Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Social Justice Scale (SJS)

The study describes the development of the Social Justice Scale (SJS). Practitioners, educators, students, and other members of the community differ on their attitudes and values regarding social justice. It is important to assess, not only individuals' attitudes and values around social values, but also other constructs that might be related to social justice behaviors. The implication of Ajzen in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50:179-211, (1991) theory of planned behavior suggests that attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and social norms predict intentions, which then lead to behaviors. A scale was designed to measure social justice-related values, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and intentions based on a four-factor conception of Ajzen's theory. Confirmatory factor analysis and analyses for reliability and validity were used to test the properties of the scale.     

Using a Training-of-Trainers Approach and Proactive Technical Assistance to Bring Evidence Based Programs to Scale: An Operationalization of the Interactive Systems Framework’s Support System

Bringing evidence based programs to scale was a major initial impetus for the development of the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation (ISF). The ISF demonstrates the importance of the Support System in facilitating the uptake of innovations in the community (the Delivery System). Two strategies that members of the Support System commonly use are training‐of‐trainers (TOT) models and technical assistance (TA). In this article, we focus on the role of the Support System in bringing evidence‐based programs (EBPs) to scale in the Delivery System using a case example, with special attention on two strategies employed by Support Systems—training‐of‐trainers (TOT) and proactive technical assistance. We then report on findings from a case example from the Promoting Science Based Approaches to Teen Pregnancy Prevention project that furthers our conceptualization of these strategies and the evidence base for them. We also report on the limitations in the literature regarding research on TOTs and proactive TA and provide suggestions for future research on TOTs and proactive TA that will enhance the science and practice of support in the ISF. Special Issue: Advances in Bridging Research and Practice Using the Interactive System Framework for Dissemination and Implementation; Guest Editors: Abraham Wandersman, Paul Flaspohler, Catherine A. Lesesne, Richard Puddy; Action Editor: Emilie Phillips Smith     

Development and validation of a revised measure of codependency

This study assessed the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of a revised instrument, the Composite Codependency Scale (CCS), a 19‐item measure designed to assess codependent traits. Exploratory factor analysis of the CCS, using data from 301 adults from the general population and 49 attending members of Codependents Anonymous (CoDA), yielded three factors: self‐sacrifice, interpersonal control, and emotional suppression. The scale and its subscales exhibited good internal consistency. Consistent with the tenets of the codependency model, higher codependency scores were significantly associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and familial dysfunction and lower levels of narcissistic tendencies, self‐esteem, and emotional expressivity. Furthermore, the revised measure effectively discriminated members of CoDA from those in the general population.     

A factor analytic investigation of the BASC-2 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Parent Form: psychometric properties, practical implications, and future directions

The Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Parent Form (BESS Parent; Kamphaus & Reynolds, 2007) is a recently developed instrument designed to identify behavioral and emotional risk in students. To describe the underlying factor structure for this instrument, exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted utilizing two subsets of a large, nationally-representative sample. The results of the EFA suggested that the BESS Parent contained a four-factor latent structure (i.e., Externalizing, Internalizing, Adaptive Skills, and Inattention), which was supported by CFA. Results support further investigation into utilizing four subscales in addition to an overall risk score; distributional and reliability information for the BESS Parent subscales is provided. Practical implications for school psychologists interested in early identification and directions for future research are discussed.     

Individuals differ in the attentional blink: Mental speed and intra-subject stability matter

The failure to correctly report two targets (“T₁”, “T₂”) that follow each other in close temporal proximity has been called the “attentional blink” (AB). The AB has, so far, mainly been studied using experimental approaches. The present studies investigated individual differences in AB performance, revealing (among further findings) a high positive correlation between the accuracies of detecting the two targets correctly (r = 0.69); and between T₂∣T₁ accuracy and psychometric intelligence (0.41 ≤ r ≤ 0.43) and RT variability in short-term and working memory (− 0.38 ≤ r ≤ − 0.45). Together, these results support important aspects of major theoretical accounts of the AB from an individual differences perspective and introduce intelligence and intra-subject stability as contributing factors in AB performance.     

