Assessment最新文献

Psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, the "Dark Triad" (DT), share a common core of personality facets from the (dis)agreeableness domain (e.g., callousness, deceitfulness). Most DT scales neglect facet-level measurement, instead, adopting broad multidimensional scales that undermine precision and clarity. In contrast, the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment, Five-Factor Machiavellianism Inventory, and Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory used the basic trait approach (i.e., combining relevant Five-Factor Model [FFM] facets) to avoid these issues and provide numerous innovations. However, because they were developed separately, simultaneous use is problematic due to length and three forms of redundancy: (1) identical facets are used in multiple scales, (2) near-identical facets with different labels are used in multiple scales, and (3) numerous ostensibly different facets, derived from the same FFM facet, were developed. The unintended consequence being construct proliferation and jingle-jangle fallacies. This article describes a multi-study integration of these measures to develop a single set of unique facets to assess the DT at facet (e.g., Straightforwardness), domain (e.g., Antagonism), and construct (e.g., Psychopathy) level: the Faceted Dark Triad (FDT) Scale. The FDT, in long, short, and super-short form, provides efficient and theoretically coherent assessment of the DT, with superior psychometric properties and criterion prediction, compared with the original measures and Short Dark Tetrad (SD4).

The NIH Toolbox^® for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function Cognition Battery (NIHTB-CB) is a brief neuropsychological assessment tool created as part of the NIH Neuroscience Blueprint. Since its inception, NIHTB-CB has been widely used in a variety of clinical and research settings, including large-scale epidemiological studies. The NIHTB-CB was recently updated and re-normed to Version 3 (V3). We describe the approach to establish normative reference values. The NIHTB-CB tests were administered to a large English-speaking sample of n = 3,904 (average age = 25.7 years, 52.1% female) individuals from the U.S. population, stratified by age, race and ethnicity, sex assigned at birth, and education level within the four U.S. census regions. Normative data were raked via iterative proportional fitting (e.g., by sex assigned at birth, race, ethnicity, and educational attainment nested within geographic region) to derive sampling weights that match the demographic proportions from the U.S. Census targets. Through regression-based continuous norming and bootstrap techniques, age-adjusted and age-and-education-adjusted normative scores were created for individual measure-level and composite scores.

The Structured Assessment of Protective Factors (SAPROF) is a measure of protective factors intended to augment violence risk assessment. While prior research supports the predictive validity of SAPROF ratings, factorial and convergent validity have been underexamined, each of which is required to ensure that the instrument measures intended targeted constructs and converges with test scores from established measures. We evaluated the structural and convergent properties of SAPROF ratings through examining its factor structure and convergence with measures of relevant constructs, as a function of ethnocultural heritage, in a treated sample of 461 men with sexual offense conviction histories. The SAPROF was rated from institutional files pre-and posttreatment. Results of exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) of pre and post SAPROF item ratings identified a temporally stable three-factor model that was invariant across ethnocultural groups; however, it departed from the developers' original subscale structure-the factors were termed Internal-Prosocial, Motivational-Lifestyle, and External-to reflect continuity with, yet departure from, the current subscale structure. SAPROF ratings were correlated in theoretically and clinically meaningful ways with scores on relevant risk-need-responsivity (RNR) measures. The results support the structural and convergent validity of SAPROF ratings and identified a slightly modified subscale structure in the present sample.

In an innovative simulation study, Perley-Robertson et al. found that two correctional risk assessment tools were robust to missing data, with summation, proration, and multiple imputation producing nearly identical relative predictive validity results. However, the uniform deletion of items across cases may have preserved their risk rankings and, consequently, relative predictive accuracy. We extend this research by applying identical missing data conditions (1%-50% of items deleted in 10% increments) to one third, two thirds, and three thirds of a high-risk intimate partner violence (IPV) sample assessed on the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) and Spousal Assault Risk Assessment-Version 2 (SARA-V2; N = 267). Neither missing data nor the handling method affected relative predictive accuracy, though summation underestimated absolute risk. These findings support proration or multiple imputation when IPV risk scale items are missing within a research sample, and underscore that proration is preferable to summed totals in practice.

Intensive longitudinal designs have been used to examine the fluctuations of callous-unemotional (CU) traits and their dynamic links with daily correlates; however, scant research has explored how CU traits manifest in daily contexts at the within-person level. This study evaluated the multilevel factor structure and psychometric properties of a short version of the Inventory of CU Traits in daily contexts among adolescents (n = 99, 2,132 daily reports) and young adults (n = 313, 6,431, and 4,018 daily reports at each wave). Both bifactor and correlated-factor models showed acceptable fit and reliability at the within- and between-person levels, though the general factor in the bifactor model demonstrated low reliability in university students. Longitudinal measurement invariance was supported among university students over a 2.5-year period, while structural differences emerged between the two samples. Findings highlight meaningful within-person fluctuations in daily CU traits. Future studies should evaluate the applicability of different factor models for a more accurate assessment across age groups.

