Testing unidimensionality in polytomous Rasch models

A fundamental assumption of most IRT models is that items measure the same unidimensional latent construct. For the polytomous Rasch model two ways of testing this assumption against specific multidimensional alternatives are discussed. One, a marginal approach assuming a multidimensional parametric latent variable distribution, and, two, a conditional approach with no distributional assumptions about the latent variable. The second approach generalizes the Martin-Löf test for the dichotomous Rasch model in two ways: to polytomous items and to a test against an alternative that may have more than two dimensions. A study on occupational health is used to motivate and illustrate the methods.The authors would like to thank Niels Keiding, Klaus Larsen and the anonymous reviewers for valuable comments to a previous version of this paper. This research was supported by a grant from the Danish Research Academy and by a general research grant from Quality Metric, Inc.     

TESTIMONY,MEMORY AND THE LIMITS OF THE A PRIORI

Philosophical Studies -     

Parental characteristics and interactional dysfunction in families with child behavior problems: A preliminary investigation

Thirty-six families with a preteenage behavior problem child were assessed on measures of marital discord, parental psychopathology, and three parental cognitive factors: knowledge of behavioral principles, tolerance for child deviancy, and expectations regarding their child's behavior. Nine nonproblem families with demographic characteristics similar to the problem families were also assessed. Correlational analyses across all families revealed a strong association between marital discord and the parental index of child behavior problems. While a number of significant associations were discovered between the various measures of marital discord, parental psychopathology, and parental cognitive factors, no other measure besides marital discord was associated with parental perception of child behavior problems. The nonproblem families and 15 of the problem families also participated in home observations obtained through random audio recordings during high interaction periods. These observational data indicated a significant relationship between parental perception of child behavior problems and parental negative behavior toward the child, but no significant relationship between parental perception of child behavior problems and child behavior, even when child behavior was weighted by parents' reactions to that behavior. Through sequential analysis, several contingent relations between parent and child behavior were discovered. Findings are discussed in relation to family systems theory.     

The relationship between treatment exposure times and changes in stuttering frequency during contingent stimulation

Four adult stutterers were exposed to 60 consecutive minutes of verbal contigent stimulation. In each session subjects spoke until a stuttering frequency stability criterion was met (baserate) followed by 60 min of exposure to the word wrong presented contingently upon each instance of stuttering. The data were analyzed according to changes in stuttering which occured following 20, 40, and 60 min of treatment exposure. The results revealed that stuttering frequency was reduced for all subjects during all three 20-min segments of the treatment condition. The only significant reductions in stuttering frequency, however, occured within the first 20 min of treatment.     

Children's perceptions of parental behaviors

Children's perceptions of positive and negative parental behaviors were assessed using a newly-developed scale, the Parent Perception Inventory (PPI). Reliability and validity were examined across a sample of 75 children aged 5 to 13 using additional measures administered to the children and measures completed by their parents. The scale showed acceptable levels of internal consistency. No effects of children's age were apparent, but effects of the child's and parent's gender were found. Boys reported more positive parental behaviors, particularly for fathers, and children reported more negative (disciplinary) behaviors by mothers. PPI scores were predictably related to child's self-concept and behavior problems (convergent validity) and generally unrelated to measures of child's achievement (discriminant validity). As predicted by family systems theory, children from nondistressed families viewed their parents as behaving more similarly on the PPI than did children from distressed families.     

