Prejudiced attitude measurement using the Rasch Rating Scale model

There have been two basic approaches for the study of minority group prejudice against the majority: to adapt instruments from the majority group, and to use qualitative techniques by analyzing the content of the discourse of the groups involved. Neither of these procedures solves the problem of measuring intergroup attitudes of majorities and minorities in interaction. This study shows the result of a prejudice scale which was developed to measure the attitude of both the minority and majority groups. Prejudice is conceived as an attitude which requires the beliefs or opinions about the out-group, the emotions it elicits, and the behavior or intentional behavior toward it to be known for its evaluation. The innovation in this work is that the psychometric development of the scale was based on the item response theory, and more specifically, the rating scale model.     

eCAT-Listening: design and psychometric properties of a computerized adaptive test on English Listening

In this study, eCAT-Listening, a new computerized adaptive test for the evaluation of English Listening, is described. Item bank development, anchor design for data collection, and the study of the psychometric properties of the item bank and the adaptive test are described. The calibration sample comprised 1.576 participants. Good psychometric guarantees: the bank is unidimensional, the items are satisfactorily fitted to the 3-parameter logistic model, and an accurate estimation of the trait level is obtained. As validity evidence, a high correlation was obtained between the estimated trait level and a latent factor made up of the diverse criteria selected. The analysis of the trait level estimation by means of a simulation led us to fix the test length at 20 items, with a maximum exposure rate of .40.     

Attitude towards women of gender schematic vs aschematic individuals

After the fourfold gender typology (1970s), a dual model--gender schematic versus aschematic individuals--emerged in the 1980s. In this research, the relationship between gender schemas and attitudes towards women's rights were tested. Two studies were carried out (2001 and 2009) with adolescents (boys and girls) from 12 to 14 years old, with 359 participants in 2001 and 224 in 2009, using two instruments: the Bem Sex Role Inventory and the Attitudes Towards Women Scale. Factor analysis and ANOVAs were carried out. The results of both studies supported the hypothesis that girls maintain more favourable attitudes about themselves than boys do. Both studies supported the hypothesis that feminine and androgynous individuals display similar attitudes towards women, but they differ from the other gender categories. Masculine boys and feminine girls did not show differences in attitudes towards women in comparison to aschematic or cross-gendered adolescents. Inconsistent results were found between studies regarding the hypothesized differences between typical and atypical schematics in attitudes towards women, as well as between undifferentiated and gender schematic individuals. The implications of these results for the instruments used, as well as for theories, are considered.     

A century of research on masculinity and femininity: a critical review

The psychological study of masculinity (M) and femininity (F) throughout the twentieth century shows two very different approaches. In the first half of last century, authors try to test the bipolar continuum hypothesis, whereas during the second half, the hypothesis of two orthogonal dimensions predominates. Empirical studies carried out in various countries with the classic M and F scales show that the data do not support: a) the bipolar continuum hypothesis; b) the close relationship between masculinity/men and femininity/women as the single pattern of functional development; and c) the convergence validity of the different assessment instruments. In turn, the empirical results obtained with the new M and F scales show: a) the multidimensionality instead of bi-dimensionality of the different scales; b) that the different M and F scales are not equivalent; and c) that there is no theory capable of guiding the development of new scales to assess these constructs. At the beginning of the 21st century, after the critical evaluation of the studies carried out during about 100 years, we face a critical question: is it worthwhile to continue talking about M and F within the field of science and, more specifically, within the field of psychology?     

Effects of the heterogeneity of the variances on reliability generalization: an example with the Beck Depression Inventory

The studies of Reliability Generalization (RG) analyze estimates of the reliability of scores from a test provided by a set of studies. As their goals and designs are usually very varied, the sampling of individuals obeys very different schemas. Thus, the variances of the scores might be more heterogeneous than expected from random sampling. Two main problems associated with this potential source of heterogeneity should be taken into account. First, heterogeneity has been usually identified subjectively, not very rigorously. Second, once identified, it has not been taken into account in subsequent analyses. In previous papers, various ways to face both problems have been proposed. The procedures are summarized and applied to a set of 65 independent studies that report estimates of the internal consistency of the Beck Depression Inventory. The results show why any study of RG should take into account the heterogeneity of the variances. In addition to this, the only source that additionally accounts for significant variance in the coefficients is the version of the test employed: the second and third versions of the test involve significant increases in the internal consistency. The consequences of ignoring the heterogeneity of the variances are discussed.     

