African Journal of Psychological Assessment最新文献

This study forms one part of a larger project of evaluating the Personality Inventory for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-V (DSM-V) Short Form (PID-5-SF) in the South African context. Among others, its objectives include investigating its psychometric properties and the development of preliminary norms. For the project, non-clinical adult data were collected from a community sample (n = 729) and from students (n = 629). To determine if the data can be combined into a single adult sample for further research, this initial study seeks to investigate if there are any differences across the student and community samples. No meaningful group differences would suggest that the data can be merged, while differences would suggest that the student and community data should be further analysed separately. To that end, the present study investigated: (1) Differential Item Functioning (DIF) and (2) group differences on the PID-5-SF across the student and community data. Analyses using the 'lordif' package in R found no meaningful DIF based on McFadden's pseudo-R-square thresholds. In addition, no substantive group differences were observed on any of PID-5-SF's 25 facets.

Contribution: This study shows that student data collected on the PID-5-SF can, in the present case, be considered representative of the broader community. In turn, this facilitates further ongoing work on its psychometric properties and the development of preliminary norms. In this way, it will contribute to the international literature on the PID-5-SF's psychometric functioning and enable further applied research on personality disorders among practitioners and researchers in South Africa.

Having good measures of executive functions in general and of working memory (WM) in particular is very important, as these cognitive functions are associated with numerous consequential outcomes. Because few studies have examined WM in underprivileged populations exposed to high levels of adversity, including chronic armed conflicts and frequent natural disasters, the relevance of WM assessments in this context is still unknown. Our general objective was to examine the usefulness and usability of simple digit span measures of WM in contexts of high adversity, in North Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically by investigating links with formal schooling and other cognitive measures, as well as test-retest reliability. We conducted two studies. The first study included 97 internally displaced participants recently exposed to an upsurge in armed conflicts. In the second study, 281 participants were tested shortly after the eruption of the Nyaragongo volcano, and 115 of them were tested again 8 weeks after. We used the forward digit span, backward digit span and instruments measuring functional impairments and everyday cognitive skills. Performance on the digit span was associated with the level of schooling as well as everyday mathematical problem-solving and self-reported functional cognitive impairments. The results also showed a relatively strong stability of the forward digit span scores over an 8-week period.

Contribution: Results of these studies support the usefulness of a simple digit span measure to study one important aspect of executive function in contexts of high adversity.

There is a need for a psychometrically robust questionnaire measuring medical practitioner compassion in healthcare. Without such a measure, competence on this construct cannot be assessed, nor can the effectiveness of interventions designed to enhance compassion be determined. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a self-assessment measure of medical practitioner compassion competence (the Medical Practitioner Compassion Competency Questionnaire [MPCCQ]). The MPCCQ was administered to a sample of 234 medical practitioners in South Africa. They represented three healthcare system levels, namely, the primary level (healthcare centres and clinics), the secondary level (district and regional hospitals) and the tertiary level (central, specialised and sub-specialist hospitals). The quantitative data were analysed with statistical packages, namely, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and LISREL 8.8, and structural equation modelling was used to fit the MPCCQ measurement model and structural model. Dimensionality and item analyses returned generally positive results. Fit statistics and criteria used to judge the fit of the models included Chi-square (χ²), goodness of fit index (GFI), adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), root mean square residual (RMR) and the standardised root mean square residual (SRMR). The results provided an excellent model fit for both the measurement and comprehensive LISREL models. The MPCCQ, measurement and structural model parameter estimates supported the position that the design intention underpinning the MPCCQ succeeded.

Contribution: The statistical evidence generated thus far failed to refute the position that the MPCCQ shows construct validity, thus paving the way for the cautious utilisation of the instrument in healthcare and medical education institutions.

The self-undermining scale is used to assess employee behaviours that undermine job performance, including making mistakes, creating conflict, creating confusion and creating a backlog in work tasks. To date, its psychometric properties have not been thoroughly investigated using item-response theory applications, especially in South Africa. Applying the Rasch Rating Scale Model, this study aimed to investigate the reliability and internal validity of the self-undermining scale, including item fit and rating scale functionality. Data were collected from 318 South African employees using a non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design. The instrument demonstrated unidimensional scaling with Cronbach's alpha and person separation values of 0.77 and 1.57, respectively. Item and category fit statistics showed satisfactory fit to the Rasch model, with only one item warranting further attention. Some refinements regarding item wording and rating scale optimisation are provided.

Contribution: This study is the first to investigate the reliability and validity of the self-undermining scale through the Rasch Measurement Model. It also offers cautionary insights into the applicability of the scale to measure self-undermining among South African employees because of the lack of discriminatory power. Recommendations for further validation studies are provided.

