Factor solutions of the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) in a Swedish population

Culturally validated rating scales for social anxiety disorder (SAD) are of significant importance when screening for the disorder, as well as for evaluating treatment efficacy. This study examined construct validity and additional psychometric properties of two commonly used scales, the Social Phobia Scale and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, in a clinical SAD population (n?=?180) and in a normal population (n?=?614) in Sweden. Confirmatory factor analyses of previously reported factor solutions were tested but did not reveal acceptable fit. Exploratory factor analyses (EFA) of the joint structure of the scales in the total population yielded a two-factor model (performance anxiety and social interaction anxiety), whereas EFA in the clinical sample revealed a three-factor solution, a social interaction anxiety factor and two performance anxiety factors. The SPS and SIAS showed good to excellent internal consistency, and discriminated well between patients with SAD and a normal population sample. Both scales showed good convergent validity with an established measure of SAD, whereas the discriminant validity of symptoms of social anxiety and depression could not be confirmed. The optimal cut-off score for SPS and SIAS were 18 and 22 points, respectively. It is concluded that the factor structure and the additional psychometric properties of SPS and SIAS support the use of the scales for assessment in a Swedish population.     

Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS): A test of longitudinal measurement invariance in Greek adolescents

Identity is one core developmental task of adolescence. Although Marcia’s model, comprising of the dimensions of exploration and commitment, has dominated identity research for decades new models have recently been proposed. Luyckx and colleagues’ model poses that identity is a process consisting of five aspects: Exploration in Breadth, Commitment Making, Ruminative Exploration, Exploration in Depth and Identification with Commitments. The Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS) is a 25-item instrument developed to assess those five aspects. The goal of this study is: (a) to test the applicability of DIDS in a sample of Greek adolescents, and (b) to investigate the longitudinal measurement invariance of the scale. The results support the use of DIDS in Greek context and show that strong measurement invariance holds longitudinally in the course of 12 months. Echoing recent studies, the six-factor model showed significantly better fit, with Exploration in Depth splitting to Exploration in Depth and Reconsideration of Commitment. The scale is suitable for studies of longitudinal change in identity development.     

Mystical Experience Among Tibetan Buddhists: The Common Core Thesis Revisited

In the study of mysticism the debate has centered on whether a universal experiential core exists regardless of religious interpretation. The current investigation combines Jamesian empiricist and social constructivist perspectives to argue that stable experiential facets load variously on factors to construct local interpretations. Local interpretations reflect a family resemblance—a mystical common core experienced across cultures. Results of confirmatory factor analyses, based on data from 240 Tibetan Buddhist adults, suggest statistical model fit and superiority for the three‐factor model compared to the unidimensional model. Pure experience can be distinguished explicitly from its context‐specific hermeneutical construal.     

Body dissatisfaction assessed by the Photographic Figure Rating Scale is associated with sociocultural,personality, and media influences

Swami, V., Taylor, R. & Carvalho, C. (2011). Body dissatisfaction assessed by the Photographic Figure Rating Scale is associated with sociocultural, personality, and media influences. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 57–53. This study sought to investigate the convergent validity of a new measure of body dissatisfaction, namely the Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS), in relation to media influence, celebrity worship, the Big Five personality factors, and respondent weight status. A total of 401 female undergraduates completed a battery of scales consisting of the PFRS, the third revision of the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Scale (SATAQ‐3), a measure of celebrity worship, a measure of the Big Five personality factors, and provided their demographic details. Results of a multiple regression showed that body dissatisfaction was most strongly predicted by two of the SATAQ‐3 subscales and participant body mass index, although celebrity worship and Emotional Stability added incremental variance. Limitations of the current study are discussed in conclusion.     

Development and validation of the Material Values Scale for children (MVS-c)

The aim of this study was to develop a scale to measure materialism among children while relying on insights from research conducted among adults. Although research among adults suggests that materialism is a second-order construct with three underlying factors (i.e., material centrality, material happiness, and material success), existing materialism scales for children include only one or two of these factors. Hence, we adapted the items of the well-established Material Values Scale (MVS) of Richins and Dawson (1992) to make them appropriate for use among children. We then administered the Material Values Scale for children (MVS-c) to 1001 8- to 11-year-olds. Structural equation modeling confirmed the presumed second-order structure of the MVS-c. Based on these findings, we created 6- and 3-item versions in addition to the full-length, 18-item MVS-c. All three versions performed well in terms of test–retest reliability and construct validity.     

Further insights into the relationship between the experience of life adversity and interrogative suggestibility

Research over the past few years has uncovered a consistent link between the reporting of intense negative life events and interrogative suggestibility on the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS). This study (N = 130) now investigates the functional form of this relationship. Findings show that a linear regression model provides the most acceptable fit to the observed values for yield 1, yield 2, shift and total suggestibility scores. However, results also show the presence of non linear, quadratic, aspects to the relationship between the experience of life adversity and yield 1 scores. Up until now GSS scores were thought to increase linearly with level of adversity experienced: this study provides some evidence that, for the yield 1 subscale of the GSS, this may not be the case – high levels of adversity may not necessarily lead to an increased risk of accepting misleading information during questioning as once presumed.     

Temporal stability of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity: Test-retest data over five weeks

Recently Lewis, Cruise, and Mc Guckin (2005) have reported on the test-retest reliability of the 7-item version of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity; however, their study was limited. The present aim was to evaluate the temporal stability of both the 24- and 7-item versions of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity over a five-week period among a sample of 114 Irish undergraduate university students. Data demonstrated that stability across the two administrations was very high for both the 24- (r = .95) and 7-item (r = .94) versions. These data support the short-term test-retest reliability of both the 24- and 7-item versions of the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity.     

接受不同术式的直肠癌患者的心理评估比较

对在吉林大学第一医院接受186例直肠癌手术患者进行术前及术后的心理评估。术前第一天和术后第七天分别用汉密顿抑郁量表(HRSD)对病人进行心理评估,接受腹会阴联合根治术(Miles手术)的患者术前有明显抑郁情绪,而术后无缓解,接受经腹直肠癌根治术(Dixon手术)的患者术前有一定抑郁情绪,术后明显缓解。单纯结肠造口患者术前抑郁情绪较重,术后加重。     

Perceiving communion in the dyadic relationship of others

The present research took an ecological approach to explore a relational issue in social perception ? are the perceived personality characteristics of dyad members and their perceived behavioural exchanges related to perceptions of that dyad’s perceived level of friendship? To this end, observers reported on a dyad they knew well using an indigenous measure of personality perception and the Dyadic Behavioural Exchange Scale, combined with an adapted version of Hays’ Friendship Observation Checklist. Perceived similarity of personality on the dimensions of application, emotional stability (negative) and helpfulness (negative) along with the perceived level of dyadic behaviour exchange were found to be additive predictors of perceived communion or friendship strength. This interplay of personal and interpersonal processes has demonstrated the application of methodological relationalism in the social domain, and broadened the ambit of social cognition to include knowledge of relationship units of which the observer is not a member, but which plays a part in his or her social world.