between scale items and their underlying depressive symptoms varied. Hence, comparisons of mean CDI scores can be misleading.     

Validity of the Czech Version of the Therapeutic Factors Inventory – Short Form (TFI-S)

This study’s aim was to assess validity of the Czech translation of the Therapeutic Factors Inventory (TFI-S), which includes four factors: Instillation of Hope, Secure Emotional Expression, Awareness of Emotional Impact, and Social Learning. We assessed data from 220 patients who attended a daily three-month treatment program that used integrative group psychotherapy. TFI-S’s reliability was satisfactory: at week 12, Cronbach’s α was .93 and McDonald’s ω was .95. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable fit to our data: at week 12, χ²(146) = 262.5, p < 0.001, CFI = .994, TLI = .992, RMSEA = .071 (90% CI = .057–.084), and SRMR = .063. Predictive validity showed significant correlations between TFI-S factors and pre/post-treatment change. In the conclusion, we discuss possible future potential of cross-cultural research.     

Benjamin’s Children’s Theater and the Problem of Pure Means

Studies in Philosophy and Education -     

Internal Validity and Reliability of Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory Version 3 (1999)

This study explores the internal validity and reliability of Kolb’s revised Learning Style Inventory (LSI-2A and LSI-3) in a sample of 221 graduate and undergraduate business students. Research on the LSI is also reviewed and the implications of conducting factor analysis using ipsative data are explored. Experiential Learning Theory is presented and the concept of learning styles explained. This study largely supports prior research supporting the internal reliability of scales. Principle Component Analysis provides evidence for a 2 factor structure as hypothesized by Kolb.     

Children’s Evaluation and Categorization of Transgender Children

Despite extant evidence of negative peer treatment of transgender adolescents and adults, little is known about how young children perceive transgender peers, particularly those who have socially transitioned or are living in line with their gender rather than sex at birth. Whereas children have been shown to be averse to gender nonconformity in peers, because many transgender children appear and behave in ways consistent with their expressed gender (but not their sex at birth), it is unclear how children evaluate these identities. In 2 studies, we investigated 5- to 10-year-old children’s (N_total = 113) preferences for transgender versus gender-“typical” peers who either shared their gender identity or did not. We also examined whether children categorized transgender peers by their sex or expressed gender, as it might inform their evaluations. Children preferred cisgender peers over transgender peers; however, they also liked peers of their own gender rather than the other gender (e.g., female participants preferred girls over boys), demonstrating that the oft-documented own-gender bias plays an important role even when children are reasoning about transgender peers. Children did not reliably categorize transgender peers by sex or gender; yet those who categorized transgender peers by their sex showed greater dislike of transgender peers. The current studies are the first to investigate cisgender children’s attitudes toward transgender children and suggest that perceptions of gender categorization and conformity play a role in children’s evaluations of transgender peers.     

McDowell’s Alternative Conceptions of the World

Abstract

Feminists have interpreted Rousseau's attitudes to women as characteristic of a patriarchal ideology in which passion, nature and love are associated with the feminine and repressed in favour of masculine reason, culture and justice. Yet this reading does not cohere with Rousseau's adulation of nature, nor with the repression of writing and culture in favour of natural speech which Derrida finds in his texts. This paper uses Rousseau's accounts of his personal experiences to resolve this conflict and to develop a more complex understanding of Rousseau's attitudes to women. The reading emphasizes that Rousseau operated with a triadic picture in which reason, the passions of the heart and the passions of the body are distinguished. The discussion of Derrida's reading of Rousseau gives rise to some reflections on the relationship of speech and writing to subjectivity, autonomy and women's oppression.     

Validation of the Working Alliance Inventory–Observer Short Version with male intimate partner violence offenders

The working alliance is a key element to increase intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders’ motivation, adherence to treatment, and active participation in batterer intervention programs (BIPs). The objective of the present study is to assess the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Working Alliance Inventory–Observer Short Version (WAI-O-S) with a sample of IPV offenders. The sample was 140 men convicted for IPV and court-mandated to a community-based BIP. Inter-rater agreement and reliability were evaluated by computing the intraclass correlation coefficient. To test the latent structure a Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis approach was used. To test criterion-related validity, the WAI-O-S factorial scores were correlated to protherapeutic behavior, stage of change and motivation to change. The WAI-O-S showed an adequate reliability. Results from Bayesian confirmatory factor analyses showed two first-order factors (Bond and Agreement), and a second-order factor (General working alliance) explaining the relationship between the first-order factors. Results also support the validity of this instrument. The availability of reliable and valid observational measure of the working alliance provides a useful tool to overcome self-report measurement limitations such as social desirability, deception, and denial among IPV offenders.     

