Correlation and prediction in ordinal test theory

Based on the test theory model for ordinal measurements proposed by Schulman and Haden, the present paper considers correlations between tests, attenuation, regressions involving true and observed scores, and prediction of test reliability.The population correlation between tests is shown to be related to the expected sample correlation for samples of sizen ₁ andn ₂. Errors of estimation, measurement and prediction are found to be similar to their counterparts in interval test theory, while attenuation is identical to its counterpart. The bias in estimating population reliability from sample data is compared for Kendall's tau and Spearman's rho.The author wishes to thank the referees for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper, and in particular, for the suggested alternative methods of establishing some of the presented results.     

矛盾年龄偏见量表在中国大学生群体中的修订及信效度检验

目的：修订矛盾年龄偏见量表(the Ambivalent Ageism Scale, AAS),并在中国大学生群体中进行信、效度检验。方法：对1182名大学生施测AAS中文翻译版,探索并验证其因子结构,分析信、效度和测量等值性。其中347人还完成老化知识量表(FAQ)和容纳他人量表(AOS),用以检验AAS中文版的校标关联效度。另有74人在4周后重测AAS中文版。结果：AAS中文修订版包含认知帮助/保护、不想要的帮助和敌意年龄偏见三因子,总量表和各维度的Cronbach’s α系数依次为0.83、0.80、0.85、0.76,重测信度依次为0.78、0.62、0.78、0.71。AAS中文修订版及各维度与FAQ和AOS负相关(r=-0.23～-0.48,ps<0.001)。验证因素分析表明AAS中文修订版的拟合良好(χ²/df=3.51,CFI=0.96,TLI=0.94,RMSEA=0.07,SRMR=0.05)。且该量表跨性别形态、弱等值、部分强等值和部分严格测量等值成立。结论：修订后的矛盾年龄偏见量表(AAS)中文版的信、效度良好,具备跨性别的测量部分...     

Creativity and Self-esteem in Adolescence: A Study of Their Domain-Specific,Multivariate Relationships

Although empirical investigations on the Creative Self have historically started with a focus on self-esteem, the literature on its relationship with creative performance remains thin and inconsistent, with estimated relationships ranging from moderate and negative, to strongly positive. Discrepancies may be explained by the domain-specificity of both creativity and self-esteem that have been widely overlooked in this line of work. Therefore, this study explores the multivariate relationships between creativity in three domains (Music, Literary-Verbal, Graphic) and self-esteem in seven domains (e.g., Academic, Emotional) among 170 adolescents. Creative productions were scored by four raters, and latent consensus in each domain captured using a multi-informant latent-consensus model in SEM. This model was further extended in a structural model reveling that (a) creativity is mainly domain-specific, and (b) the contribution of domain-specific self-esteem on domain-specific creativity greatly varies according to both the domains of creativity and self-esteem. Up to 30% of the variance in creative performance was explained by “domain-relevant” self-esteem facets, and a moderate contribution of creative self-esteem across creativity domains. Results are discussed in light of several important methodological directions for this line of work, as well as its implications for creativity-based interventions designed to support positive self-esteem development in adolescence.     

Assessing depressive symptoms with the Borg centiMax Scale® in a Swedish sample of patients and students

The Borg centiMax Scale, is a psychophysically composed general intensity ratio scale, which could enable more precise inter- and intraindividual comparisons of the intensity of depressive symptoms. In the present study, the properties of the centiMax scale were examined in 38 patients with clinical depression and 109 students. Additionally, preliminary centiMax cut-off scores for mild, moderate and severe depression were estimated. The psychometric properties of the centiMax were found to be satisfactory regarding internal consistency, convergent, discriminative and predictive validity. Moreover, the centiMax was demonstrated to provide meaningful comparisons of symptom intensity, which makes it possible to evaluate the relative importance of individual symptoms in a profile and make more precise comparisons within and between individuals. With regard to intraindividual comparisons, patients rated , for example, the intensity of feeling “guilt” twice as strong as feelings of “being punished,” and the intensity of “loss of pleasure” almost three times as strong as “being punished.” With regard to interindividual comparisons, patients rated e.g., the intensity of “being punished” as 12 times stronger than controls, and the intensity of “worthlessness” about nine times stronger. In conclusion, the centiMax was shown to be reliable and valid for assessing depressive symptoms. The centiMax with level anchored ratio data, appears to be highly advantageous as it permits rather precise values of symptom intensity for intra- and interindividual comparisons that could be useful in the diagnostic process and in treatment planning.     

