A Comparison of Modern and Popular Approaches to Calculating Reliability for Dichotomously Scored Items

Recent work on reliability coefficients has largely focused on continuous items, including critiques of Cronbach’s alpha. Although two new model-based reliability coefficients have been proposed for dichotomous items (Dimitrov, 2003a,b; Green & Yang, 2009a), these approaches have yet to be compared to each other or other popular estimates of reliability such as omega, alpha, and the greatest lower bound. We seek computational improvements to one of these model-based reliability coefficients and, in addition, conduct initial Monte Carlo simulations to compare coefficients using dichotomous data. Our results suggest that such improvements to the model-based approach are warranted, while model-based approaches were generally superior.     

调节效应与中介效应的比较和应用

讨论了调节变量的概念和调节效应分析方法,并简要介绍了中介变量的概念和中介效应分析方法。从研究目的、关联概念、典型模型、变量的位置和功能、效应的估计和检验方法等角度,对调节变量和中介变量、调节效应和中介效应以及相应的模型做了系统的比较。作为应用例子,在儿童行为对同伴关系的影响研究中分析和比较了调节变量和中介变量。     

尽责性对问题性手机使用的影响：时间管理倾向和自我控制的链式中介作用

采用中国版10项目大五人格量表、问题性手机使用量表、青少年时间管理倾向量表和自我控制量表调查1200名青少年尽责性对问题性手机使用的作用机制。结果表明：尽责性能够通过自我控制的中介作用影响问题性手机使用,但这一路径效应较低;尽责性能够通过时间监控观和自我控制的链式中介作用反向预测问题性手机使用行为的产生。这说明尽责性主要通过时间监控观和自我控制影响问题性手机使用行为。     

心理治疗的过程研究

心理治疗的过程研究是辨识心理治疗的活性成分和改变机制,是心理治疗效果研究的重要领域。心理治疗过程研究的最新进展体现在研究内容的扩展,研究方法的改进及研究结果的新发现等方面。对未来研究的几点建议：活性成分的层次性观点,改变机制的双线研究及与治疗过程模型的结合,借鉴邻近学科的研究成果,改善RCTs时间设计,关注质化研究,临床工作者与研究者的合作,以及开展本土化研究。     

中介变量、调节变量与协变量——概念、统计检验及其比较

本文在已有研究文献的基础上,集中探讨了中介变量、调节变量和协变量的概念,以及中介效应、调节效应和协变量效应的统计分析方法。随后分别对中介效应和间接效应,调节效应和交互效应进行了辨析,并从测量水平和检验方法等方面对三种统计概念做了比较。     

提供社会支持与心理幸福感的关系——自尊的中介作用

目的：初步探讨提供社会支持、自尊与心理幸福感的关系。方法：运用相关和回归分析法对自尊、提供社会支持和心理幸福感三个问卷调查结果进行处理。结果：提供社会支持总分分别与自尊、心理幸福感总分相关显著（r=0.46,P〈0.01;r=0.50,P〈0．01）;增加了自尊变量之后,提供社会支持对心理幸福感的标准回归系数（B）由0．503下降至0.306。结论：自尊是提供社会支持与心理幸福感的中介变量。     

Dichotomous Thinking and Personality Traits: From the Viewpoints of the Big Five and HEXACO1,2

Dichotomous thinking is a feature of certain personality traits, such as the Dark Triad and Cluster B personality disorders, which commonly reflect a fast life history strategy. The Big Five and HEXACO personality models are useful for understanding the personality structure and individual differences in life history strategy. Our study aimed to shed light on the propensity for dichotomous thinking using the framework of the Big Five and HEXACO personality models. Participants (n = 229) completed the Dichotomous Thinking Inventory, the 60-item HEXACO Personality Inventory – Revised, and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. We examined correlations between dichotomous thinking and each domain of the Big Five and HEXACO personality models, and then computed multiple correlations predicting total and dimensional scores on the propensity for dichotomous thinking with scores on the Big Five and HEXACO personality traits. Results indicated that dichotomous thinking tendency is characterized by the set of low Agreeableness and Honesty–Humility. This study suggests that dichotomous thinking has antagonistic characteristics and a linkage to the fast life history strategy.     

Testing the assumptions underlying tetrachoric correlations

A method is proposed for empirically testing the appropriateness of using tetrachoric correlations for a set of dichotomous variables. Trivariate marginal information is used to get a set of one-degree of freedom chi-square tests of the underlying normality. It is argued that such tests should preferrably preceed further modeling of tetrachorics, for example, modeling by factor analysis. The assumptions are tested in some real and simulated data.Presented at the Psychometric Society meeting in Santa Barbara, California, June 25–26, 1984. The research of the first author was supported by Grant No. SES-8312583 from the National Science Foundation.     

Full-information item bi-factor analysis

A plausibles-factor solution for many types of psychological and educational tests is one that exhibits a general factor ands − 1 group or method related factors. The bi-factor solution results from the constraint that each item has a nonzero loading on the primary dimension and at most one of thes − 1 group factors. This paper derives a bi-factor item-response model for binary response data. In marginal maximum likelihood estimation of item parameters, the bi-factor restriction leads to a major simplification of likelihood equations and (a) permits analysis of models with large numbers of group factors; (b) permits conditional dependence within identified subsets of items; and (c) provides more parsimonious factor solutions than an unrestricted full-information item factor analysis in some cases. Supported by the Cognitive Science Program, Office of Naval Research, Under grant #N00014-89-J-1104. We would like to thank Darrell Bock for several helpful suggestions.     

Moderators and Mediators of the Effects of Interparental Conflict on Children's Adjustment

Moderational and mediational models of the relationships among appraisals, interparental conflict, and children's adjustment were tested in a sample of 174 families with a school-age child. Parents rated children's exposure to interparental conflict and internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems. Children completed questionnaires regarding their appraisals of their parents' conflicts, including frequency and intensity, perceived threat, control, and self-blame, as well as measures of anxiety and depression. Results overall demonstrated more consistent support for the moderational than mediational hypotheses. Appraisals of conflict properties, threat, self-blame, and perceived control moderated the effects of interparental conflict on externalizing, total problems, and anxiety in boys. Conflict properties, threat, self-blame, perceived control, and self-calming acted as moderators of internalizing in girls.