四参数Logistic模型潜在特质参数的Warm加权极大似然估计

本文以四参数Logistic(4-parameter Logistic,4PL)模型为研究对象,根据Warm的加权极大似然估计技巧,提出了4PL模型潜在特质参数的加权极大似然估计方法,并借助模拟研究对加权极大似然估计的性质进行验证。研究结果表明,与通常的极大似然估计和后验期望估计相比,加权极大似然估计的偏差(bias)明显减小,并且具有良好的返真性能。此外,在测试的长度较短和项目的区分度较小的情况下,加权极大似然估计依然保持了良好的统计性质,表现出更加显著的优势。     

The role of workaholism in the job demands-resources model

Background and Objectives: The present study tries to gain more insight in workaholism by investigating its antecedents and consequences using the job demands-resources model. Design: We hypothesized that job demands would be positively related to workaholism, particularly when job resources are low. In addition, we hypothesized that workaholism would be positively related to negative outcomes in three important life domains: health, family, and work. Methods: The research involved 617 Italian workers (employees and self-employed). To test the hypotheses we applied structural equation modeling (SEM) and moderated structural equation modeling (MSEM) using Mplus 6. Results: The results of SEM showed a good model where workload, cognitive demands, emotional demands, and customer-related social stressors were positively related to workaholism and work–family conflict (WFC) (partial mediation). Additionally, workaholism was indirectly related to exhaustion and intentions to change jobs through WFC. Moreover, MSEM analyses confirmed that job resources (job security and opportunities for development) buffered the relationship between job demands and workaholism. Particularly, the interaction effects were statistically significant in five out of eight combinations. Conclusions: These findings suggest that workaholism is a function of a suboptimal work environment and predicts unfavorable employee outcomes. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.     

Factorial structure of the perceived stress scale and implications for scoring

IntroductionThe 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) is a brief, widely-used measure of perceived stressful experiences that evaluates the degree to which people perceive their lives as unpredictable, uncontrollable or overloaded.ObjectiveThe present study examined the factor structure of the Greek version of the PSS-10.MethodUsing a representative sample of 320 adults from Cyprus, alternative confirmatory factor analytic models were compared to specifically assess bidimensional versus unidimensional specifications for the scale.ResultsA bifactor model with a general factor which loads on all items and a specific one which loads on positively-worded items that capture the notion of self-efficacy to deal with stressful situations, was found to fit well to the data, while providing evidence of a robust latent factor of general distress. Reliability and construct validity evidence with multiple criterion variables were also examined.ConclusionsAlthough a simple unidimensional specification has not been empirically supported in previous research, bifactor modeling exemplifies the extent of multidimensionality and implies that a single score may be reliably used for practical purposes.     

On-call work and physicians’ turnover intention: the moderating effect of job strain

Physician shortage and turnover are major problems worldwide. On-call duties may be among the risk factors of high turnover rates among physicians. We investigated whether having on-call duties is associated with physicians’ turnover intention and whether job strain variables moderate this association. The present study was a cross-sectional questionnaire study among 3324 (61.6% women) Finnish physicians. The analyses were conducted using analyses of covariance adjusted for age, gender, response format, specialization status and employment sector. The results showed that job strain moderated the association between being on-call and turnover intention. The highest levels of turnover intention were among those who had on-call duties and high level of job strain characterized by high demands and low control opportunities. The lowest levels of turnover intention were among those who were not on-call and who had low strain involving low demands and high control. Also, job demands moderated the association between being on-call and turnover intention; turnover intention levels were higher among those with on-call duties and high demands than those being on-call and low demands. To conclude, working on-call was related to physicians’ turnover intention particularly in those with high job strain. Health care organizations should focus more attention on working arrangements and scheduling of on-call work, provide a suitable working pace and implement means to increase physicians’ participation and control over their job.     

Accounting for the Theory of Planned Behaviour in departure time choice

Motivating people to change their departure time could play a key role in reducing peak-hour congestion, which remains one of the most prevalent transport problems in large urban areas. To achieve this behavioural change, it is necessary to better understand the factors that influence departure time choice. So far departure time choice modelling focussed mainly on objective factors, such as time and costs as main behavioural determinants. In this study, we derived psychological factors based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, estimated them based on structural equation modelling, and included them into a discrete choice model. The psychological factors were measured based on an online questionnaire addressed to car commuters to the city centre of Copenhagen (N = 286). The questionnaire additionally included a travel diary and a stated preference experiment with nine departure time choice scenarios. All psychological factors had a significant effect on departure time choice and could improve the model as compared to a basic discrete choice model without latent constructs. As expected, the effects of the psychological factors were different depending on framework conditions: for people with fixed starting times at work, the intention to arrive at work on time (as estimated by subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioural control) had the strongest effect; for people with flexible working hours, the attitude towards short travel time was most relevant. Limitations, the inclusion of additional psychological factors and their possible interactions are discussed.     

