Assessment最新文献

In LGBTQIA+ adults, 36% are parents, but there are a limited number of parenting scales that have undergone psychometric evaluation in LGBTQIA+ parents. This study assessed the Multidimensional Assessment of Parenting Scale (MAPS) in LGBTQIA+ parents, addressing a gap in parenting scales considering both positive and negative aspects for this group. Our study includes two racially and ethnically diverse national samples of parents (n = 2,299, mean age = 37.05 years, 32.84% LGBTQIA+). We explored measurement invariance between LGBTQIA+ and non-LGBTQIA+ parents. The analysis revealed a modest fit for configural and metric invariance, indicating the MAPS structure and item loadings were consistent across groups, although scalar invariance was only partially supported. Subscales showed good internal consistency for both parent groups. Importantly, following false discovery rate corrections, interactions between LGBTQIA+ status and specific MAPS subscales (supportiveness, physical control) were significantly, but differentially, related to various child psychopathology dimensions, suggesting parenting impacts may differ for LGBTQIA+ families. These findings underscore the importance of including LGBTQIA+ perspectives in parenting research to develop tailored interventions that address their unique strengths and challenges. Acknowledging and supporting the diverse experiences of LGBTQIA+ parents can enhance targeted resources and interventions, contributing to better outcomes for all families.

The Self-Referent Encoding Task (SRET) can be used to measure self-concept via endorsement of trait words, a robust metric associated with depression severity. Our study is the first to investigate the structural validity and item functioning of SRET endorsement scores using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory. Community-dwelling preadolescent youth (N = 508; M_age = 12.39 years, SD_age = .72) were shown a list of positive and negative trait adjectives and made binary ratings of whether words were self-descriptive. The SRET exhibited a two-factor structure, comprising positive and negative factors. Positive items were endorsed by most children and best estimated information about positive self-concepts below average levels of positivity. Conversely, negative items were unendorsed by most children and best estimated information about negative self-concepts above average levels of negativity. We identify standardized, psychometrically sound, and developmentally sensitive SRET items for assessing youth self-concept and its associations with depression risk.

Despite the Heterosexist Harassment, Rejection, and Discrimination Scale (HHRDS) being a routinely used measure of discrimination, there is no current consensus regarding its fundamental psychometric properties. This study sought to: (a) test the dimensionality of the scale using a classical test theory approach, and (b), if lacking a clear multidimensional structure, use an item response theory approach to develop a concise unidimensional measure and examine differential item and test functioning across various identity factors. In a sample of sexual minority adults (N = 1,243), evaluation of the HHRDS supported a reduced 11-item unidimensional measure. Assessment of differential item functioning suggested differences for some items between cisgender men and cisgender women, cisgender men and gender-diverse individuals, gay/lesbian and bi+ individuals, and white/non-Latine individuals and people of color. However, differential item functioning had minimal impact on total test scores, supporting the use of the revised 11-item HHRDS across groups.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-3 (MMPI-3) scales that are designed to assess various forms of externalizing psychopathology have received relatively little research attention to date. The goal of this investigation was therefore to examine the validity of these MMPI-3 scales in the measurement of the externalizing spectrum. A community sample (n = 206) with high levels of externalizing psychopathology and a university sample (n = 645) were used. The former sample was administered structured clinical interviews for various forms of externalizing psychopathology, whereas the student sample completed the Externalizing Spectrum Inventory-160. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to operationalize the externalizing spectrum using each set of measures. The results indicated that the externalizing MMPI-3 scales were associated with a general externalizing factor and an expected pattern of associations, while systematic residuals of individual disorder symptoms also emerged. Moreover, in the university sample, specific MMPI-3 scales hypothesized to assess antagonistic-externalizing (Aggressiveness, Aggression, and Cynicism) emerged as key predictors of a callous-aggression residual group factor. The Substance Abuse scale was unsurprisingly the best predictor of such dysfunction. These findings provide guidance for mental health practitioners who use the MMPI-3 for the assessment of externalizing psychopathology symptoms.

The 24-item Social Provision Scale is among the most frequently used self-report scales to assess perceived social support. A shortened 10-item version (SPS-10) with promising psychometric properties has been proposed. However, so far only a few studies in specific cultural contexts investigated its psychometric properties. Thus, the aim of the current study was an extensive investigation of the psychometric properties of the SPS-10 among 38 countries (N = 88,857 respondents) using the COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey data. Item response theory bifactor analysis revealed that the general factor accounts for the largest part of the covariance among the items in all countries (explained common variance ≥ .75) and that the mean/sum score of the SPS-10 can be used as a total score of perceived general social support. Reliability was high for all countries (ρ_{unidimensional GRM} ≥ .89). Measurement invariance and differential item/test functioning analysis of the unidimensional graded response model indicated negligible differential test functioning across countries. The association with the external criteria mainly supported its construct validity. The SPS-10 is a psychometrically sound measure of perceived social support for large-scale cross-cultural studies.