The Emotional Social Screening Tool for School Readiness - Revised (E3SR-R) is a contextually sensitive and psychometrically sound measure developed to screen emotional-social competence in preschool learners in South Africa, a multilingual country. The original measure was constructed in English. This article reports on the translation of the E3SR-R into Afrikaans. A three-phase design was adopted. Phase 1: Independent reviewers evaluated the E3SR-R for conceptual validity. The Conceptual Construct Validity Appraisal Checklist was used to assess whether the E3SR-R was theoretically sound prior to adaptation. Phase 2 entailed translation of the E3SR-R. Reviewers used the Quality of Translation and Linguistic Equivalence Checklist to assess compliance with International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines. Phase 3 established content validity of the translation using a Delphi panel of 9 experts. The panel concluded within one round. Ethics clearance was granted by the University of the Western Cape. All applicable ethics principles were upheld. In Phase 1, a high level of inter-rater agreement confirmed that the E3SR had conceptual construct validity that supported adaptation. Phase 2 produced an Afrikaans translation. Raters had a high level of agreement that the adaptation complied with ITC guidelines. The Delphi panel concluded that the Afrikaans version demonstrated content validity. The Afrikaans translation of the E3SR-R was linguistically equivalent.

Contribution: The study employed a rigorous methodology that underscored the importance of establishing conceptual construct validity, evaluating the translation process and establishing content validity in translation studies. Access to screening tools for emotional-social competence in pre-schoolers was expanded.

In grading examinees' responses to test items, it is not uncommon to find that some examinees omit responses to specific items. The number of omitted responses must be considered in the psychometric analysis of test data. Omitted responses cannot be ignored, as mishandling them can jeopardise the validity of the test. This study investigates the impact of omitted responses on examinee characteristics in Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT), using item response theory (IRT) in Osun State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was employed, with a sample of 600 senior secondary school 3 (SSS 3) students from eight randomly selected schools. The instrument used was a 40-item multiple-choice MAT, adapted from the West African Examinations Council's items, with a reliability coefficient of 0.88. The instrument was content-validated by experts in Mathematics using the Lawshe content validity ratio, giving a 0.82 content validity index. The results indicate significant differences in estimated ability levels among groups, with varying probabilities of examinees producing omitted responses. The study recommends the consideration of omitted responses in IRT-based ability estimation and emphasises the importance of comparable ability groupings. This research contributes to the understanding of the complexities of educational measurement and highlights the need for careful handling of omitted responses to ensure the validity of test inferences.

Contribution: This study contributes by highlighting the importance of considering omitted responses in MAT, emphasising their impact on estimated ability levels and the validity of test inferences, thus informing fairer assessment practices and enhancing the reliability of educational measurements.

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is an effective tool for identifying depressive disorders in diverse populations, making it a valuable resource in both clinical practice and research. However, the factor structure and dimensionality of the instrument have been contested. Studies have raised questions about whether the PHQ-9 adequately captures a single underlying construct or reflects multiple distinct dimensions of depression. This study examines the factor structure of the PHQ-9 among South African first responders using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with ancillary bifactor indices, parallel analysis and Mokken analysis. A cross-sectional study design was used with data collected from police officers (n = 309) and paramedics (n =120). Although the EFA identified a two-factor structure, this was not supported by the other analyses. While the one-factor, correlated two-factor and bifactor models of the PHQ-9 had comparable fit indices, the one-factor model appeared to be marginally superior in the CFA. Ancillary bifactor and parallel analysis also did not support the interpretation of the PHQ-9 as multidimensional. Lastly, Mokken scale analysis confirmed that the PHQ-9 is a strong and reliable unidimensional scale of depression. These findings suggest that the PHQ-9 predominantly measures a single construct of depression, consistent with the unidimensional view of the disorder.

Contribution: The present study provides evidence from different measurement perspectives that the commonly used PHQ-9 measures a single construct of depression and not two separate components as some studies suggested. In practice, this simplifies the interpretation of scores, allowing clinicians to assess overall depression severity without needing to differentiate between symptom types.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) were among the high-risk groups for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and suffer a high burden of challenges with mental health including depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, avoidance and burnout. The 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) has shown the best fit in both a one-factor structure and a multidimensional structure for the screening of common mental disorders and psychiatric well-being. The aim was to test for reliability and validity and ascertain the factor structure of the GHQ-12 in a South African HCW population. Data were collected from 832 public hospital and clinic staff during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Gauteng, South Africa. The factor structure of the GHQ-12 in this professional population was examined by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify factors, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for construct validity and structural equation modelling (SEM) to establish model fit. The GHQ-12 median score was higher (n = 25) in women than in men (n = 24), p = 0.044. The assumptions for inferential statistics were tested: the determinant for the correlation matrix was 0.034, Bartlett's test of sphericity was p < 0.001, Chi-square 2262.171 and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) of sampling adequacy was 0.877. The four factors identified were labelled as social dysfunction (37.8%), anxiety depression (35.4%), capable (24.9%) and self-efficacy (22.7%). The sample had a Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's Omega coefficient of 0.85.

Contribution: The study highlighted the gaps in the use of GHQ-12. The findings affirm the validity and reliability of the GHQ-12 in this group of professionals and the multidimensional structure for screening for psychological distress.