Factor structure analysis of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scale scores in Spanish population

Social competence and antisocial behavior in children are interesting variables for researchers and educators. Nonetheless, there are few assessment instruments capable of measuring the two constructs in small children. The aim of this study is to verify the structural validity of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scale for Teachers and Caregivers (PKBS-2), in order to determine the theoretical model that best fits the data from a Spanish sample. 1509 children from preschool education (741 males and 768 females) from 3 to 6 years old (M= 3.78; SD= 0.815) participated in the study. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-15.0) and the Structural Equations Program (EQS 6.1). The resulting models of social skills and behavioral problems show adequate fit indexes, statistically significant loadings, and a high internal consistency index (Cronbach's alpha). Lastly, the structural model confirms a two-factor structure: a first factor of Social Skills, comprising three variables (social cooperation, social interaction, and social independence), and a second factor of Behavior Problems, comprising two variables (externalization and internalization of problems).     

Nearby nature as a moderator of stress during childhood

The aim of this investigation is to study the relation between the amount of nature existing in children's daily environments and the way children deal with stressful events. Every day, children are exposed to situations that cause stress. Taking into account previous studies, it is thought that the greener the place where children spend their time, the better they cope with adversities. Thus, when comparing the stress level of children who are exposed to the same amount of adverse situations, the children who have more frequent daily contact with nature will show less stress than those who do not spend time in nature. This effect from nearby nature is called a buffering effect. The present study provides empirical evidence of the buffering effect caused by the existence of Nature in the residential and the school environment. Therefore, our results show that children who have more access to nature increase their resilience, showing a lower stress level than children whose contact with nature is less frequent.     

Sadness, suicide, and their association with video game and internet overuse among teens: results from the youth risk behavior survey 2007 and 2009

We investigated the association between excessive video game/Internet use and teen suicidality. Data were obtained from the 2007 and 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), a high school-based, nationally representative survey (N = 14,041 and N = 16,410, respectively). Teens who reported 5 hours or more of video games/Internet daily use, in the 2009 YRBS, had a significantly higher risk for sadness (adjusted and weighted odds ratio, 95% confidence interval = 2.1, 1.7-2.5), suicidal ideation (1.7, 1.3-2.1), and suicide planning (1.5, 1.1-1.9). The same pattern was found in the 2007 survey. These findings support an association between excessive video game and Internet use and risk for teen depression and suicidality.     

Progress Takes Work: Effects of the Locomotion Dimension on Job Involvement,Effort Investment,and Task Performance in Organizations1

This research examined the relation between individual differences in the tendency toward locomotion, which is defined as a proclivity toward psychological movement; and job involvement, effort commitment, and performance in organizational contexts. Four separate studies found support for the notion that locomotion is related positively to effort investment in work activities. Locomotion also was related positively to job involvement and successful performance, as assessed by a self‐report measure and by manager ratings. Finally, the positive relation between locomotion and effort was mediated partially by job involvement, and the positive relation between locomotion and performance was mediated by effort investment. These findings are discussed in reference to the varied implications of the locomotion dimension for human functioning in organizations.     

四卡问题解决中的匹配偏向再探

选取经典的四卡问题作为实验材料,深入探讨了“综合考虑证真证伪作用”的提示以及逻辑分析过程对被试解决四卡问题不能产生促进效应的原因。结果发现:(1)多数被试能对卡片P和-Q进行正确的逻辑推断,但是最后却仍然倾向于选择卡片Q而非-Q,这种错误并非是由于附加的认知任务使得被试的短时记忆容量超载所致。(2)元音偶数组与元音非偶数组的被试对四张卡片作出正确逻辑推断的人数百分比基本一致,但是后者选择P-Q的人数百分比却显著高于前者,这表明多数被试似乎并不依据逻辑分析的结果及其命题检验的规则来作出选择,而是采用匹配策略,错误地选择了Q卡片。