Testing the assumptions and interpreting the results of the Rasch model using log-linear procedures in SPSS

This paper shows how to use the log-linear subroutine of SPSS to fit the Rasch model. It also shows how to fit less restrictive models obtained by relaxing specific assumptions of the Rasch model. Conditional maximum likelihood estimation was achieved by including dummy variables for the total scores as covariates in the models. This approach greatly simplifies the specification of the Rasch models. We illustrate these procedures in an analysis of four items selected from the Reiss Premarital Sexual Permissiveness Scale. We found that a modified version of the Rasch model with item dependencies fits the data significantly better than the simple Rasch model. We also found that the item difficulties are the same for men and women, but that the item dependencies are significantly greater for men. Apart from any substantive issues these results raise, the value of this exercise lies in its demonstration of how researchers can use the procedures of popular, accessible software packages to study an increasingly important set of measurement models.     

Differential treatment response of subtypes of patients with borderline personality organization, as assessed with theory-driven profiles of the Dutch short form of the MMPI: a naturalistic follow-up study

We investigated the validity of different subtypes of borderline personality organization (BPO) as assessed by theory-driven profiles of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Disorder (MMPI; Hathaway & McKinley, 1943 ) Dutch Short Form (DSFM; Eurelings-Bontekoe, Onnink, Williams, & Snellen, 2008 ) in a naturalistic follow-up study among 2,062 psychiatric outpatients who received 6 months of ambulatory treatment. Patients were assessed at intake (T1) and 6 months later (T2). At T2, both patients and therapists rated the level of improvement, using the Global Assessment of Improvement. Patients with the high-level BPO profile showed the largest increase in well-being and the largest decrease in severity of symptomatology, whereas severity of symptomatology and well-being of patients with psychotic BPO profiles did not change over time. Agreement between patients and therapists about improvement was good for the internalizing immature BPO and high-level BPO patients, but poor for the externalizing low-level BPO and narcissistic patients.     

Psychometric evaluation and experimental validation of the statistics anxiety rating scale

The Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) was adapted into German to examine its psychometric properties (n = 400). Two validation studies (n = 66, n = 96) were conducted to examine its criterion-related validity. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were very similar to those previously reported for the original English version in various countries and other language versions. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated 2 second-order factors: One was more closely related to anxiety and the other was more closely related to negative attitudes toward statistics. Predictive validity of the STARS was shown both in an experimental exam-like situation in the laboratory and during a real examination situation. Taken together, the findings indicate that statistics anxiety as assessed by the STARS is a useful construct that is more than just an expression of a more general disposition to anxiety.     

Short measurements of personality - Validity and reliability of the GSOEP Big Five Inventory (BFI-S)

In the last decade, an upward trend in the use of short measurements for personality can be observed. The goal of this study was to explore the psychometric characteristics of the GSOEP Big Five Inventory (BFI-S; Gerlitz & Schupp, 2005), a 15-item instrument. We compared the BFI-S with the NEO-PI-R ( [Costa and McCrae, 1992a] and [Costa and McCrae, 1992b]) in a sample of 598 German adults (mean age = 42 years). Despite shortcomings for Agreeableness, the short scales generally showed acceptable levels of: (1) internal consistency, (2) stability over a period of 18 months, (3) convergent validity in relation to the NEO-PI-R and (4) discriminant validity. We conclude that in research settings with a pronounced need for parsimony, the BFI-S offers a sufficient level of utility.     

Spatio-temporal priority revisited: the role of feature identity and similarity for object correspondence in apparent motion

We live in a dynamic environment in which objects change location over time. To maintain stable object representations the visual system must determine how newly sampled information relates to existing object representations, the correspondence problem. Spatiotemporal information is clearly an important factor that the visual system takes into account when solving the correspondence problem, but is feature information irrelevant as some theories suggest? The Ternus display provides a context in which to investigate solutions to the correspondence problem. Two sets of three horizontally aligned disks, shifted by one position, were presented in alternation. Depending on how correspondence is resolved, these displays are perceived either as one disk "jumping" from one end of the row to the other (element motion) or as a set of three disks shifting back and forth together (group motion). We manipulated a feature (e.g., color) of the disks such that, if features were taken into account by the correspondence process, it would bias the resolution of correspondence toward one version or the other. Features determined correspondence, whether they were luminance-defined or not. Moreover, correspondence could be established on the basis of similarity, when features were not identical between alternations. Finally, the stronger the feature information supported a certain correspondence solution the more it dominated spatiotemporal information.     