Progressive tests are a popular tailored test format where items are administered in increasing order of difficulty level and discontinued according to a rule system that should counter excessive response burden for test participants and guarantee efficient use of resources for test administrators. To facilitate evidence-based decision-making for setting appropriate discontinue rules, we propose a transparent approach that charts the impact of varied alternative discontinue rules on accuracy and efficiency. These A-E charts are based on retroactively applying discontinue rules to normative item response data. We show that a universal discontinue rule likely does not exist and that the optimal rule varies as a function of the desired efficiency-accuracy trade-off suitable for the intended test use and target population. The proposed approach provides a pragmatic solution for practitioners, researchers, test developers, and test publishers to rethink the existing discontinue rules, systematically evaluate the alternatives, and set appropriate rules.

Automated cognitive assessments tailored to specific clinical scenarios have the potential to revolutionize health care and clinical research. Stroke survivors experience significant burden from underdiagnosed cognitive deficits. To address this, we developed a digital cognitive battery (IC3 [the Imperial Comprehensive Cognitive Assessment in Cerebrovascular Disease]) highly optimized for stroke survivors, and specifically designed for unsupervised administration in patients with mild to moderate stroke, thus enabling detailed remote diagnosis and monitoring of a variety post-stroke cognitive impairments. In a study involving 90 stroke survivors and over 6,000 age-matched healthy adults, the battery demonstrated high concordance with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a commonly used supervised clinical neuropsychological assessment (r = .58, p < .001) and close correlation with patients' quality of life (r = .51, p < .001). In patients deemed to be cognitively unimpaired based on the standard MoCA cut-off (≥26/30, education-corrected), IC3 detected prevalence of impairment as high as 54% in a subset of tasks (M = 30.2%, range = 4%-54%). Importantly, performance on the IC3 remained consistent in both supervised and unsupervised settings in the controls, with minimal learning effects over time. This work provides the first evidence of the robustness and clinical potential of this technology for remote application in stroke, and potentially other neurological settings.

Ideas of Reference (IR) are self-directed attributions about social interactions, where people interpret the behaviors of others as being aimed at them. Particularly, those IRs related to the body and appearance are crucial. This study approaches the need to create and develop an instrument that specifically allows analyzing the Ideas of Reference about Body and Appearance (IRBAS). Pilot studies were conducted, and the IRBAS was subjected to validation in two non-clinical Spanish samples (N = 2,049). Content validity was assessed by an expert panel (N = 6). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out, and the internal consistency and stability of the instrument were evaluated, as well as convergent and known-groups validity. The IRBAS showed a unidimensional structure with high internal consistency and temporal stability. The analyses confirmed its invariance as a function of sex and level of education, and its correlation with measures of body dissatisfaction, dysmorphic concerns, schizotypy, and shame. Moreover, differences were confirmed in the scores of the IRBAS between sexes and between different categories of body mass index. The IRBAS proved to be a reliable and valid tool for the evaluation of IRs about the body and appearance in a non-clinical population.

Emotion regulation (ER) in parenting is crucial for parental well-being and children's mental health. However, ER in parenting is often studied as a general construct, overlooking the unique challenges of caregiving, particularly for sexual and gender minority (SGM) parents. This study examines the psychometric properties of the Regulating Emotions in Parenting Scale (REPS) in parents across SGM status. Specifically, we leverage cross-sectional survey data from two national samples of ethno-racially diverse parents (n = 1,958, 32.3% sexual minority, 11.2% gender minority) to evaluate measurement invariance, reliability, and predictive validity of the REPS. Model fit indices suggest that the REPS has a consistent structure, item loadings, and intercepts across groups. In terms of validity, results indicate that adaptive strategies predicted lower child psychopathology, while suppression and rumination were more strongly associated with emotional and behavioral issues. Importantly, parent SGM status did not significantly moderate the associations between REPS and child psychopathology, suggesting that these associations are consistent across diverse family structures. By validating the REPS as a robust tool for assessing parenting-specific ER across diverse parent populations, this work addresses critical gaps in parenting research and promotes more inclusive and equitable approaches to understanding parenting and child development.

Schizotypy offers a useful and unifying construct for understanding schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology. Current conceptualizations and findings support a three-factor model of schizotypy consisting of positive, negative, and disorganized dimensions. However, recent studies have suggested four- and five-factor structures. The present study compared and examined the extent to which each factor model predicted interview and questionnaire outcome measures. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation models (ESEM) were employed to compare the three-factor model with five competing models using the items from the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS) in 10,814 adults. We subsequently compared the supported models in terms of the prediction of interview (n = 339) and questionnaire assessed symptoms (n of 1,342 to 1,430) using hierarchical linear regressions. The three-, four-, and five-factor models provided the best fit. However, the four-and five-factor models generally did not improve the prediction of outcome measures, although exploratory analyses suggest some potential value for the negative schizotypy subfactor model. The present findings, along with previous validation studies, support positive, negative, and disorganized factors. Ultimately, we recommend that alternative factor and subfactor models of schizotypy should be developed from conceptual, not atheoretical-exploratory approaches.