Escapism motive for sport consumption as a predictor of meaning in life

The objective of this study was to examine whether spectator escapism motive for sport consumption could predict meaning in life, and to explore the role of psychological ownership in this relationship. A sample of 806 football spectators (African = 85%, male = 67.4%, Sesotho = 26.2%) completed the Motivation Scale for Sport Consumption (MSSC), the South African Psychological Ownership Questionnaire (SAPOS) and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). Structural equation modelling was utilised to investigate the postulated paths of the structural model. Escapism motive for sport consumption predicted meaning in life among spectators through psychological ownership. The sports escapism motive can yield positive psychological outcomes for sports fans.     

Grain Size and Parameter Recovery with TIMSS and the General Diagnostic Model

The purpose of this study was to explore the degree of grain size of the attributes and the sample sizes that can support accurate parameter recovery with the General Diagnostic Model (GDM) for a large-scale international assessment. In this resampling study, bootstrap samples were obtained from the 2003 Grade 8 TIMSS in Mathematics at varying sample sizes from 500 to 4000 and grain sizes of the attributes from a unidimensional model to one with ten attributes. The results showed that the eight-attribute model was the one most consistently identified as best fitting. Parameter estimation for more than ten attributes and samples less than 500 failed. Furthermore, the precision of item parameter recovery decreased as the number of attributes measured by an item increased and sample size decreased. On the other hand, the distributions of latent classes were relatively stable across all models and sample sizes.     

Family incivility and counterproductive work behavior: A moderated mediation model of self-esteem and emotional regulation

Drawing from the work–home resources model, we examined the relations of family incivility, counterproductive work behaviors (CWB), state self-esteem, and emotional regulation. Results from three-wave lagged data (N = 284) indicated that family incivility was positively correlated with counterproductive work behaviors, and this relationship was mediated by state self-esteem. In addition, emotional regulation mitigated the relationship between family incivility and state self-esteem. The findings suggested that family incivility, as an emotional contextual demand in the home domain, is related to negative outcome (deviant behavior) in the work context (i.e., CWB) through the depletion of the personal resource—state self-esteem, while emotional regulation is a key resource that mitigates this relationship. This paper discusses the implications of these findings with respect to applications and developments of the work–home resources model.     

Personality change via work: A job demand–control model of Big-five personality changes

Based on the job demand–control model and Gray's biopsychological theory of personality, the author proposed a model to suggest that time demand and job control can drive changes in Big-five personality traits, especially neuroticism and extroversion, by shaping an individual's stress experiences at work. Five waves of data from 1814 employees over a five-year period from the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey were analyzed. Time demand, job control and job stress were measured in all five waves, and Big-five personality was assessed in the first and last waves. The results showed that time demand and job control shaped job stress positively and negatively at a given time; and over time, an increase in time demand predicted an increase in job stress, which subsequently predicted an increase in neuroticism and a decrease in extroversion and conscientiousness. Results also showed that an increase in job control predicted an increase in agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness directly, but did not predict change in neuroticism and extroversion. Finally, the buffering effect of job control on the association between time demand and job stress was only observed in two of five waves and such buffering effect was not observed in a change process. The implications on personality development and work design research are discussed.     

A home-based approach to understanding the effect of spatial autocorrelation on seat belt non-use

Roadside observations indicate that seat belt use rates are often spatially correlated with nearby areas. However, very few studies have examined the effects of spatial autocorrelation on seat belt use. This study used exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) to explore spatial autocorrelation in Tennessee, which has a lower seat belt use than the United States national average. We geocoded home-addresses of vehicle occupants involved in traffic crashes between 2014 and 16 (n = 1,251,901) and projected them to the census tract corresponding to their home address. This projection reveals information about the spatial distribution of seat belt non-use and socioeconomics of the areas surrounding the crash victim's home. The presence of highly spatially correlated observations (i.e., a significant positive Moran’s I) suggests that seat belt non-use is not produced solely by the internal structural factors represented in the non-spatial models. ESDA reveals a distinctive regional imprint for spatial autocorrelation, in which Southern-metropolitan areas’ (Southern-MPOs) in Tennessee census tracts have higher than average seat belt non-use compared to Non-Southern-MPOs (16% vs. 9%). The spatial error model was suitable for Non-Southern-MPOs, whereas the spatial lag model was more suitable for Southern MPOs. Comparison of the estimated models indicates that in the Non-Southern MPOs, percentage of the White population, percentage of the population with Bachelor's degree, median household income, vehicle ownership, and population density are significant predictors of seat belt non-use. On the other hand, median household income, vehicle ownership, and percentage of population aged between 16 and 42 years old predict seat belt non-use in Southern MPOs. The study results could be used to identify seat belt non-use clusters at the state level and identify seat belt non-use hot zones. Furthermore, this analysis indicates that the relationship between demographic variables and seat belt non-use varies across regimes. Failing to consider the spatial regimes in the analysis would lead to falsely prioritizing groups prone to seat belt non-use.