A psychometric study of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test-Extended in a Norwegian sample

Motivation is a widely used concept in substance use treatment, and is commonly seen as a premise for change during treatment. Different measures of motivation have been suggested. A relatively new instrument is the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test-Extended (DUDIT-E), developed in Sweden. This instrument has recently been introduced in Norway. The present study examined the Motivational Index of the Norwegian version of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test-Extended (DUDIT-E). We tested whether the three-factor model ("Positive aspects of substance abuse"; "Negative aspects of substance abuse"; and "Treatment readiness") suggested by previous studies could be replicated in a sample of Norwegian inpatients. Responses to the DUDIT-E were obtained from 105 patients admitted to inpatient substance abuse treatment in Northern Norway. Exploratory common factor analyses were used to compare the factor structure from the current sample with the Swedish sample of mainly detoxification patients and prison inmates. The current sample did not include prison inmates, and it consisted of more women than the Swedish sample. The samples did not differ according to age or substance dependency. The analyses suggested that six primary factors was the most efficient way of combining the item scores, and not 11 as in the Swedish sample. A second-order factor analysis found best support for a two-factor solution, and hence, did not replicate the previously suggested three-factor model either. Several regression analyses comparing the efficiency of the different ways of combining the DUDIT scores in primary or secondary factor scores indicated that the model involving six sum scores had best merit and should be explored further.     

Development of abbreviated nine-item forms of the Raven's standard progressive matrices test

The Raven's standard progressive matrices (RSPM) is a 60-item test for measuring abstract reasoning, considered a nonverbal estimate of fluid intelligence, and often included in clinical assessment batteries and research on patients with cognitive deficits. The goal was to develop and apply a predictive model approach to reduce the number of items necessary to yield a score equivalent to that derived from the full scale. The approach is based on a Poisson predictive model. A parsimonious subset of items that accurately predicts the total score was sought, as was a second nonoverlapping alternate form for repeated administrations. A split sample was used for model fitting and validation, with cross-validation to verify results. Using nine RSPM items as predictors, correlations of .9836 and .9782 were achieved for the reduced forms and .9063 and .8978 for the validation data. Thus, a 9-item subset of RSPM predicts the total score for the 60-item scale with good accuracy. A comparison of psychometric properties between 9-item forms, a published 30-item form, and the 60-item set is presented. The two 9-item forms provide a 75% administration time savings compared with the 30-item form, while achieving similar item- and test-level characteristics and equal correlations to 60-item based scores.     

Color at the point of sale: Psychological and communicative implications

The environment that surrounds a consumer when they are at a point of sale can influence them both psychologically and communicatively. In this sense, the study arises from the need to discover the capacity of influence that colors of the components of the commercial establishment (wall, floor, ceiling, and furniture) have. The aim is to determine whether these factors influence the psychological level (feeling of pleasantness, calmness, etc.) and the communicative experience received in stores. The quasi-experimental methodology made it possible to study the impact of the independent variables (colors of the different components) on the dependent variables (psychological and communicative). For this purpose, two methods of measurement were constructed: a tool for the analysis of commercial establishments which allowed to establish patterns and a reception protocol capable of measuring both levels of influence of components and colors, by means of a reception test comprising of Level I (psychological) and Level II (communicative). This survey was applied to a total sample of 315 subjects. Overall, the study makes it possible to define which architectural components and colors stores should have in order to exert a certain perceptual influence on the subject. In general terms, this study reflects how the color of the different components of the space can influence the subject's primary perception of the establishment, with respect to the feeling of pleasantness, comfort, stimulation, calmness, security, spaciousness, formality, and warmth, as well as the perception of the quantity and quality of the information received and overall satisfaction and confidence.     

Longitudinal Examination of the Relationship Between Supplies–Values Fit and Work Outcomes

This study focuses on the robustness of the relationship between supplies–values (S–V) fit and work outcomes. Specifically, the functional form that best describes the relationships of three different dimensions of S–V fit (i.e. intrinsic work aspects, extrinsic work aspects, and social relations at work) with job satisfaction, intention to leave the organisation and psychological well‐being was investigated using the moderated regression technique proposed by Edwards (1991, 1994). This study extends previous research by examining the stability of these relationships across two occasions, separated by a period of four years. Results showed that the functional form of the relationship of S–V fit with work outcomes differed by the S–V fit dimension and the work outcome under investigation. However, the functional form of each of these relationships on the first occasion was almost identical to the form of the relationships on the second occasion. Additionally, results showed that all three S–V fit dimensions affected job satisfaction and intention to leave, but had only a weak effect on psychological well‐being. The organisational supplies component, as well as its quadratic term in particular, had a large influence on job satisfaction and intention to leave. Implications for future research in the P–O fit area are discussed.     

A multiple mediation model of trait worry and hazardous drinking among treatment-seeking smokers: the roles of coping and conformity drinking motives

ABSTRACT

Alcohol use is associated with poorer smoking cessation-related outcomes, and smokers with elevated levels of worry experience greater smoking cessation problems. Yet, little is known about the explanatory mechanisms that may underlie the relationship between trait worry and hazardous drinking among smokers. Therefore, this study explored the explanatory roles of coping and conformity drinking motives in the relationship between trait worry and hazardous drinking outcomes including alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, maximum number of drinks, and the number of prior alcohol quit attempts among treatment-seeking smokers. Participants included 377 treatment-seeking smokers who consumed at least one alcoholic drink in the last year (48% female; 86.2% Caucasian; M _age = 34.83 years, SD = 13.38). Results showed a significant indirect effect of trait worry through coping-related drinking motives in relation to alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, maximum number of drinks, and number of prior drinking quit attempts. These findings were evident after controlling for gender, cigarette dependence, and current psychopathology. These findings suggest that coping drinking motives are one mechanism that may explain the relation between trait worry and hazardous drinking outcomes among treatment-seeking smokers.