Psicothema最新文献

Background: To date, no studies have shown validity evidence of a scale that measures the methodological quality of studies based on observational methodology (SBOM). This study presents validity evidence of the Methodological Quality Scale for Studies based on Observational Methodology (MQSOM) based on its internal structure.

Method: MQSOM was applied to 650 journal articles that used observational methodology. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was calculated to obtain evidence of inter- and intracoder reliability. Parallel analysis was done using optimal implementation to study the dimensionality of the scale before conducting an exploratory factor analysis with a randomly-selected half of the sample, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis with the remaining half.

Results: Both inter- and intra-coder reliability were adequate, ICC > .73. Parallel analysis suggested a lack of unidimensionality, UniCo = .41; ECV = .31. A second-order factor structure (general factor: Methodological quality) with two first-order factors (F1 Design, F2 Measurement and Analysis) was obtained, RMSEA = 0.000, NNFI = 1, GFI = .98, AGFI = .97, with adequate reliability and discrimination results.

Conclusions: MQSOM is a short (11 items), useful instrument for professionals, researchers or assessment commissions when designing, implementing, or evaluating SBOM.

Background: The proliferation of sexting among adolescents around the world today has woven a complex tapestry of sexual expression and exploration. However, its implications extend beyond consensual engagement, occasionally manifesting as a form of cyberviolence. Varied prevalence rates further complicate our understanding of the extent of youth sexting worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to provide a tool to measure sexting in young people from different countries by validating the Sexting Behaviours and Motives Questionnaire (SBM-Q), a comprehensive instrument that captures the diversity of consensual and non-consensual sexting behaviors and motives in different countries.

Method: A total of 4739 students, aged 15 to 25, participated. They were from Spain (1563), Croatia (1598), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1578). Confirmatory factor analyses and multigroup analyses were conducted.

Results: The validity of the instrument was confirmed, endorsing its six-factor structure, which includes the dimensions of sending, reasons for sending, victimization by non-consensual forwarding, receiving, forwarding, and reasons for forwarding. Internal consistency across the three countries further underscores the robustness of the SBM-Q.

Conclusions: This validated questionnaire provides a reliable measure for understanding sexting behaviors and motives in different countries. Cultural nuances are discussed.

Background: Understanding variables that influence therapy outcomes can improve the results of interventions and reduce socio-health costs. The current study examined possible predictors and moderators of outcome (age, gender, duration of panic disorder, motivation to change, conscientiousness, and experiential avoidance) in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Method: Eighty participants with a diagnosis of panic disorder, 56 women and 24 men, with an average age of 38 years, received 12 group sessions of CBT or ACT. They were assessed with several measures at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up.

Results: CBT outperformed ACT among older subjects, men, and those with a shorter duration of panic disorder. ACT outperformed CBT among younger subjects, women, and those with a long duration of panic disorder. In general, the greatest improvements in both CBT and ACT were in older subjects, women, those with a long duration of panic disorder, those in the contemplation stage, and those with high experiential avoidance.

Conclusions: Although future studies are necessary, there appear to be predictors and moderators of the effectiveness of CBT and ACT. Taking these variables into account can help improve treatment for people with panic disorder.

Background: In spite of the interest generated by controlling variance unrelated to the content in personality measures, few studies have assessed the combined impact of acquiescence (ACQ) and correlated residuals in the factor-analytic structural solutions that serve as a basis for item calibration.

Method: This article compares three control procedures in databases that simultaneously exhibit acquiescence (ACQ) and correlated residuals: the SIREN method (Navarro-Gonzalez, et al., 2024; ACQ control), the MORGANA method (Ferrando et al., 2022; 2023; correlated residuals control), and a combined double control method. A 'control' procedure was also examined in which the presence of both determinants was ignored.

Results: The findings reveal significant differences between the three control methods, with the ACQ control method and the combined method proving more effective. Moreover, when the residual variance shifts to the factor loadings, it appears to be captured by the ACQ correction method.

Conclusions: The findings suggest using a mixed correction procedure in order to obtain less biased item parameter estimates when both sources of unwanted variance are operating.

Background: The Sexual Inhibition/Sexual Excitation Scales-Short Form (SIS/SES-SF) is a brief instrument for assessing the propensity for sexual excitement and inhibition in men and women. The aim of the present study was to provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the SIS/SES-SF scores by examining invariance, reliability (information function and internal consistency), the relationship between the scores and sexual functioning, and presenting its standard scores.

Method: A total of 2,223 Spanish heterosexuals (43.41% men and 56.59% women) aged 18 to 83 years (M = 39.94, SD = 11.95), distributed across age groups (18-34, 35-49, ≥ 50 years old) participated.

Results: The three-factor structure of the Spanish version of SIS/SES-SF showed weak measurement invariance by sex and strict measurement invariance by age. The scores explained the dimensions of sexual functioning, especially sexual arousal and erection/lubrication. In addition, men and women without difficulties in sexual functioning demonstrated more propensity for sexual excitation and less sexual inhibition. The standard scores are presented by sex and age group.

Conclusions: The study provides evidence of the validity and reliability of the SIS/SES-SF measures, confirming its usefulness for assessing propensity to sexual excitation and inhibition.

