The Generalizability and Construct Validity of the Modern Sexism Scale: Some Cautionary Notes

Our purposes are to explore the generalizability of the Modern Sexism Scale [J. T. Swim et al. (1995) “Sexual and Racism: Old-Fashioned and Modern Prejudices,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 68, pp. 199–214] beyond mostly white, traditionally aged undergraduates and to extend analyses of its construct validity. Fourteen African American and 32 white women firefighters nationwide, having previously completed an extensive mail survey, were followed up with the Modern Sexism Scale. A four-factor solution, low inter-item correlations, and a low coefficient alpha argue against combining the 8-items of the scale. Racial differences on one item and in response variances as well as correlations with age, years of service, and education caution against handily overgeneralizing scale usage beyond students. Coherent patterns of interrelationships among Modern Sexism items and other personality, attitudinal, work experiential, and gender identity scales suggest strong convergent validity.     

BRCA1 Testing: Genetic Counseling Protocol Development and Counseling Issues

This article discusses the genetic counseling protocols which were developed and counseling issues that have arisen in the first 2 years of evaluating a large kindred with a BRCA1 mutation. The rationale for the development of the genetic counseling protocols and specific genetic counseling visual aids are presented and discussed. The protocols and counseling aids can serve as models for other programs offering cancer susceptibility testing. The observations of study counselors about study subject concerns and responses to genetic testing at the time of the pretest and posttest counseling sessions are presented.     

Relationship between a pulmonary function test (FEV1) and the ADAPT quality-of-life scale

In a previous study the Additive Daily Activities Profile Test (ADAPT) correlated .83 with maximum oxygen consumption among pulmonary rehabilitation patients. The present study expanded the pulmonary population base and compared the ADAPT scores of 41 patients at two independent centers with a more readily available parameter, the forced expiratory volume in the first second of forced exhalation (FEV1). The relationships between the two major ADAPT subscales and FEV1 were significant but lower in magnitude than that found with maximum oxygen consumption. The ADAPT continues to be sensitive to physical impairment and in translating the effect of impairment upon daily physical activity.     

Alternative weights and invariant parameters in optimal scaling

Under conditions that are commonly satisfied in optimal scaling problems, arbitrary sets of optimal weights can be obtained by choices of generalized inverse procedures. A simple relationship holds between these and the corresponding invariant item scores. The case of optimal scaling originally treated by Guttman [1941] yields a restricted form of multicategory factor analysis. It is suggested that the invariant parameters of optimal scaling should be interpreted, according to the principles of latent trait theory, rather than the arbitrary weights.This paper benefits from a number of suggestions and comments made by Professors M. J. R. Healy, H. Goldstein, and S. Nishisato, and by Mr. C. Fraser, to whom grateful acknowledgments are due. The author is solely responsible for the final form of the paper, including of course such errors as may remain in it.This research was partly supported by Grant No. A6346 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.     

Pattern detection by mongol and non-mongol subnormals.

Ten mongols and ten clinically heterogeneous subnormals matched on chronological age, mental age and digit span took part in an experiment in which tape-recorded supra-span digit sequences with different patterns were presented. There were six patterns: random, mirror (e.g. 583385); same-digit pairs (e.g. 558833), same-digit throughout (e.g. 333333), couplet repetition (e.g. 585858) and triplet repetition (583583). The numbers of digits correctly recalled in any order by the mongols in the various conditions ranked from least to most were: random, mirror, same-digit pairs, same-digit messages, triplet repetition and couplet repetition. The rank order for the non-mongols was the same except that the positions of couplet and triplet repetition were reversed. Mongols had significantly poorer recall for random, mirror and same-digit pair messages than non-mongols but were their equals in other conditions. The mongols' performance was more sensitive to pattern than the performance of the other subjects. There was some evidence that, in the messages with same-digit pairs and the same digit throughout, all subjects (but mongols in particular) tended to insert new digits into the response sequence and that the digit introduced was the next one in simple arithmetic progression. It would appear that the hypothesis about poor auditory-vocal channelling capacities of mongols needs qualification.     

The measurement of factor indeterminacy

Results obtained by Guttman [1955] on the determinacy of common factors have been thought to have disturbing consequences for the common factor model. It is argued that factors must be thought of as unobservable, and uniquely defined but numerically indeterminate. It follows that Guttman's measure of indeterminacy is inconsistent with the foundations of the factor model in probability theory, and the traditional measures of factor indeterminacy used by earlier writers should be reinstated. These yield no disturbing conclusions about the model.     

A general approach to nonlinear factor analysis

The method presented attempts to allow for nonlinear, possibly nonmonotonic relations between manifest and latent variates. An attempt is made to provide a workable criterion for choosing between alternative models on the basis of observable data as well as for constructing the appropriate function. An idealized numerical example is given.The author is indebted to Mr. E. J. Burr of the Department of Mathematics, University of New England, and to Dr. J. A. Keats of the University of Queensland, for their advice and criticism.