Validation of the Preschool and Early Childhood Functional Assessment Scale (PECFAS)

Efforts to determine the prevalence of serious emotional disturbance in preschool-aged children have been hampered by the lack of a validated measure. The Preschool and Early Childhood Functional Assessment Scale (PECFAS) is a multi-dimensional measure that assesses the psychosocial functioning of children aged 3–7 years. The concurrent validity and reliability of the PECFAS were assessed in a sample of 30 preschool-aged children in a large Head Start program in Ventura, California. PECFAS ratings based on in-depth interviews were significantly related to parental ratings that the children had mental health problems, psychiatric diagnoses, teacher ratings of the child's need for mental health evaluations, teacher ratings of behavior problems on a standardized screening inventory (DIAL-R), and actual referrals for mental health evaluations. Interrater reliability for the total PECFAS score was high (r = .90) as was internal consistency of the five subscales (alpha = .86). Using the PECFAS scores as a standard, the weighted prevalence of serious emotional disturbance in this West Coast Head Start program was 17%, at the lower end of the current estimated rate of SED for older children in low income samples (18–26%).     

A model-based standardization approach that separates true bias/DIF from group ability differences and detects test bias/DTF as well as item bias/DIF

A model-based modification (SIBTEST) of the standardization index based upon a multidimensional IRT bias modeling approach is presented that detects and estimates DIF or item bias simultaneously for several items. A distinction between DIF and bias is proposed. SIBTEST detects bias/DIF without the usual Type 1 error inflation due to group target ability differences. In simulations, SIBTEST performs comparably to Mantel-Haenszel for the one item case. SIBTEST investigates bias/DIF for several items at the test score level (multiple item DIF called differential test functioning: DTF), thereby allowing the study of test bias/DIF, in particular bias/DIF amplification or cancellation and the cognitive bases for bias/DIF.This research was partially supported by Office of Naval Research Cognitive and Neural Sciences Grant N0014-90-J-1940, 4421-548 and National Science Foundation Mathematics Grant NSF-DMS-91-01436. The research reported here is collaborative in every respect and the order of authorship is alphabetical. The assistance of Hsin-hung Li and Louis Roussos in conducting the simulation studies was of great help. Discussions with Terry Ackerman, Paul Holland, and Louis Roussos were very helpful.     

Enhancing measurement validity in diverse populations: Modern approaches to evaluating differential item functioning

When developing and evaluating psychometric measures, a key concern is to ensure that they accurately capture individual differences on the intended construct across the entire population of interest. Inaccurate assessments of individual differences can occur when responses to some items reflect not only the intended construct but also construct-irrelevant characteristics, like a person's race or sex. Unaccounted for, this item bias can lead to apparent differences on the scores that do not reflect true differences, invalidating comparisons between people with different backgrounds. Accordingly, empirically identifying which items manifest bias through the evaluation of differential item functioning (DIF) has been a longstanding focus of much psychometric research. The majority of this work has focused on evaluating DIF across two (or a few) groups. Modern conceptualizations of identity, however, emphasize its multi-determined and intersectional nature, with some aspects better represented as dimensional than categorical. Fortunately, many model-based approaches to modelling DIF now exist that allow for simultaneous evaluation of multiple background variables, including both continuous and categorical variables, and potential interactions among background variables. This paper provides a comparative, integrative review of these new approaches to modelling DIF and clarifies both the opportunities and challenges associated with their application in psychometric research.     

Penalization approaches in the conditional maximum likelihood and Rasch modelling context

Recent detection methods for Differential Item Functioning (DIF) include approaches like Rasch Trees, DIFlasso, GPCMlasso and Item Focussed Trees, all of which - in contrast to well established methods - can handle metric covariates inducing DIF. A new estimation method shall address their downsides by mainly aiming at combining three central virtues: the use of conditional likelihood for estimation, the incorporation of linear influence of metric covariates on item difficulty and the possibility to detect different DIF types: certain items showing DIF, certain covariates inducing DIF, or certain covariates inducing DIF in certain items. Each of the approaches mentioned lacks in two of these aspects. We introduce a method for DIF detection, which firstly utilizes the conditional likelihood for estimation combined with group Lasso-penalization for item or variable selection and L1-penalization for interaction selection, secondly incorporates linear effects instead of approximation through step functions, and thirdly provides the possibility to investigate any of the three DIF types. The method is described theoretically, challenges in implementation are discussed. A dataset is analysed for all DIF types and shows comparable results between methods. Simulation studies per DIF type reveal competitive performance of cmlDIFlasso, particularly when selecting interactions in case of large sample sizes and numbers of parameters. Coupled with low computation times, cmlDIFlasso seems a worthwhile option for applied DIF detection.     

