How can we assess the validity of will notes written by martyr soldiers?

Answer from top 10 papers

Assessing the validity of will notes, particularly those of martyr soldiers, requires a multifaceted approach that considers content validity, authenticity, and the psychological state of the individual at the time of writing. Content validity ensures that the will encompasses the soldier's intentions and desires, reflecting their true wishes (Aandstad et al., 2014). Authenticity is crucial, as it pertains to the genuineness of the document and whether it represents an honest self-expression, which is particularly important in the context of a soldier's final testament (Bryan et al., 2019; Vodanovic, 2023).
Contradictions may arise when considering the authenticity of such personal documents, especially given the extreme stressors soldiers face (Shannon & Hambacher, 2015). The concept of "ground truth" as discussed in Reason (2017), which refers to the authentic experiences of soldiers, can be applied to the assessment of will notes. The will must be seen as a product of the soldier's lived experience and not merely a formal requirement. Additionally, the psychological state of the soldier, as indicated by the Suicide Cognitions Scale (SCS), can influence the validity of the will, as it may reflect a transient mental state rather than a considered and enduring intention (Faridi et al., 2021).
In summary, the validity of will notes of martyr soldiers can be assessed through a careful examination of content validity, ensuring that the will accurately reflects the soldier's intentions. Authenticity must be established to confirm that the will is a genuine expression of the soldier's self, and psychological assessments may be necessary to understand the state of mind at the time of writing. These factors together provide a comprehensive approach to validating the will notes of soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice (Aandstad et al., 2014; Bryan et al., 2019; Faridi et al., 2021; Reason, 2017; Shannon & Hambacher, 2015; Vodanovic, 2023).

Source Papers

Validity and Reliability of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and Skinfold Thickness in Predicting Body Fat in Military Personnel

Previous studies show that body composition is related to injury risk and physical performance in soldiers. Thus, valid methods for measuring body composition in military personnel are needed. The frequently used body mass index method is not a valid measure of body composition in soldiers, but reliability and validity of alternative field methods are less investigated in military personnel. Thus, we carried out test and retest of skinfold (SKF), single frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (SF-BIA), and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis measurements in 65 male and female soldiers. Several validated equations were used to predict percent body fat from these methods. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was also measured, and acted as the criterion method. Results showed that SF-BIA was the most reliable method in both genders. In women, SF-BIA was also the most valid method, whereas SKF or a combination of SKF and SF-BIA produced the highest validity in men. Reliability and validity varied substantially among the equations examined. The best methods and equations produced test-retest 95% limits of agreement below ±1% points, whereas the corresponding validity figures were ±3.5% points. Each investigator and practitioner must consider whether such measurement errors are acceptable for its specific use.

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Open Access
Prospective Validity of the Suicide Cognitions Scale Among Acutely Suicidal Military Personnel Seeking Unscheduled Psychiatric Intervention.

Background and Aim: The Suicide Cognitions Scale (SCS) was developed to assess a broad range of suicide-related cognitions. Research to date supports the scale's factor structure, internal consistency, and construct validity. The present study tested the scale's prospective validity for suicide attempts among 97 military personnel presenting to an emergency department or psychiatric outpatient clinic for an unscheduled walk-in evaluation. Method: Cox regression and receiver operator characteristic analyses were conducted to test the prospective validity of the SCS. Results: Results supported the prospective validity of the SCS (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.69) and indicate the scale's performance is comparable to an empirically supported measure of suicide ideation (AUC = 0.75). The SCS performance was not reduced by removing items containing the word suicide. Limitations: Homogeneous sample comprised of US soldiers, predominantly male, with recent suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Results support the SCS as an indicator of subsequent risk for suicidal behavior when used in acute care settings, and suggest the scale's performance is similar to more traditional suicide risk screening methods that depend on honest self-disclosure of suicidal thoughts.

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The military occupational stress response scale: Development, reliability, and validity.

