Validation of the exercise-related cognitive errors questionnaire short form

BackgroundExisting measures of injection drug users' quality of life have focused primarily on health and health-related factors. Clearly, however, quality of life among injection drug users is impacted by a range of unique cultural, socioeconomic, medical, and geographic factors that must also be considered in any measure. The Injection Drug User Quality of Life (IDUQOL) scale was designed to capture the unique and individual circumstances that determine quality of life among injection drug users. The overall purpose of the present study was to examine the validity of inferences made from the IDUQOL by examining the (a) dimensionality, (b) reliability of scores, (c) criterion-related validity evidence, and (d) both convergent and discriminant validity evidence.MethodsAn exploratory factor analysis using principal axis factoring in SPSS 12.0 was conducted to determine whether the use of a total score on the IDUQOL was advisable. Reliability of scores from the IDUQOL was obtained using internal consistency and one-week test-retest reliability estimates. Criterion-related validity evidence was gathered using variables such as stability of housing, sex trade involvement, high-risk injection behaviours, involvement in treatment programs, emergency treatment or overdose over the previous six months, hospitalization and emergency treatment over the subsequent six month period post data collection. Convergent and discriminant validity evidence was gathered using measures of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social desirability.ResultsThe sample consisted of 241 injection drug users ranging in age from 19 to 61 years. Factor analysis supports the use of a total score. Both internal consistency (alpha = .88) and one-week test-retest reliability (r = .78) for IDUQOL total scores were good. Criterion-related, convergent, and discriminant validity evidence supports the interpretation of IDUQOL total scores as measuring a construct consistent with quality of life.ConclusionThe findings from this study provide initial evidence to support the use of the IDUQOL total score. The results of the study also suggest the IDUQOL could be further strengthened with additional attention to how some IDUQOL domains are described and satisfaction is measured.

Validating a critical thinking ability questionnaire for EFL learners

Cognitive distortions are interrelated with all layers of cognitions, and they may be part of the treatment once they are accessed, identified, labeled, and changed. From both a research and a clinical perspective, it is of utmost importance to disentangle cognitive distortions from similar constructs. Recently, the Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire (CD-Quest), a brief and comprehensive measure, was developed to assess both the frequency and the intensity of cognitive distortions. The aim of the present study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the CD-Quest in a psychiatric outpatient sample. Demographic and clinical data of the participants were analyzed by descriptive statistics. For group comparisons, Student's t-test was applied. An exploratory principal components factor analysis was performed, followed by an oblique rotation. To assess the internal consistency of the scale Cronbach's α was computed. The correlation coefficient was calculated for test-retest reliability over a 4-week period. For concurrent validity, bivariate Pearson correlation analyses were conducted with the measures of mood severity and negatively biased cognitions. The results revealed that the scale had excellent internal consistency, good test-retest reliability, unidimensional factor structure, and evidence of concurrent and discriminant validity.

Most graduate students enrolled in programs within colleges of education are required to complete one or more research methodology courses as a necessary part of their degrees. Unfortunately, it appears that these courses are exceedingly difficult for many students, who typically experience underachievement. Many students experience high levels of anxiety in these classes. Onwuegbuzie (1997) theorized that the anxiety experienced in research methodology classes, termed research anxiety, represents a multidimensional phenomenon. Based on this conceptualization, the Research Anxiety Rating Scale (RARS) was developed. Thus, the purpose of this study was to describe the development of the RARS, as well as to delineate the psychometric properties of this scale. The RARS was administered to a sample of 262 graduate students (Study 2). Evidence of construct-related validity of the RARS was provided via an exploratory factor analysis, using a varimax rotation, in which seven specific factors were identified, explaining 57.1% of the variance in RARS scores. These seven factors were (a) fear of libraries, (b) fear of writing, (c) fear of statistics, (d) fear of conducting research, (e) fear of research language, (f) fear of research courses, and (g) perceived utility and competence. Evidence of criterion-related validity (i.e., concurrent validity) was established via statistically significant correlations between scores on the RARS and scores on the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS), the Library anxiety Scale (LAS), and the Writing Apprehension Test (WAT). No gender differences were found with respect to the RARS total scale or subscales. The implications are discussed.

Factor structure, measurement equivalence, and reliability of the Nature Relatedness Scale Short Form (NR-6) across males and females

Introduction/Objectives: Evidence of validity and reliability was obtained for the Spanish version of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX-Sp) in non-clinical samples from Mexico and Spain. Method: An exploratory factor analysis was conducted on responses from 335 adults in Mexico. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analyses and invariance testing were carried out with a sample of 726 adults from central and northern Mexico (Mean age = 25.65 years, SD = 10.61) and 214 adults from Spain (Mean age = 28.14 years, SD = 13.44). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used as an external validity criterion. Results: Adequate levels of reliability were observed, along with a unifactorial structure and configural equivalence across the four samples. Positive associations between the DEX-Sp and the AUDIT provided evidence of criterion-related validity. The exclusion of two items is discussed due to their low shared variance with the rest of the scale, suggesting they may assess aspects not constitutive of the dysexecutive syndrome. Conclusions: A unidimensional structure with adequate reliability and external validity evidence was confirmed. The results support the DEX-Sp as a valid and reliable measure of executive dysfunction in populations similar to those analysed in Mexico and Spain.