Children’s and Adolescents’ Conceptions of Happiness

Previous research on children’s and adolescents’ happiness has mainly focused on the different variables that may contribute to it. However, very few studies have investigated the beliefs that children and adolescents hold about happiness. It is important to study developmental and gender differences in the conceptions of happiness as beliefs affect people’s emotions and behaviors, and they may help explain how children and adolescents strive for their own (and potentially others’) happiness. To that aim, we conducted two different studies. In Study 1a 20 people (lay judges) completed two categorization tasks to obtain categorization systems that may include all the relevant content categories identified in previous literature with adults, adolescents and children. In Study 1b, we asked 162 children and adolescents to define—in their own words—what happiness meant for them. Their responses were coded according to two different systems derived from previous finding with adults and children and to an alternative coding system derived from the qualitative analyses of children’s and adolescents’ responses. Overall, results showed that hedonic conceptualization of happiness were mainly present in late childhood; whereas eudaimonic conceptualizations were mainly present in adolescence. No significant gender differences were found.     

A Review of the Children’s Inventory of Anger (ChIA): A Needed Measure

A review and critique of the Children’s Inventory of Anger (ChIA) is presented. The ChIA is a 39-item measure that operationalizes anger according to the conceptualization set forth by Ellis in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. The ChIA consists of four subscales (Frustration, Physical Aggression, Peer Relationships, and Authority Relations) which provide information regarding situations that are commonly associated with the experience of anger. Preliminary validity studies demonstrate that the ChIA has excellent reliability and high face validity. The forms are user friendly and easily scored, with norms tables conveniently located within the form. A computer-scoring program is available which significantly reduces clerical errors. The application of the instrument in practice is discussed. Due to the fact that the ChIA attempts to link assessment and intervention it should be useful in advancing the field in regard to treatment evaluation and substantiation of treatment validity. It is also expected to have considerable research utility.     

Parents’ Understanding of Genetics and Heritability

Parents have the opportunity to educate their children to facilitate behaviours and lifestyle habits that may prevent or delay genetic disease, or mitigate predispositions within the family. We sought to determine parents’ understanding of genetic knowledge and heritability. Using a quantitative survey methodology 108 volunteer participants were surveyed from a convenience sample of all parents/caregivers within the waiting room of a general children’s outpatient clinic. Results indicated that average genetic knowledge levels were fairly high, with the majority of participants scoring 70–80 % correct on knowledge-based questions. Further, scores were found to be positively correlated with education, but inversely correlated with self-perceived knowledge. This finding suggests that participants with less experience tended to overestimate their knowledge. We suggest that gaps in knowledge of genetics and heritability could be improved by using educational interventions such as media campaigns, provision of informational brochures, or changes to current high school curriculum which would increase exposure to genetics and heritability for both parents and children.     

Children’s rights and the non-identity problem

Abstract

Can appealing to children’s rights help to solve the non-identity problem in cases of procreation? A number of philosophers have answered affirmatively, arguing that even if children cannot be harmed by being born into disadvantaged conditions, they may nevertheless be wronged if those conditions fail to meet a minimal standard of decency to which all children are putatively entitled. This paper defends the tenability of this view by outlining and responding to five prominent objections that have been raised against it in the contemporary literature: (1) the identifiability objection; (2) the non-existence objection; (3) the waiving of rights objection, (4) the lack of legitimate complaint objection; and (5) the unfairness objection.     

Psychometric Evaluation of the Parentification Inventory–Swahili Version With Kenyan Adults: Factor Structure,Reliability, and Validity

The immediate concerns and aftereffects of parentification in the United States are well documented. However, the correlates of parentification in international communities are less known. This psychometric study explored the validity of a Swahili version of the Parentification Inventory (PI; Hooper, 2009) with a sample of 279 Kenyan adults. Factor analysis produced a 3-factor structure, but with fewer items (N = 17) than in the original PI (N = 22). Recommendations for using the PI–Swahili Version are discussed. Las preocupaciones inmediatas y las secuelas de la parentificación en los Estados Unidos están bien documentadas. Sin embargo, las correlaciones de la parentificación en comunidades internacionales son menos conocidas. Este estudio psicométrico exploró la validez de una versión en suajili del Inventario de Parentificación (PI, por sus siglas en inglés; Hooper, 2009) en una muestra de 279 kenianos adultos. El análisis factorial produjo una estructura de 3 factores, pero con menos elementos (N = 17) que en el PI original (N = 22). Se discuten recomendaciones para el uso de la versión en suajili del PI.     