In this study, we aimed to expand the domain specificity of grit by exploring it in the realm of parenting. Parental grit was defined as parents' inclination to demonstrate perseverance, sustained passion, and adaptability in pursuing long-term parenting goals. With longitudinal data from 1,373 U.S. parents, we developed and validated the Parental Grit Scale (PGS) in three phases: item development and revision, establishment of factor structure, and examination of criterion-related and incremental validity. The PGS exhibited a three-factor structure and (partial) scalar measurement invariance across genders, the status of the child's special needs, and measurement occasions. The PGS demonstrated moderate temporal stability. We found evidence of its validity in predicting parental emotional exhaustion, self-efficacy, autonomy support, and parents' perceptions of children's school well-being. Parental grit explained variance in these outcomes beyond domain-general grit and conscientiousness. The PGS has sound psychometric properties and is a valuable measure in the parenting domain.

Computerized neuropsychological test batteries (CNTs), such as Central Nervous System Vital Signs (CNS VS), are increasingly used for measuring cognitive functioning, but empirical evidence of how they measure cognition is scarce. We investigated the factor structure of CNS VS using exploratory factor analyses four samples: healthy adults (n = 169), patients with meningioma (392), low-grade glioma (99), and high-grade glioma (247). We tested model fit and investigated measurement invariance. Differences in factor interpretation existed between healthy participants and patients. Factor structures among patient groups were approximately the same but differed in non-zero loadings. Overall, factor structures largely did not support the "clinical domains" provided by CNS VS for clinical interpretation. Confirmatory models did not have a good fit, and measurement invariance could not be established. Our results indicate that (weighted) sum scores of CNS VS results may lack validity. We recommend researchers and clinicians to use scores on individual test measures.

The present study examined the factor structure and construct validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ; Baer et al., 2006) in two adult male prison samples from England and Wales (N = 318, M_age = 33.00, SD = 9.53) and Italy (N = 360, M_age = 40.53, SD = 12.20). Bass-Ackwards analysis revealed results generally consistent with the originally intended FFMQ five-factor structure in the England and Wales sample, whereas a four-factor structure (excluding the Describe factor) was the best solution in the Italian sample. Structural problems occurred in both samples, such as negative item-total correlations, items loading on non-target factors, and inconsistent inter-correlations among factors, including negative inter-correlations. Structural equation modeling suggested adequate construct validity with measures of anger, well-being, self-esteem, emotion regulation, dissociation, and impulsivity, but limited discriminant validity across subscales. The findings offer reassurance about the general consistency of results obtained with the original FFMQ subscales in terms of construct validity, while suggesting that inherent issues with FFMQ items may prevent identification of an optimal modeling solution that works across samples. Mindfulness assessment and interventions in prison should embrace multi-method and holistic attention to the broader construct rather than focus on specific components.

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are quantitative optimization techniques that have exclusively been utilized for scale abbreviation despite their potential application to new scale development. Here, we modeled the trait constructs of the triarchic psychopathy framework (boldness, meanness, disinhibition) as latent factors, and then applied a modified GA to select items for assessing each using model-estimated factor scores as targets. Items for the new scales were selected from a separate construct-relevant inventory, the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment, based on their ability to efficiently index each triarchic factor, with consideration given to scale intercorrelations and item polarity. Structural and item response modeling methods were then used to refine the GA-selected item sets. The resultant EPA-Triarchic scales correlated highly with their target factor scores and exhibited stronger loadings than the pre-existing scale indicators when added into the model. This work, illustrating a GA approach to devising new scales for indexing latent factors, has broad potential applications in clinical assessment.

This study investigated the relative contributions of medial temporal lobe (MTL) integrity and frontal lobe functions in behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We assessed 300 participants using neuropsychological memory tests-Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT), Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised-and MTL volumetry. Propensity score matching examined which subtests were most influenced by frontal functions. Principal component analysis and ridge regression explored the relationship between MTL volumes and memory tests across groups. Significant differences in memory tests and MTL volumes followed the pattern: controls > MCI > bvFTD > AD. AD showed greater impairment than bvFTD in FCSRT Total (p = .013), Retention (p = .016), and Free Recall (p = .009). Correlations between MTL volumes and memory tests were strongest in MCI (r = -.58), followed by AD (r = -.36), controls (r = -.35), and non-significant in bvFTD (r = -.21). After propensity score matching, several group differences were no longer significant, including cued tasks, delayed recall, and retention. These findings support a continuum of frontal and MTL contributions to memory deficits. AD is primarily marked by MTL-related impairments, which are less pronounced in bvFTD. MTL volumetry influence on these memory tests in MCI underscores their utility in detecting subtle MTL-dependent memory dysfunction.