The Satisfaction With Migration Life Scale

This article reports the development and psychometric properties of the 27-item Barriers to Seeking Mental Health Counseling (BMHC) scale, which assesses perceived help-seeking barriers among college-aged students. Across 2 studies involving ethnically diverse samples (e.g., Latinx majority students), the authors provided evidence for this new measure's validity and reliability. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (including a bifactor analysis) provided support for the BMHC scale's multidimensionality reflecting 6 barriers: Negative Perceived Value, Discomfort with Emotions, Ingroup Stigma, Lack of Knowledge, Lack of Access, and Cultural Barriers. Evidence for criterion-related validity was shown through significant but differential correlations with self-stigma, emotional control, and the 4 components of Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior model-attitude, subjective norm of social stigma, perceived behavioral control, and mental health help-seeking intention. Discriminant evidence of validity was established through nonsignificant or small correlations between BMHC subscales and 2 measures of socially desirable responding. The authors also found evidence for incremental validity and measurement invariance across race, and evidence for internal reliability and temporal stability of the BMHC subscales. Findings are discussed in light of the conceptual, methodological, and clinical contributions of the BMHC scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

BackgroundDisorders/Differences of sex development (DSD) may be associated with adverse psychosocial and psychosexual outcomes in adults. However, there is a paucity of information on health-related quality of life (QoL) outcomes in parents and children with DSD and a lack of instruments available for evaluating these outcomes. Recently, this has led to the development of Parent Self-Report and Proxy-Report QoL questionnaires (QoL-DSD), validated measures for parents of young children with DSD, comprising 63 items within 13 domains and 25 items within 5 domains, respectively.ObjectiveWhile retaining the original domain structure of the QoL-DSD questionnaires, we aimed to develop short forms of the QoL-DSD, optimizing their use in routine clinic settings.MethodsShort forms of the DSD-QoL Parent Self-Report (QoL-DSD Short PSR) and Parent Proxy-Report (QoL-DSD Short PPR) questionnaires were developed following exploratory factor analysis with maximum likelihood and varimax rotation, using previous QoL-DSD data from 132 parents. Long and resulting short form questionnaires were completed online by 18 parents of children with DSD, under 7 years of age, attending endocrine and urology clinics at one tertiary hospital in Scotland.ResultsItem selection for the short forms — QoL-DSD Short PSR and QoL-DSD Short PPR — based on item factor loadings of >0.8, produced questionnaires containing 16 and 7 items, respectively. Eighteen parents completed both long and short forms of the Parent Self-Report for children aged <7 years, and a subset of these (n=13) also completed long and short forms of the Parent Proxy-Report for children aged 2 to 7 years. Of the 18 target children, all were boys with a median age of 3.6 years (range 0.4, 6.6) and 10 (59%) had proximal hypospadias. Overall, agreement was achieved between the short and long questionnaires in 9 out of 12 (75%) domains on the Parent Self-Report and 4 out of 5 (80%) domains on the Parent Proxy-Report. Correlations between total scores on the short and long forms were 0.508 to 0.897 in 9 of 12 domains in the QoL-DSD Short PSR. Parental feedback (n=18) regarding the acceptability of the short versus long forms was evaluated using a 5-point Likert score: 83% (versus 66%) of parents agreed the length of time (less than 3 minutes) taken to complete short forms was acceptable, 39% preferred the short forms compared with 11% whom preferred the longer version, 45% (versus 22%) stated a preference to complete the short forms should they be implemented routinely at clinic visits in the future.ConclusionsShort forms of the QoL-DSD for parents of young children with DSD may be more acceptable for use in a routine outpatient setting to evaluate psychosocial distress experienced by young children with DSD and their caregivers. Further psychometric validation in a larger cohort is warranted.Presentation: Saturday, June 11, 2022 11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Psychometric properties of a Mandarin Chinese version of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 with residents from Chinese mainland

This paper developed and validated a new measure of support for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement among a racially-ethnically diverse sample of college students. The measure focuses on the movement's principles of Black liberation, intersectionality, and alliance building. Participants included 1934 college students (75% female) from a large public Southwestern university. The factor structure was supported by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, resulting in an 18-item measure, Support for Black Lives Matter, with two underlying factors. Black Liberation includes 12 items representing support for BLM because of awareness of and challenging structural inequality and racism experienced by Black individuals. Intersectional Values includes six items representing support for BLM because it embraces and affirms marginalized populations within the Black community, especially disabled Blacks, queer Blacks, Black women, and Black families with children. Evidence of criterion-related validity was demonstrated with racial group differences in support of BLM factors. Evidence of convergent validity was supported by significant positive correlations between support for BLM factors and critical consciousness (including awareness of racism, classism, and heterosexism), and negative correlations between support for BLM factors and subtle racist attitudes toward Blacks. Measurement invariance was evident between White, Black, Asian American, Latinx, and Multiracial participants. Implications and suggestions for use of the new measure are discussed.