Do Coping Styles Differ Across Sociocultural Groups? The Role of Measurement Equivalence in Making This Judgment

Cross-sociocultural group measurement equivalency is an important issue that generally has not been studied in the coping literature. Measurement equivalency of the COPE (Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1989) was assessed across two sociocultural groups, a sample of 100 Anglo middle-class divorced mothers and a sample of 122 low-income Mexican American/Mexican immigrant mothers. A series of restrictive confirmatory factor analyses revealed that seven of the COPE's subscales may be measuring the same underlying construct across populations. However, scores derived from the subscales may not represent the same magnitude of the construct in these two groups. This study makes an important first step in furthering the understanding of coping strategies in low-income Mexican American/Mexican immigrant mothers. This study also illustrates the importance of testing for measurement equivalency before conducting comparative research in disparate populations.     

Checking the Assumptions of Rasch's Model for Speed Tests

Two new tests for a model for the response times on pure speed tests by Rasch (1960) are proposed. The model is based on the assumption that the test response times are approximately gamma distributed, with known index parameters and unknown rate parameters. The rate parameters are decomposed in a subject ability parameter and a test difficulty parameter. By treating the ability as a gamma distributed random variable, maximum marginal likelihood (MML) estimators for the test difficulty parameters and the parameters of the ability distribution are easily derived. Also the model tests proposed here pertain to the framework of MML. Two tests or modification indices are proposed. The first one is focused on the assumption of local stochastic independence, the second one on the assumption of the test characteristic functions. The tests are based on Lagrange multiplier statistics, and can therefore be computed using the parameter estimates under the null model. Therefore, model violations for all items and pairs of items can be assessed as a by-product of one single estimation run. Power studies and applications to real data are included as numerical examples.     

What's measured is not necessarily managed: cognitive contingencies of organizational measurement

Organizational measurement is necessary for managing incremental improvements or change efforts. Some have argued that indicators of financial performance measure the past and should be joined by "lead" measures such as management development and customer relations, assumed to be drivers of performance. Approaches of "lead" measures have met criticism for not contributing to operational management. The present is an empirical case study where measures from a customer satisfaction survey and a management assessment instrument were analyzed and compared to actual measures of financial performance. The effects of measures obtained seem to depend on the interpretations and reflection taking place in the organization. The pursuit of "lead" indicators did not seem to drive results. Counter-intuitively, higher scores on these measures were related to poorer financial performance. The explication of and reflection on the underlying dynamic seemed to turn the development in a profitable direction.     

Racial Differences in Responses to the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire

The aim of this study was to examine differences in responses to the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire (CGSQ) between African American and White caregivers of children with emotional and behavioral challenges. Significant item- and scale-level differences were detected across groups with African Americans consistently reporting less strain. We examined whether these differences were more likely due to nonequivalent measurement than to real differences in the experience of caregiver strain. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fit the data well for both racial groups, but there were some differences in structural components. Internal consistency was equivalent across the groups. In an examination of criterion validity, regression analyses showed that African American caregivers experienced a slower rate of increase in objective caregiver strain at a given increase in child internalizing problems. No other race differences were found in the regression analyses. In general, we conclude that the CGSQ can be useful for detecting caregiver strain and identifying family support needs for both White and African American caregivers. Differences across groups in reports of caregiver strain, however, call for more research on racial differences in the impact on the family of caring for a child with emotional and behavioral disorders.