The orthogonal approximation of an oblique structure in factor analysis

A procedure is derived for obtaining an orthogonal transformation which most nearly transforms one given matrix into another given matrix, according to some least-squares criterion of fit. From this procedure, three analytic methods are derived for obtaining an orthogonal factor matrix which closely approximates a given oblique factor matrix. The case is considered of approximating a specified subset of oblique vectors by orthogonal vectors.Part of this research was carried out while the author was a psychometric fellow at the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey.     

A method of scalogram analysis using summary statistics

A method of Guttman scalogram analysis is presented that does not involve sorting and rearranging the entries in the item response matrix. The method requires dichotomous items. Formulas are presented for estimating the reproducibility of the scale and estimating the expected value of the chance reproducibility. An index of consistency is suggested for evaluating the reproducibility. An illustrative example is presented in detail. The logical basis of the method is discussed. Finally, several methods are suggested for dealing with non-dichotomous items.Lois K. Anderson assisted the author materially in the many computations required for this paper. The research reported in this paper was supported in part by the Department of Economics and Social Sciences at M.I.T. and in part, jointly, by the Army, Navy and Air Force under contract with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.     

Mnemic neglect: Selective amnesia of one’s faults

The mnemic neglect model predicts and accounts for selective memory for social feedback as a function of various feedback properties. At the heart of the model is the mnemic neglect effect (MNE), defined as inferior recall for self-threatening feedback compared to other kinds of feedback. The effect emerges both in mundane realism and minimal feedback settings. The effect is presumed to occur in the service of self-protection motivation. Mnemic neglect is pronounced when the feedback poses high levels of self-threat (i.e., can detect accurately one’s weakness), but is lost when self-threat is averted via a self-affirmation manipulation. Mnemic neglect is caused by self-threatening feedback being processed shallowly and in ways that separate it from stored (positive) self-knowledge. The emergence of mnemic neglect is qualified by situational moderators (extent to which one considers their self-conceptions modifiable, receives feedback from a close source, or is primed with improvement-related constructs) and individual differences moderators (anxiety, dysphoria, or defensive pessimism). Finally, the MNE is present in recall, but absent in recognition. Output interference cannot explain this disparity in results, but an inhibitory repression account (e.g., experiential avoidance) can: Repressors show enhanced mnemic neglect. The findings advance research on memory, motivation, and the self.     

Spoken Narrative Assessment: A Supplementary Measure of Children’s Creativity

This study developed a spoken narrative (i.e., storytelling) assessment as a supplementary measure of children’s creativity. Both spoken and gestural contents of children’s spoken narratives were coded to assess their verbal and nonverbal creativity. The psychometric properties of the coding system for the spoken narrative assessment were investigated with 30 Cantonese-speaking children aged six to nine. The internal consistency and the intercoder agreement were good. In addition, children’s scores on the 3 coded variables were moderately correlated with their creativity-relevant skills as measured by Alternate Uses Task (Guilford, 1967) and subjective ratings of creativity provided by judges. Children with higher verbal skills, as measured by Similarities (The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – 4th Edition (Hong Kong); WISC-IV HK), also scored higher in the speech composite of the coding system. The findings showed that the coding system of the spoken narrative assessment is reliable and valid for measuring children’s creativity objectively. An age-related norm will be established in future.     

Job-Related Well-Being Through the Great Recession

We study how job-related well-being (measured by Warr’s ‘Enthusiasm’ and ‘Contentment’ scales) altered through the Great Recession, and how this is related to changing job quality. Using nationally representative data for Britain, we find that job-related well-being was stable between 2001 and 2006, but then declined between 2006 and 2012. We report relevant changes in job quality. In modelling the determinants of job-related well-being, we confirm several previously-studied hypotheses and present some new findings: downsizing, work re-organisation, decreased choice, and linking pay to organisational performance each reduce well-being; indicators of skills challenge in jobs have more of a positive association with Enthusiasm than with Contentment, while effort has a more negative association with Contentment than with Enthusiasm. Our estimates are largely orthogonal to the effects of personality traits and demographic controls on well-being. Using a standard decomposition, we find that the 2006–2012 fall in job-related well-being is partly accounted for by accelerations in the pace of workplace change, rising job insecurity, increased effort and changing participation.     

Writing the (researcher) self: reflective practice and undergraduate research

This paper discusses the way in which postmodern emergence was used to assist a group of undergraduate students come to new understandings of research practice as they participated in a reflective component of an Undergraduate Research Summer School. Students were encouraged to ‘write the (researcher) self’ through a collaborative writing group based on the theoretical and pedagogical work of Somerville. Postmodern emergence highlights three stages of learning; firstly, assigning time for wondering, then a liminal space for becoming and finally an opportunity for generating new knowledge. This article is both the tangible product of this emergence reflective writing process and a recommendation about the capacity of undergraduate students to engage with their own professionalisation and meaning-making.     

Download or stream? Steal or buy? Developing a typology of today's music consumer

This paper explores the impact that recent transformations in digital music technology (e.g. the increasing popularity of legal streaming platforms) have had on the consumer experience. Following 35 in‐depth qualitative interviews, we have identified four key segments of contemporary music consumers (steadfast pirates, ex‐downloaders, mixed tapes and the old schoolers [the disengaged]) based on a continuum of their preference for illegal music piracy. Examining key themes (e.g. morality, format, value and identity investment) to distinguish each segment, we contribute to a fragmented music piracy literature in particular through the identification of the “ex‐downloaders” and “mixed tape” segments. Previous literature has tended to frame music piracy in very simplistic terms, failing to acknowledge a large number of consumers who are conflicted about their actions and rationalise their piracy in complicated and inconsistent ways related to the broader industry and their own sense of identity as a music consumer. Additionally, the discussion of the ex‐downloader segment provides significant evidence that for a large number of consumers, a policy of participation, in the shape of providing superior alternatives for legal digital music consumption, can be much more beneficial in tackling the problem of piracy than previous strategies of policing and coercion. Managerial and future research implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.