This article describes the development and validation of the Multiracial Experiences Measure (MEM): a new measure that assesses uniquely racialized risks and resiliencies experienced by individuals of mixed racial heritage. Across 2 studies, there was evidence for the validation of the 25-item MEM with 5 subscales including Shifting Expressions, Perceived Racial Ambiguity, Creating Third Space, Multicultural Engagement, and Multiracial Discrimination. The 5-subscale structure of the MEM was supported by a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Evidence of criterion-related validity was partially supported with MEM subscales correlating with measures of racial diversity in one's social network, color-blind racial attitude, psychological distress, and identity conflict. Evidence of discriminant validity was supported with MEM subscales not correlating with impression management. Implications for future research and suggestions for utilization of the MEM in clinical practice with multiracial adults are discussed.

Objectives:Ascites markedly affects the quality of life of patients with cirrhosis; however, there is currently no scale to measure the symptoms of ascites. We developed a scale to measure ascites-specific symptoms according to psychometric procedures.Methods:A team consisting of specialists developed constructs representing the symptoms of ascites and question item pool. The constructs were verified in a qualitative study involving a small number of patients. The item pool was improved through a pilot study, and a prototype of the scale was prepared. To establish the scale and assess its properties, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 175 patients with ascites accompanied with cirrhosis.Results:On the basis of the results of factor analysis and item response theory–based analyses, seven items, covering a wide range of severities and diverse symptoms, were selected to comprise the final scale (Ascites Symptom Inventory-7; ASI-7). The ASI-7 had a unidimensional factorial structure and high reliability (Cronbach's α coefficient of 0.96). The scale score was correlated with the degree of ascites evaluated by physicians, Short Form-36 (SF-36) physical functioning (PF), and SF-36 vitality (VT; P<0.001 each), indicating the criterion validity. The responsiveness after treatment was demonstrated by the mean standardized response of 1.18. Moreover, responses in the scale score were correlated with those in the degree of ascites, body weight, SF-36 PF, and SF-36 VT, respectively (P<0.001 each).Conclusions:An ascites-specific symptom scale was developed and its reliability, validity, and responsiveness were demonstrated. This simple scale may be used for the evaluation of ascites treatment and monitoring of treatment responses in patients with ascites.

The present study aimed to adapt the Smartphone Pervasiveness Scale (SPS) into Turkish and to examine its psychometric properties among Turkish adolescents. To this end, two studies were conducted. Study 1 explored the factor structure of the SPS through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), using data collected from 216 adolescents (Mage = 14.50, SD = 1.55). Study 2 employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with multi-group analysis (MGA) on a separate sample of 314 adolescents (Mage = 13.87, SD = 2.10) to confirm the factor structure of the SPS and to assess measurement invariance across gender. In addition, Study 2 examined the associations between SPS scores and several external variables—problematic smartphone use, well-being, loneliness, psychological distress, and academic performance—as evidence of criterion-related validity. In both studies, Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability (CR) coefficients were calculated to assess reliability. EFA results in Study 1 supported a 7-item, single-factor structure, with factor loadings ranging from .46 to .67. CFA results in Study 2 confirmed this structure. Measurement invariance across gender was supported by the MGA. Moreover, criterion-related validity was demonstrated in Study 2: SPS scores were positively correlated with problematic smartphone use, loneliness, and psychological distress, and negatively correlated with well-being and academic performance. In both studies, Cronbach's alpha and CR coefficients were observed at .71 or higher. In conclusion, the Turkish version of the SPS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the pervasiveness of smartphone use among Turkish adolescents.

Cognitive errors involve negatively biased or distorted thinking patterns that can hinder effective decision-making. When such a phenomenon occurs in the exercise domain, this is referred to as exercise-related cognitive error. Such exercise-related cognitive errors are typically assessed via a questionnaire, but a validated instrument for the application in Chinese-speaking populations is lacking. Thus, this study aims to validate the Chinese version of the Exercise-related Cognitive Errors Questionnaire (E-CEQ-C) among Chinese emerging adults, a self-report measure to evaluate cognitive errors of context-relevant information related to exercise. Following a forward-backward translation of the E-CEQ (N = 24 items), the E-CEQ-C and the Chinese version of the Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire (CD-Quest-C) for gathering evidence of criterion-related validity were administered among a sample of Chinese emerging adults (N = 376, 29.0% male) through an online survey. After a two-week interval, 105 out of 376 participants attended a re-test of the E-CEQ-C. Item analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity were analyzed. The findings from the CFA support the 24-item informed six-factor structure among Chinese emerging adults (χ2 = 699.038, RMSEA = 0.073, CFI = 0.919, TLI = 0.904, and SRMR = 0.055). Cronbach's α of the six dimensions of the E-CEQ-C were all above 0.7. The test-retest reliability coefficients of each subscale and total scale were acceptable, ranging from 0.60 to 0.81. In accordance with the literature, we also observed positive associations between the six dimensions of E-CEQ-C and the constructs of the CD-Quest-C, which provided concurrent validity evidence for the E-CEQ-C. This study showed that E-CEQ-C is a psychometrically sound measure to assess exercise-related cognitive errors in Chinese-speaking populations.