Structural and Predictive Properties of the Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version–Short Form (EQ-i:YV[S])

Emotional intelligence (EI) is a popular construct with concentrated areas of application in education and health contexts. There is a need for reliable and valid measurement of EI in young people, with brief yet sensitive measures of the construct preferable for use in time-limited settings. However, the proliferation of EI measures has often outpaced rigorous psychometric evaluation (Gignac, 2009 Gignac, G. E. (2009). Psychometrics and the measurement of emotional intelligence. In C. Stough, D. H. Saklofske, &; J. D. A. Parker (Eds.), Assessing emotional intelligence: Theory, research and applications (pp. 9–40). New York, NY: Springer.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Using data from 849 adolescents (407 females, 422 males) aged 11 to 16 years (M age 13.4, SD = 1.2 years), this article systematically examines the structural and predictive properties of a frequently employed measure of adolescent trait EI—the Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version–Short Form (EQ-i:YV[S]); Bar-On &; Parker, 2000 Bar-On, R., &; Parker, J. D. (2000). BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version—Technical manual. Toronto, Canada: Multi-Health Systems. [Google Scholar]). Although the intended multidimensional factor structure was recovered through confirmatory factor analysis, the statistical and conceptual coherency of the underlying model was inadequate. Using a multitrait–multimethod approach, the EQ-i:YV(S) was found to converge with other measures of EI; however, evidence for divergent validity (Big Five personality dimensions) was less robust. Predictive utility for adolescent mental health outcomes (depression, disruptive behavior) was also limited. Findings suggest that use of the EQ-i:YV(S) for predictive or evaluative purposes should be avoided until refinements to the scale are made.     

Factor Analysis of the Dutch-Language Version of the MCMI–III

The reliability and validity of the Road Test was evaluated, using 330 Ss varying in the number of poorly planned geographic movements (flights). Scoring criteria were developed on an independent sample. Interjudge reliabilities were .81 or above (mean = .92). Groups were differentiated on emotional expression and time span. Males and females differed in emotional expression, philosophical attitude toward life, and personal reference. It was concluded that the Road Test could be of value as a measure of life orientation and emotional expression when used in conjunction with other psychological assessment methods.     

Children’s Developing Understanding of the Conventionality of Rules

Much research has investigated how children relate to norms taught to them by adult authorities. Very few studies have investigated norms that arise out of children’s own peer interactions. In two studies, we investigated how 5- and 7-year-old children teach, enforce, and understand rules that they either created themselves or were taught by an adult. Children (N = 240) were asked to either invent game rules on their own or were taught these exact same rules by an adult (yoked design). Children of both ages enforced and transmitted the rules in a normative way, regardless of whether they had invented them or were taught the rules by an adult, suggesting that they viewed even their own self-made rules as normatively binding. However, creating the rules led 5-year-old children to understand them as much more changeable as compared with adult-taught rules. Seven-year-olds, in contrast, regarded both kinds of rules as equally changeable, indeed allowing fewer changes to their self-created rules than 5-year-olds. While the process of creating rules seemed to enlighten preschoolers’ understanding of the conventionality of the rules, school-aged children regarded both self-created rules and adult-taught rules in a similar manner, suggesting a deeper understanding of rule normativity as arising from social agreement and commitment.     

Assessment of Pretend Play in Preschool-Aged Children: Validation and Factor Analysis of the Affect in Play Scale–Preschool Version

The Affect in Play Scale–Preschool (APS–P) and Affect in Play Scale–Preschool–Brief Rating (APS–P–BR) versions assess cognitive and affective play processes during a 5-min standardized play task. In this study, construct validity, external validity, and factor analyses for each scale were examined in 107 preschoolers. Reliability and validity were supported. Unlike results found with school-aged samples, positive affect loaded with the cognitive variables on factor analyses of the APS–P and APS–P–BR, suggesting that negative and undefined affect might represent a separate factor in preschool-aged children. Developmental significance and implications for use of the 2 scoring versions are discussed.     

Caregiver Socialization of Reappraisal and Children’s Cognitive Flexibility Jointly Predict Latinx Children’s Anxiety

Journal of Child and Family Studies - Anxiety disorders are among the most common forms of psychopathology in childhood and represent a particularly concerning issue for Latinx children. Research...