Analysis of the Reliability of the Leadership Practices Inventory in the Item Response Theory Framework

The paper examines the psychometric properties of the leadership practices inventory (LPI) in the framework of item response theory (IRT). The LPI assesses five dimensions (i.e. leadership practices) of transformational leadership and consists of 30 items. IRT is a model‐based theory that relates the characteristics of questionnaire items (item parameters) and characteristics of individuals (latent variables) to the probability of choosing each of the response categories. The theory does not assume that the instrument is equally reliable for all levels of the latent variable examined. Samejima's graded response model was used to estimate LPI item characteristics, such as item difficulty and item discrimination power. The results show that some items are redundant in the sense they contribute little to the overall precision of the instrument. Moreover, the LPI seems to be most precise and reliable for respondents with low to medium leadership competence, whereas it becomes increasingly unreliable for high‐quality leaders. These findings suggest that the LPI is best used for training and development purposes, but not for leader selection purposes.     

Acute dissociation after 1 night of sleep loss

Recent research has shown that dissociative symptoms are related to self-reports of deviant sleep experiences. The present study is the 1st to explore whether sleep loss can fuel dissociative symptoms. Twenty-five healthy volunteers were deprived of sleep for 1 night. Sleepiness and dissociative symptoms were assessed every 6 hr. The authors measured both spontaneous dissociative symptoms and dissociative symptoms induced by dot-staring during sensory deprivation. Sleepiness as well as spontaneous and induced dissociative symptoms were stable throughout the day but increased during the night. These findings provide further evidence for a robust relationship between disruptions in sleep patterns and dissociative symptoms.     

Traumatic memories of war veterans: not so special after all

Several authors have argued that traumatic experiences are processed and remembered in a qualitatively different way from neutral events. To investigate this issue, we interviewed 121 Croatian war veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) about amnesia, intrusions (i.e., flashbacks and nightmares), and the sensory qualities of their most horrific war memories. Additionally, they completed a self-report scale measuring dissociative experiences. In contrast to what one would expect on the basis of theories emphasizing the special status of traumatic memories, amnesia, and high frequency intrusions were not particularly typical for our sample of traumatized individuals. Moreover, traumatic memories were not qualitatively different from neutral memories with respect to their stability and sensory qualities. The severity of PTSD symptoms was not significantly correlated with dissociative experiences. Our findings do not support the existence of special memory mechanisms that are unique to experiencing traumatic events.     

Psychometric properties of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and other physician-rated psychiatric scales for the assessment of depression in ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis in Turkey

This study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of clinician-rated psychiatric scales for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment in Turkey. For this, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale, Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Scale, and Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) were administered to 45 ESRD outpatients undergoing HD treatment. Regarding the reliability of HDRS and HARS, internal consistency and split-half reliability analyses revealed acceptable coefficients. The test - retest reliability coefficients were also examined for all measures after a period of a month, and despite this relatively long time interval, test - retest reliability coefficients were above .60 for all measures. Concerning the validity studies, all these scales revealed suitable convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity outcomes. A cut-off point of 10 for HDRS is suggested for the identification of depression in this population. In general, the findings of this study indicate that HDRS, HARS, CGI, GAF, and MMSE are reliable and valid instruments that can be used among ESRD patients undergoing HD.     

Representation of movement sequences is related to task characteristics

Recent experiments have produced mixed results in terms of performance when, after learning a sequential task, the same visual-spatial coordinates or the same motor coordinates were reinstated on a subsequent effector transfer test. Given the diversity of tasks and especially sequence characteristics used in previous experiments, the cross-experimental comparison makes inferences and unambiguous interpretations difficult. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine in a principled manner how the spatio-temporal structure of a sequence influences the way the sequence is represented. The results indicated that after limited amount of practice relatively more simple sequences (S1) are coded more efficiently in a mirror (motor) representation which requires the same pattern of homologous muscle activation. Conversely, relatively more complex sequences (S2) are more efficiently coded in a visual-spatial coordinate system which requires movements to the same spatial locations as during acquisition. The data are also consistent with the notion that sequences with different spatio-temporal structures rely to a different degree on distinct control mechanisms (pre-planned vs. on-line, respectively).     

Gender‐related differences in neonatal imitation

Socio‐emotional behaviour is in part sex‐related in humans, although the contribution of the biological and socio‐cultural factors is not yet known. This study explores sex‐related differences during the earliest communicative exchange, the neonatal imitation in 43 newborn infants (3–96 hours old) using an index finger extension imitative gesture. Results showed that although the experimenter presented comparable stimuli to both sexes, and the total number of movements was similar in boys and girls, girls showed more fine motor movements, a higher number of specific imitative gestures, responded faster during the imitation and showed a higher baseline heart rate during the experiment. Newborn girls, with their faster and more accurate imitative abilities, may create a more responsive and interactive social environment, which in turn may lead to differences in socio‐emotional and cognitive development between girls and boys. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Confirmation and the generalized Nagel–Schaffner model of reduction: a Bayesian analysis

Synthese - In their 2010 (Erkenntnis 73:393–412) paper, Dizadji-Bahmani, Frigg, and Hartmann (henceforth ‘DFH’) argue that the generalized version of the Nagel–Schaffner...     

The new sovietPhilosophical Encyclopedia. IV

Ohne Zusammenfassung

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The new sovietPhilosophical Encyclopedia. IV

     

The Network Structure of Childhood Psychopathology in International Adoptees

International adoptees are at an increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems, especially those who are adopted at an older age. We took a new approach in our study of the network structure and predictability of emotional and behavioral problems in internationally adopted children in Finland. Our sample was from the on-going adoption study and comprised 778 internationally adopted children (387 boys and 391 girls, mean age 10.5 (SD 3.4) years). Networks were estimated using Gaussian graphical models and lasso regularization for all the children, and separately for those who were adopted at different ages. The results showed that anxiety/depressive symptoms, social problems, and aggressiveness were the most central symptom domains. Somatic symptoms were the least central and had the weakest effect on the other domains. Similarly, aggressiveness, social problems, and attention problems were high in terms of predictability (73–65%), whereas internalizing problems were relatively low (28–56%). There were clear but local age-group differences in network structure, symptom centrality, and predictability. According to our findings, network models provide important additional information about the centrality and predictability of specific symptom domains, and thus may facilitate targeted interventions among international adoptees.     

Intentions,Permissibility, and Choice

T. M. Scanlon has argued that the intentions with which one acts, or more specifically, one’s reasons for acting, are non-derivatively irrelevant to the moral permissibility of one’s actions. According to one of his arguments in favor of that thesis, it can be permissible to act for one reason rather than another only if one can choose to act for a reason but, since that choice is impossible since believing as will is impossible, one can be permitted to act but one cannot be permitted to act for a reason. This paper aims to show that that argument is unsound. It first argues that the assumption that choosing an action is necessary for it being an object of a moral duty or permission cannot be made consistent with Scanlon’s idea that the same does not hold for an action being an object of blame. It then argues that even if direct control over forming beliefs is impossible, it is not impossible to choose one’s reason for action and, therefore, to be permitted or forbidden to act for it.