Rasch analysis and item reduction of the hypomanic personality scale

The aim of the current study was to reduce the number of items in the 48-item hypomanic personality scale (HPS) and determine whether a unidimensional scale of the hypomanic trait could be derived. Previously collected HPS data from University students (n = 318) were applied to the Rasch model (one-parameter item response theory). Overall scale and individual item fit statistics were used to judge fit to the model and item maps employed to determine coverage of the trait. Cronbach’s Alpha and correlations with other questionnaires pre- and post-item reduction were evaluated. Rasch analysis indicated that the original HPS was not unidimensional, had significant redundancy and differential item functioning by age and gender. An iterative process of item reduction produced a 20-item HPS (HPS-20) that retained the concepts of the original HPS and had excellent fit to the Rasch model (χ² p = 0.27). Unidimensionality of the HPS-20 was confirmed. The traditional psychometric properties of the HPS-20 and coverage of the underlying hypomanic construct were similar to the original. It was possible to derive a unidimensional measure of the hypomanic trait. Further use of the HPS-20 is encouraged as it may increase understanding of the risk factors for affective disorders.     

EPQ信度概化的跨文化比较及其启示

对中国7种主要的心理学杂志,于1998-2008年间发表的与EPQ有关的研究报告或论文做信度概化分析,并与Caruso等人对其他国家的EPQ信度概化分析结果作比较。分析结果表明：中外心理量表使用者都存在严重的“信度引入”的状况;分量表的分数的标准差是信度系数最重要的预测变量;但其他预测变量有所不同。提供的启示是：使用心理量表时一定要报告当前样本的信度系数;不符合心理量表特性要求而增加项目,不一定能提高测验结果的信度。     

The Child Food Rejection Scale: Development and validation of a new scale to assess food neophobia and pickiness among 2- to 7-year-old French children

IntroductionThe two strongest obstacles to extend children's consumption of fruit and vegetables are food neophobia and pickiness, assumed to be the main kinds of food rejection in children. Accordingly, psychometric tools that provide a clear assessment of these kinds of food rejections are greatly needed.ObjectiveTo design and validate a new scale for the assessment of food neophobia and pickiness, thus filling a major gap in the psychometric assessment of food rejection by French children.MethodWe concentrated on French children aged 2–7 years, as no such scale exists for this young population, and on the two known dimensions of food rejection, namely food neophobia and pickiness, as the nature of the relationship between them is still unclear. The scale was tested on two samples (N₁ = 168; N₂ = 256) of caregivers who responded for their children. Additionally, a food choice task was administered to 17 children to check the scale's predictive validity.ResultsThe resulting scale, called the Child Food Rejection Scale (CFRS), included six items relating to food neophobia and five items relating to pickiness. A factor analysis confirmed the two-dimensional structure of the scale. Internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity were all satisfactory. Moreover, results from the food choice task showed that scores on the CFRS accurately predicted children's attitudes toward new and familiar foods.ConclusionTaken together, these findings suggest that the CFRS, a short and easy-to-administer scale, represents a valuable tool for studying food rejection tendencies in French children.     

性格优势与美德研究的现状、困境与出路

性格优势和美德是源于“价值实践分类体系”同一架构中不同层次的概念。过去十年的研究表明性格优势对个体身心健康和幸福感有积极贡献。但目前该领域绝大多数研究着眼于性格优势,而忽略了该体系中更普遍、更核心的美德。美德的结构差异性可能阻碍了相关研究的进行和比较。本文认为“兼顾文化共通性与文化特殊性方法”可能是解决途径之一,并引用已有研究进行佐证,发现亲和力、生命力和意志力可能是一个具有普遍意义的美德结构。     