Soldiers in the military are exposed to numerous stressors, including some that are of an extreme nature. The main objective of this military psychology research study was to evaluate soldiers' occupational stress. Even though several tools have been developed to measure stress in this population, to date, none have focused on occupational stress. Hence, we developed the Military Occupational Stress Response Scale (MOSRS) to provide a tool to objectively measure soldiers' occupational stress responses. An initial pool of 27 items was assembled from the literature, existing instruments, and interviews with soldiers. Of those 27, 17 were included in the MOSRS. The scale was subsequently completed by soldiers from one military region, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted using Mplus8.3 and IBM SPSS 28.0 software, respectively. A total of 847 officers and soldiers were selected for scale testing, and 670 subjects were retained after data cleaning and screening according to the set criteria. After performing the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett's test, principal components analysis (PCA) was appropriate. The PCA yielded a three-factor model (physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses) with the items and factors strongly correlated. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed loads ranging from between 0.499 and 0.878 for each item. The Cronbach's α coefficient of the MOSRS was between 0.710 and 0.900, and the Omega reliability was between 0.714 and 0.898, which were all higher than the critical standard value of 0.7, indicating that the scale has good reliability. Analysis of the discrimination validity of each dimension revealed that the scale has good discrimination validity. The MOSRS demonstrated sound psychometric characteristics with acceptable reliability and validity, suggesting that it could be used to assess occupational stress in military personnel.

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Open Access
Evaluating the Validity, Reliability and Authenticity of English Achievement Test for the Twelfth Grade Students of SMAN 4 Tebo, Jambi

This study aims to investigate the implementation of the English achievement test for the twelfth-grade students at SMAN 4 Tebo, Jambi in the academic year 2019/2020. This study was a contenr analyis. The objects of this study were English achievement test items. It consisted of 40 multiple-choice questions and 5 essay questions. The data collection method was a document analysis checklist. In this study, the researcher analyzed the data from English achievement test for validity aspects such as content validity and construct validity, the degree of reliability, and the implementation of language authenticity criteria. The findings of this study revealed that; (1) the content validity shows 76% valid, and the construct validity shows 60% valid; (2) the reliability shows coefficient 0.281 for multiple-choice items and 0,554 for essay items, and it is reliable; (3) the results of analyzing the authenticity shows that the listening items, reading test and essay writing are authentic. However, each part has some weaknesses. Especially in the reading test, most of the passages use in reading tests failed to represent the world context even though the topics of the passages are rational and based on the real context. Nevertheless, the English teacher who constructed the English achievement test did not mention the sources from which the passages were taken. Next, the samples of the format letter, announcement, and pamphlet look unnatural view from the format and design. Moreover, the English Achievement Test for twelfth-grade students of SMAN 4 Tebo, Jambi has fulfilled the characteristics of validity, reliability, and authenticity as a good test or standardized test.

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Open Access
Content Validity Index and Intra- and Inter-Rater Reliability of a New Muscle Strength/Endurance Test Battery for Swedish Soldiers.

The objective of this study was to examine the content validity of commonly used muscle performance tests in military personnel and to investigate the reliability of a proposed test battery. For the content validity investigation, thirty selected tests were those described in the literature and/or commonly used in the Nordic and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. Nine selected experts rated, on a four-point Likert scale, the relevance of these tests in relation to five different work tasks: lifting, carrying equipment on the body or in the hands, climbing, and digging. Thereafter, a content validity index (CVI) was calculated for each work task. The result showed excellent CVI (≥0.78) for sixteen tests, which comprised of one or more of the military work tasks. Three of the tests; the functional lower-limb loading test (the Ranger test), dead-lift with kettlebells, and back extension, showed excellent content validity for four of the work tasks. For the development of a new muscle strength/endurance test battery, these three tests were further supplemented with two other tests, namely, the chins and side-bridge test. The inter-rater reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC2,1 0.99) for all five tests. The intra-rater reliability was good to high (ICC3,1 0.82–0.96) with an acceptable standard error of mean (SEM), except for the side-bridge test (SEM%>15). Thus, the final suggested test battery for a valid and reliable evaluation of soldiers’ muscle performance comprised the following four tests; the Ranger test, dead-lift with kettlebells, chins, and back extension test. The criterion-related validity of the test battery should be further evaluated for soldiers exposed to varying physical workload.

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Open Access