The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of two subjective career success instruments

This study investigated the psychometric properties of two subjective career success instruments within the South African context: Perceived Career Success (PCSS: Gattiker &; Larwood, 1986 Gattiker, U. E., &; Larwood, L. (1986). Subjective career success: A study of managers and support personnel. Journal of Business and Psychology, 1(2), 78–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01018805[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) and Life Success Measures Scale (LSMS: Parker &; Chusmir, 1992 Parker, B., &; Chusmir, L. H. (1992). Development and validation of a life-success measures scale. Psychological Reports, 70(2), 627–637. http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1992.70.2.627[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Data were collected via a convenient sample of 708 South African Police Services (SAPS) personnel (females = 36.8%; Sotho language = 62.50%). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on both instruments, followed by confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Both instruments showed acceptable construct validity and reliability of scores.     

Two Types of Quidditism

According to structuralism, all natural properties are individuated by their roles in causal/nomological structures. According to quidditism, at least some natural properties are individuated in some other way. Because these theses deal with the identities of natural properties, this distinction cuts to the core of a serious metaphysical dispute: Are the intrinsic natures of all natural properties essentially causal/nomological in character? I'll argue that the answer is ‘no’, or at least that this answer is more plausible than many critics of quidditism have recognized. In section 1, I distinguish between two versions of quidditism. Bare quidditism holds that worlds with distinct properties and isomorphic structures must be qualitatively identical in the following sense: inhabiting one world would be indistinguishable from inhabiting the other. In contrast, qualitative quidditism allows such worlds to have qualitative differences. In section 2, I discuss an epistemological position that allows us to better understand the sense in which isomorphic structures can be qualitatively distinct. In sections 3 and 4, I argue that qualitative quidditism fares much better than bare quidditism with respect to a number of well-known arguments in the field—both for quidditism and against it.     

Epiphenomenal Properties

What is an epiphenomenal property? This question needs to be settled before we can decide whether higher-level properties are epiphenomenal or not. In this paper, I offer an account of what it is for a property to have some causal power. From this, I derive a characterization of the notion of an epiphenomenal property. I then argue that physically realized higher-level properties are not epiphenomenal, because laws of nature impose causal similarities on the bearers of such properties, and these similarities figure as powers in the causal profiles of these properties.     

Prospects for Peircean Truth

Peircean Truth (PT) is the view that truth is in some sense epistemically constrained, constrained that is by what we would, if we inquired long enough and well enough, eventually come to believe. Contemporary Peirceans offer various different formulations of the view, which can make it difficult, particularly for critics, to see exactly how PT differs from popular alternatives such as correspondence theories or deflationism. This article, therefore, considers four possible formulations of PT, and sets out the different objections and challenges they each face and their relationships with one another. I focus upon the question of what, if anything, PT has to say about the property of truth.     

The psychometric properties of the center for epidemiological studies-depression scale (ces-d) when used with adults with physical disabilities

Abstract

Psychometric properties of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were examined in a sample of 790 adults with physical disabilities and compared to the responses obtained from non-disabled samples (Craig and Van Natta, 1976; Radloff, 1977). Findings suggested the CES-D is a valid measure of depressive symptoms among adults with physical disabilities. Scores on the CES-D scale were not elevated by somatic issues related to physical disability as evidenced by the lack of statistically significant differences in the persistence percentages reported by adults with physical disabilities and non-disabled adults for four of the seven items composing the somatic dimension of the CES-D. Moreover, the factor structure obtained via principal components analysis was highly similar to that obtained with non-disabled adults. Likewise, the Cronbach alpha value for the total score was within acceptable ranges and scores on the CES-D scale were moderately correlated with scores on a number of related but putatively distinct constructs.     

The psychometric properties of the Greek version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in cancer patients receiving palliative care

Objectives: To validate the Greek version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in a sample of cancer patients. Design: The scale was administered twice, with a 3-day interval, to 99 eligible patients with cancer. Together with the Greek version of STAI scale, the patients also completed the anxiety subscale from the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD). Observations: Factor analysis yielded a three-factor solution, explaining 47.143% of the variance. Cronbach α for three scales was between 0.729 and 0.852. Inter-scale correlations were moderate-to-high and ranged from 0.282 to 0.563 (p < 0.0005, p < 0.005). The assessment of the relationships among the Greek STAI scales and HAD-Anxiety showed statistically significant correlations between them (r ranged between 0.428 and 0.596, p < 0.0005). The test/retest reliability of scale (Pearson's ‘r’), showed that the coefficient agreement ranged between 0.85 and 0.90 (p < 0.0005). Univariate analysis revealed significant correlations between female gender, metastasis, performance status, chemotherapy, mild opioids and low education level with increased anxiety. Conclusions: These results support that the Greek version of STAI is an instrument with satisfactory psychometric properties, and is a valid research tool for Greek cancer patients.     

Elastic and phonon properties of quaternary Heusler alloys CoFeCrZ (Z = Al,Si, Ga and Ge) from density functional theory

The structural, elastic and phonon properties of the quaternary CoFeCrZ (Z = Al, Si, Ga and Ge) Heusler alloys have been investigated using the generalized gradient approximation method within density functional theory. The ground-state properties, including, lattice constant and bulk modulus are in good agreement with the available theoretical and experimental data. The elastic constants C_ij are computed using the stress–strain technique. The calculated results indicate that CoFeCrZ (Z = Al, Si, Ga and Ge) alloys are ductile materials. Debye temperatures are predicted from calculated elastic constants. The phonon dispersion relations of CoFeCrZ (Z = Al, Si, Ga and Ge) alloys are calculated for the first time using the density functional theory and the direct method with 2 × 2 × 2 supercell.     

Microstructure evolution of cold-worked Zircaloy-4 under 20 mev Cu ion irradiation

Abstract

Based upon our previously developed microscopic model of intergranular embrittlement in A₃B L1₂ intermetallic compounds, it is shown that a plot of A versus B s-orbital electronegativity leads to a clear discrimination between ductile and brittle materials. A structure-property relationship is uncovered by constructing the associated structure map using phenomenological Mendeleev numbers, which exhibits a topology identical to the ductile-brittle property map.     

Effect of grain orientation and local strain on the quality of polycrystalline YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 superconductive films

The critical current densities of superconducting thin films and their dependence on the film structural characteristics has been a major research interest for more than a decade. Controlling this relationship is crucial if large-scale high-quality YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) tapes are to be produced. Two major keystones of information have been established in this field. Firstly, there is a direct relationship between the critical current density and the grain-boundary angle in polycrystalline YBCO films. Grain boundaries with a mismatch angle higher than 5° usually result in reduced critical current densities. This detrimental effect of large-angle grain boundaries to the quality of YBCO films has been attributed to strain fields resulting from such grain boundaries. Secondly, the quality of the YBCO film can be enhanced by straining its lattice in specific direction. Here, we report, for the first time, direct experimental results coupling local grain orientation and local strain maps of thin YBCO films deposited on a (001) biaxially textured nickel substrate. These results were correlated to the quality of the film and showed how grain structure in the nickel substrate affects the grain structure in the YBCO films even in the presence of several buffer layers. More importantly, the data show that highquality films with high critical current densities can be produced, in spite of large-angle grain boundaries, if the film is compressed in the range of 0.5% strain normal to the a axis.