Background: Despite the role of mentalization in mental health outcomes and prevention, psychometrically-evaluated screening measures for mentalization remain sparse. One widely-used mentalization questionnaire is the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ; Hausberg et al., 2012), which we aimed to adapt and validate for use in Spanish.

Method: We adapted the MZQ to European Spanish and evaluated its psychometric properties in both adolescent (n = 389, ages 12-19, M = 14.5) and adult community samples (n = 382, M = 48).

Results: Confirmatory factor analysis resulted in a unidimensional structure including all items. This model had better goodness of fit than the original and other adaptations. Invariance analysis showed the same structure in adolescents compared by sex and age, and additionally in the adult versus adolescent samples. Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity was found. Internal consistency values in both adolescents and parents were fair and in the adolescent sample the MZQ scores remained moderately stable after re-test.

Conclusions: The Spanish adaptation of the MZQ presents similar evidence of reliability and validity in the adolescent and adult samples. The results support this being a suitable version for evaluating mentalization in the general population.

Background: Exposure to early life stress (ELS) and maternal consumption of a high-fat and high-sugar diet can have detrimental effects on adult emotional responses. The microbiota and gut-brain axis have been proposed as playing a mediating role in the regulation of stress and emotion.

Method: Young male rats were exposed to maternal separation (MS) together with maternal and postnatal consumption of a HFS diet (45%kcal saturated fat, 17%kcal sucrose). Anxiety-like behaviour was evaluated using an elevated zero-maze, and depression-like behaviour using the forced-swim and sucrose preference tests. Microbiota composition and derived metabolites were also analysed in faecal samples using a gas chromatograph and mass spectrometry.

Results: Combined exposure to MS and lifelong consumption of a HFS diet partially reversed the abnormal anxiety-like and depression-like behaviours in early adulthood caused by each adverse factor alone. Diet composition had a greater negative impact than ELS exposure on the gut microbiota, and both environmental factors interacted with microbiota composition partially counteracting their negative effects.

Conclusions: The effects of exposure to early life stress and a HFS diet independently are partially reversed after the combination of both factors. These results suggest that ELS and diet interact to modulate adult stress response and gut microbiota.

Background: The mental health of doctoral students is a matter of concern, and several variables appear to be associated with the state of their mental health. However, there have been no studies on the population of doctoral students in Spain to date using validated instruments.

Method: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to assess mental health in 1,018 doctoral students. The impact of personal, academic, psychological, and social/organisational variables on their mental health was assessed.

Results: Between 50% and 60% of the sample might be experiencing a common psychological disorder, while 18.8% of the sample might be experiencing passive suicidal ideation. In addition, using binary logistic regression, significant predictors of negative mental health were identified, including: sociodemographic variables (being female); academic variables (longer time spent in a doctoral programme); psychological variables (lower life satisfaction; greater interference and less clarity about negative emotions); and social and organisational variables (greater fear of losing tuition rights, lower social support, and greater interference of academic work with personal life).

Conclusions: Doctoral students need measures to remedy and prevent mental health issues based on improving self-care and emotion regulation, promoting social support at university, and reducing the pressure of losing tuition rights among final-year students.

Background: The grieving process caused by the loss of a loved one triggers a range of responses. While most people experience adaptive grief, some may experience intense distress and persistent symptoms. Prolonged Grief Disorder is commonly diagnosed using the ICD-11 and the DSM-5-TR. Few instruments assess criteria from both simultaneously, underscoring the importance of the Traumatic Grief Inventory Self-Report Plus (TGI-SR+). This study aimed to analyse the psychometric properties of the scores from the Spanish version of the TGI-SR+.

Method: Data were analysed from 229 participants who were bereaved between March 2020 and March 2022. The Spanish TGI-SR+ was used alongside measures of psychopathology and prolonged grief. We performed confirmatory factor analysis, reliability tests, bivariate correlations and group comparisons.

Results: Confirmatory factor analysis of the TGI-SR+ demonstrated a one-factor structure with high reliability ( ϖ = .99). Convergent validity was shown by correlations with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and prolonged grief (p < .001). Differences by sex and educational level were observed. Optimal screening cut-off points were identified for the total sample and for those meeting the criteria for prolonged grief.

Conclusions: The Spanish version of the TGI-SR+ is a valuable instrument for assessing prolonged grief in Spanish-speaking populations.

Background: Bedtime procrastination (BP) is an increasingly prevalent behavior with detrimental outcomes for individuals. Three reasons for BP have been identified: Deliberate procrastination, mindless procrastination, and strategic delay. Developing an instrument to assess the reasons for BP allows better identification of patterns of behaviors and tailored interventions. The present study aims to develop and study the psychometric properties of the Reasons for Bedtime Procrastination Scale (RBPS).

Method: The study sample included adults living in Portugal (N = 653). Validity and reliability analyses were conducted.

Results: Principal component analysis suggested that the RBPS is composed of two factors (factor 1 - deliberate and mindless reasons; factor 2 - strategic reasons). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure of the scale (e.g., CFI = .984; TLI = .976 RMSEA = .053). The scale demonstrated good internal consistency, with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .85 for factor 1, and of .72 for factor 2. Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations with the number of activities people engage in before going to bed, BP, bedtime gap, fall-asleep time gap, and wake-up time gap.

Conclusions: The RBPS appears to represent a reliable way of assessing reasons for BP in the general adult population.