Effect of signaled reinforcement on response variability

Three experiments examined the effect of signaling reinforcement on rats' lever pressing on contingencies that reinforced variable responding to extend the exploration of signaled reinforcement to a schedule that has previously not been examined in this respect. In Experiment 1, rats responding on a lag-8 variability schedule with signaled reinforcement displayed greater levels of variability (U values) than rats on the same schedule lacking a reinforcement signal. In Experiment 2, rats responding on a differential reinforcement of least frequent responses schedule also displayed greater operant variability with a signal for reinforcement compared with rats without a reinforcement signal. In Experiment 3, a reinforcement signal decreased the variability of a response sequence when there was no variability requirement. These results offer empirical corroboration that operant variability responds to manipulations in the same manner as do other forms of operant response and that a reinforcement signal facilitates the emission of the required operant.     

Examining the influence of group diversity on the functioning of community-based participatory research partnerships: A mixed methods study

Public health has endorsed the use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) to address health inequities involving diverse and marginalized communities. However, few studies have examined how group diversity among members of CBPR partnerships influenced how well the partnerships achieve their goals of addressing health inequities through equitable collaboration. We conducted secondary, convergent, mixed methods analysis to (1) evaluate the association between group diversity and participatory decision-making within CBPR partnerships, and (2) identify the perceived characteristics, benefits, and challenges of group diversity within CBPR partnerships. Using data from a cross-site study of federally funded CBPR partnerships, we analyzed and integrated data from surveys of 163 partnerships (n = 448 partners) and seven in-depth case study interviews (n = 55 partners). Quantitatively, none of the measured characteristics of group diversity was associated with participatory decision-making within the partnerships. Qualitatively, we found that partnerships mainly benefited from membership differences in functional characteristics (e.g., skillset) but faced challenges from membership differences in sociocultural characteristics (e.g., gender and race). The integrated findings suggest the need to further understand how emergent group characteristics and how practices that engage in group diversity contribute to collective functioning of the partnerships. Attention to this area can help promote health equity achievements of CBPR partnerships.     

心理干预的优先获益者——来自发展可塑性的研究证据

近些年, 发展可塑性领域出现两个新模型--差别易感性模型和优势敏感性模型, 两个模型均表明个体从积极环境中的获益具有差异性。而心理干预作为一种特殊的积极环境被引入到该领域的研究中。已有的研究已经发现一些证据表明, 具备某些特征的当事人从心理干预中获益更多。这些特征包括人格和气质类、遗传类和生理类。本质上, 这些研究在处理“什么对谁最有效”的问题, 但现有研究仅能部分回答这个问题。因此, 心理干预的效果差异有多少可归于这些易感特征, 是有待继续回答的问题。     

压力性生活事件对工读生毒品使用影响：有中介的调节效应

考察家庭功能对压力性生活事件与工读生毒品使用之间关系的调节效应以及领悟社会支持对此调节效应是否具有中介效应。采用压力性生活事件量表、家庭功能评定问卷、领悟社会支持问卷、毒品使用问卷对514名工读生进行研究。结果表明：（1）家庭功能对压力性生活事件与工读生毒品使用之间关系具有调节效应;（2）这种调节效应以领悟社会支持为中介变量。压力性生活事件对工读生毒品使用的影响是有中介的调节效应。     

Siblings' Direct and Indirect Contributions to Child Development

Abstract— Since the early 1980s, a growing body of research has described the contributions of sibling relationships to child and adolescent development. Interactions with older siblings promote young children's language and cognitive development, their understanding of other people's emotions and perspectives, and, conversely, their development of antisocial behavior. Studies address the ways in which parents' experiences with older children contribute to their rearing of younger children, which in turn contributes to the younger children's development. Finally, by virtue of having a sibling, children may receive differential treatment from their parents. Under some conditions, differential treatment is associated with emotional and behavioral problems in children.     

同伴接纳、家庭因素与儿童心理理论的关系

以56名幼儿园大班儿童为被试,考察了同伴接纳和家庭因素与儿童心理理论的关系。结果发现:(1)6～7岁儿童的同伴接纳类型、家庭功能和其心理理论能力之间存在显著相关。同伴接纳程度高的儿童和家庭功能类型属于平衡型的儿童,心理理论能力较高。(2)家庭亲密度与儿童心理理论能力存在显著相关;(3)母亲的文化水平对儿童心理理论能力存在显著影响;(4)儿童性别、同伴接纳类型、家庭亲密度和母亲文化程度可以预测儿童心理理论发展水平。