Poetry as a therapeutic avenue

The significance of poetry in the context of pastoral psychology has not, as yet, received the attention it has in professional psychoanalytic literature. The authors of this series (eventually to be published at book-length) provide a terse but extensive review of such research, underscoring the therapeutic value of symbolic,intrapsychic artistry. Religious ideation, as well as other intrapsychic expressions, are incorporated by means of personal therapeutic situations focused on a patient's or client's poetry. With permission, these poems are quoted directly. From this data and their clinical experiences, the authors set forth two modes for considering unconsciously defensive or consciously self-disclosive uses of written poetry in and during psychoanalytic pastoral counseling or psychotherapy.Dr. Christensen is in the private practice of psychiatry, Northbrook, Illinois. He holds senior academic positions at the medical schools of Northwestern University and the University of Illinois, Chicago, as well as the post of Consulting Psychiatrist to The Community Pastoral Counseling and Consultation Center, Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge. Dr. Moss is the Executive Director of The Seabury Institute for Pastoral Psychotherapy, Atlanta. He is also the co-editor ofThe Organization and Administration of Pastoral Counseling Centers, Book Review Editor of theJournal of Religion and Health, and Editor of Artistic Photography forPilgrimage: The Journal of Existential Psychology. Reprint requests should be directed to: All Saints' Episcopal Church, 634 West Peachtree Street, N.W., Atlanta, GA 30308.     

Religious conversion in adolescence

Conclusion The religious conversion experience as it occurs in the adolescent has been defined and its various components delineated. Several predisposing factors similar to those described by Helen Carlson were discussed. It is thought that in the presence of these predisposing factors, additional psychic stress tends to overwhelm a weak ego that is especially vulnerable, because it is in the transitional stage of adolescence. It is further thought that the religious conversion experience is an ego phenomenon which serves to reintegrate the ego.That it sometimes does not is due to factors other than religionper se. The religious beliefs function as a framework within which the processes occur. While they are involved in the conflicts and serve to precipitate the reaction, they also are a factor in the resolution. The total experience is a special instance of the acute confusional state described by Helen Carlson.     

An analysis of diversity in the cognitive performance of elderly community dwellers: individual differences in change scores as a function of age.

This longitudinal study investigated whether age is associated with increases in interindividual variability across 4 ability domains using a sample of 426 elderly community dwellers followed over 3.5 years. Interindividual variability in change scores increased with age for memory, spatial functioning, and speed but not for crystallized intelligence for the full sample and in a subsample that excluded dementia or probable dementia cases. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that being female, having weaker muscle strength, and having greater symptoms of illness and greater depression were associated with overall greater variability in cognitive scores. Having a higher level of education was associated with reduced variability. These findings are consistent with the view that there is a greater range of responses at older ages, that certain domains of intelligence are less susceptible to variation than others and that variables other than age affect cognitive performance in later life.     

Practice dating as treatment for college dating inhibitions

Thirty males and 30 females who volunteered for a program to increase dating skills were randomly assigned to a treatment group of six practice dates plus feedback, a treatment group of six practice dates only, or a delayed treatment control group. Within subject-specified constraints of height, age, race, and distance from campus, a computer randomly matched opposite sexed subjects for the six practice dates, each date with a different subject. After each practice date in the feedback condition, subjects completed forms calling for primarily positive comments about the partner. Forms were later exchanged via the experimenter. Outcome was assessed by self-report, self-monitoring, behavioral, and peer rating measures. Results indicated the superiority of treatment conditions over the control condition. Some evidence indicated superiority of the no feedback condition over the feedback condition. Evidence of maintenance of changes over a three-month follow-up period is provided.     

Evaluation of family intervention through unobtrusive audio recordings: experiences in "bugging" children

Five children referred to a child-family intervention program wore a radio transmitter in the home during pre-intervention and termination assessments. The transmitter broadcast to a receiver-recording apparatus in the home (either activated by an interval timer at predetermined "random" times or by parents at predetermined "picked" times). "Picked" times were parent-selected situations during which problems typically occurred (e.g., bedtime). Parents activated the recorder regularly whether or not problems occurred. Child-deviant, parent-negative, and parent-commanding behaviors were significantly higher at the picked times during pretest than at random times. At posttest, behaviors in all three classes were substantially reduced at picked times, but not at random times. For individual subject data, reductions occurred in at least two of the three dependent variables for three of the five cases during random time assessments. In general, the behavioral outcome data corresponded to parent-attitude reports and parent-collected observation data.