Initial validation of a measure of self-efficacy in romantic relationships

This study examines the psychometric properties of a self-report measure of self-efficacy in romantic relationships (SERR). Analyses (with 775 undergraduates) indicated a coherent factor structure representing broad beliefs about task demands in romantic relationships and abilities to meet such demands. SERR scores predict relationship anxiety and expectations of relationship success when demographic characteristics, current romantic relationship status, general self-efficacy, and social self-efficacy are considered. The SERR assesses broad feelings of relationship self-efficacy, independent of specific relationships or partners, important for understanding individual-level relationship expectations, behaviors, and interventions.     

Self-reported anger among ordinary and delivery electric bike riders in China: A comparison based on the cycling anger scale

As vulnerable traffic participants, electric bike (EB) riders have suffered from high collision casualties in recent years. Road user anger has been shown to affect riding behavior and lead to traffic accidents. Besides, studies have highlighted that there may be differences in road user anger in driving different vehicles due to varying perceptions of the relative vulnerability of vehicle type characteristics (control performance and cognitive processes). However, current road user anger investigations for two-wheelers have focused mainly on conventional cyclists, and little attention has been paid to e-bike riders, especially with the emerging group of delivery e-bike (DEB) riders. This study aims to develop a Cycling Anger Scale (CAS) for EB riders based on the Cycling Anger Scale and explore the road user anger experienced by EB riders and the differences between ordinary and delivery EB riders. The survey was conducted in Nanjing, China, and collected from 281 Ordinary EB (OEB) riders and 268 DEB riders. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis are conducted to determine the revised four-factor structure of the 14-item CAS for EB. The results show that the scores of police interaction and cyclist interaction on the CAS subscales are significantly different between the OEB and DEB groups. The police interaction is the largest source of anger for both groups. Besides, the aggressive riding behaviors are significantly correlated with riding anger, which can be predicted by different aspects of riding anger for the two types of EB riders. This study provides a theoretical basis for designing intervention measures and safety education programs to enhance EB riders’ road safety.     

Apoyo social en universitarios españoles de primer año: propiedades psicométricas del Social Support Questionnaire-Short Form y el Social Provisions Scale

Perceived social support is a multifaceted construct conceptualized as one's cognitive appraisal as to the existence of a connection to others, based on trust, on whom one can rely on when necessary. The aim of this paper is to examine the psychometric properties of perceived social support, using the following scales: Social Support Questionnaire-Short Form (SSQ6) and Social Provisions Scale (SPS), on a sample of 855 first year university students – 575 females and 280 males – enrolled in 16 professional degrees at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). The SSQ6 Scale assesses the dimensions of perceived support availability and satisfaction, whilst the SPS Scale assesses its social support functions. The factor analysis conducted confirms the SSQ6 Scale's two-dimensional model and the SPS Scale's six-factor structure. Internal consistency of both scales is satisfactory, as is the evidence of validity obtained from the correlations between the two scales and their subscales. The results reveal that the Spanish version of the SSQ6 and SPS scales are reliable and valid measurements for assessing perceived social support amongst university students.     

Maternal and paternal infant representations: A comparison between parents of term and preterm infants

Objective

Research on parental attachment representations after preterm birth is limited and inconclusive. The present study is the first in which maternal and paternal attachment representations after term, moderately and very preterm birth are compared. In addition, special attention was directed toward disrupted attachment representations.

Method

Mothers and fathers of term infants (≥37 weeks of gestational age, n = 71), moderately preterm infants (≥32–37 weeks of gestational age, n = 62) and very preterm infants (<32 weeks of gestational age, n = 56) participated in the present study. Attachment representations (balanced, disengaged, distorted) about their infants were evaluated with the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI). To asses disrupted representations the coding of the WMCI was extended with the disrupted scale (WMCI-D).

Results

The three main classifications of attachment representations were not affected by preterm birth. In addition, there were no gender differences in the rate of balanced representations. In case of non-balanced representations however, maternal representations were more often distorted, whereas fathers showed more often disengaged representations. Results further revealed that maternal disrupted attachment representations were marked by role/boundary confusion or disorientation, whereas paternal disrupted attachment representations were characterized by withdrawal.

Conclusion

Given the gender differences it is essential to tailor interventions according to the attachment representations of the parent, in order to be able to alter their non-balanced and/or disrupted attachment representations.