Reduced activation of left orbitofrontal cortex precedes blocked vocalization: A magnetoencephalographic study

While stuttering is known to be characterized by anomalous brain activations during speech, very little data is available describing brain activations during stuttering. To our knowledge there are no reports describing brain activations that precede blocking. In this case report we present magnetoencephalographic data from a person who stutters who had significant instances of blocking whilst performing a vowel production task. This unique data set has allowed us to compare the brain activations leading up to a block with those leading up to successful production. Surprisingly, the results are very consistent with data comparing fluent production in stutterers to controls. We show here that preceding a block there is significantly less activation of the left orbitofrontal and inferiorfrontal cortices. Furthermore, there is significant extra activation in the right orbitofrontal and inferiorfrontal cortices, and the sensorimotor and auditory areas bilaterally. This data adds weight to the argument forwarded by Kell et al. (2009) that the best functional sign of optimal repair in stutterering is activation of the left BA 47/12 in the orbitofrontal cortex.Educational objectives: At the end of this activity the reader will be able to (a) identify brain regions associated with blocked vocalization, (b) discuss the functions of the orbitofrontal and inferior frontal cortices in regard to speech production and (c) describe the usefulness and limitations of magnetoencephalography (MEG) in stuttering research.     

Genetic Disorders of Intellectual Disability: Expanding our Concepts of Phenotypes and of Family Outcomes

Over the past two decades, great strides have been made in our understandings of how genetic conditions influence behavior and how such so-called “behavioral phenotypes” influence parent and family stress and coping. In this paper, we call for expansions in two directions. First, as a field we need to go beyond behavior in our concepts of phenotypes, to also include the many medical, physical, and other “non-behavioral” phenotypes that influence children’s everyday lives. Second, in examining how etiology-related phenotypes affect others, we need to go beyond the outcome of parental stress. In this regard, we focus on parental health, well-being, and various life choices, as well as how parenting children with specific genetic disorders can often lead to positive perceptions and outcomes. We end by discussing remaining research issues and how these two expansions relate to clinical practice.     

Morphological processing during visual word recognition in developing readers: evidence from masked priming

Masked priming studies with adult readers have provided evidence for a form-based morpho-orthographic segmentation mechanism that "blindly" decomposes any word with the appearance of morphological complexity. The present studies investigated whether evidence for structural morphological decomposition can be obtained with developing readers. We used a masked primed lexical decision design first adopted by Rastle, Davis, and New (2004), comparing truly suffixed (golden-GOLD) and pseudosuffixed (mother-MOTH) prime-target pairs with nonsuffixed controls (spinach-SPIN). Experiment 1 tested adult readers, showing that priming from both pseudo- and truly suffixed primes could be obtained using our own set of high-frequency word materials. Experiment 2 assessed a group of Year 3 and Year 5 children, but priming only occurred when prime and target shared a true morphological relationship, and not when the relationship was pseudomorphological. This pattern of results indicates that morpho-orthographic decomposition mechanisms do not become automatized until a relatively late stage in reading development.     

Body Shape Questionnaire: Psychometric properties of the short version (BSQ-8C) and norms from the general Swedish population

There is a need for brief, sensitive, and reliable instruments for contextual assessment of body dissatisfaction. Suitable selection and optimal use of psychological assessment instruments requires appropriate psychometric as well as normative data. Two studies were conducted to investigate the psychometric properties and collect general population norms for a short, eight item version of the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-8C). In the first study, a sample of undergraduate students (N = 182) was recruited to investigate the psychometric properties of the BSQ-8C, while in the second study a sample from the general population of Swedish women aged 18–30 years (N = 747) was used to collect norms. The test–retest reliability, internal consistency, and convergent validity for BSQ-8C were high. Given the questionnaire's briefness and good psychometric properties, particularly when used in conjunction with norms, the BSQ-8C is considered a valuable instrument for measuring body shape dissatisfaction among young adult women.     

The burden of disease among adolescents with personality pathology: quality of life and costs

In adults, personality disorders are associated with a low quality of life and high societal costs. To explore whether these findings also apply to adolescents, 131 adolescent patients were recruited from a mental health care institute in The Netherlands. Axis I and Axis II disorders were diagnosed using semi-structured interviews. The EuroQol EQ-5D was used to measure quality of life and costs were measured by the Trimbos and Institute for Medical Technology Assessment Questionnaire on Costs Associated with Psychiatric Illness. The mean EQ-5D index value was 0.55. The mean direct medical cost in the year prior to treatment was €14,032 per patient. The co-occurrence of Axis I and Axis II disorders was a significant predictor of a low quality of life. Direct medical costs were higher for the depressive personality disorder. This study shows that the burden of disease among adolescents with personality pathology is high. This high burden provides evidence to suggest that further research and development of (cost-)effective treatment strategies for this population may be worthwhile.