The time-saving bias, speed choices and driving behavior

When drivers are asked to estimate how much time can be saved by increasing speed, they generally underestimate the time saved when increasing from a relatively low speed and overestimate the time saved when increasing from a relatively high speed. This time-saving bias has been demonstrated to affect drivers’ estimations of driving speed as well as drivers’ personal choice of speed. Specifically, drivers with a high time-saving bias chose unduly high speeds, which sometimes results in speeding, more frequently than drivers with a lower degree of the bias. This study sought to determine whether this relationship would be mediated by individual differences in driving behavior – including drivers’ attitudes, norms and habits regarding speeding behavior as well as their level of aberrant driving behavior (committing aggressive or ordinary violations, errors or lapses in driving, measured by the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire). The results showed that the time-saving bias predicted estimations of required speed better than any of these factors, and also better than drivers’ age, gender, education and income, as well as the number of years they have had a license and their monthly driving kilometrage, their prior speeding violations and crash involvement. In predicting drivers’ personal speed choices, the time-saving bias was second only to the frequency of committing ordinary violations.     

Development of the Cognitive Dysfunction Questionnaire (CDQ) in a population based sample

The study reports on the development of a questionnaire for assessment of adult cognitive dysfunction (CDQ). Participants in a population-based sample (65±15 years, N=370) responded to a 90-item pilot version covering multiple aspects of memory/cognition. Based on exploratory principal components analyses and correlations with criterion measures of cognitive functioning (MMSE, Block Design, semantic/episodic memory), 20 items loading on 6 components were selected for the final version of the questionnaire. Cronbach's α for the total score was 0.90. There was evidence of construct validity as judged by correlations between CDQ scores, objective cognitive measures, and a subjective memory measure (PRMQ). Discriminant validity was demonstrated by a low and non-significant correlation with depressive symptoms. Further evidence of construct validity was provided by correlations with age and educational attainment. In conclusion, the CDQ is promising as a self-rating screening tool for cognitive dysfunction, and will be the subject of further development and validation.     

Faking propensity and faking-related change: A model-based analysis of the EPQ-R scores

Although change scores in a measure administered under neutral and faking-motivating conditions have become a main choice to operationalize faking, there are still some non-resolved issues on the results they provide. The present study uses a two-wave two-group design with a control group to assess three of these issues: (a) the role of individual differences in the amount of faking-induced change, (b) the relation between Impression Management (IM) scores under neutral conditions and change scores, and (c) the convergent validity of change scores as a requisite to view them as measures of an individual-difference variable. A Spanish translation of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised was administered twice to 489 undergraduate students under standard-standard instructions (N = 215) and under standard-faking-good instructions (N = 274). For the P, N, and Lie scales, the results showed that the role of individual differences was very relevant and that the only common variable underlying the scores was a general factor of faking-induced change. However, the IM scores were unable to predict effective change.     

The general factor of personality: Questions and elaborations

Predictions from Rushton’s theory that a general factor of personality (GFP) has evolved based on effective social participation were examined in two large samples of adult Australian twins (5834 and 3672 individuals) and their relatives (8303 and 2677). General factors based on items and scales were compared to each other, across two different questionnaires, and between adults and adolescents. Behavior-genetic analyses based on the twin samples tested predictions comparing GFPs to scales with the GFP partialled out. Some support was found for Rushton’s theory, but the GFP was only marginally more heritable than the GFP-free scales and was not especially marked by the expected non-additivity of its genetic variance; moreover, the adult and adolescent GFPs showed substantial differences.     

A five-dimensional model of individual differences in social exchange styles

An evolutionary psychology framework was used to develop a five-factor model of individual differences in the domain of social exchange that built on a prior two-factor model (Leybman, Zuroff, Fournier, Kelly, & Martin, 2011). Two studies examined the factor structure of the revised Social Exchange Styles Questionnaire (SESQ-II), the reliability and validity of its five scales, and the relationship between social exchange styles (SESs) and social support. Principal components and principal factor analyses of the SESQ-II in 226 undergraduates found five social exchange dimensions: Tracking, Fairness, Individualism, Benefit-Seeking, and Overinvestment. These scales showed good internal consistency and retest reliability. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that SESs, while distinct from other personality variables, had expected relationships with several variables and predicted social support patterns.