Abstract: The level of alexithymia affects a person’s mental and physical health. Nevertheless, this trait is still measured using unreliable tools. The Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) is a promising measuring tool, but no study has examined its psychometric characteristics using Item Response Theory (IRT). Thus, we aimed to explore the psychometric features of the PAQ using IRT and Classical Test Theory. A sample of Czech adults ( n = 848, age: M = 34.95, SD = 11.90, females: 81.13%) participated in an online survey. We measured alexithymia, empathy, sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), neuroticism, anxiety, and depression. Confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence of the good fit of a five-factor solution: Reliability of the PAQ was good (omega = 0.70–0.96). Measurement invariance testing revealed that the PAQ measures alexithymia invariantly between people who are single and in partnership. Partial invariance was found in sex. The PAQ items had high discrimination, and their measurement precision was highest in individuals with above-average alexithymia. Higher alexithymia was present in males. Finally, alexithymia was positively associated with depression, anxiety, and neuroticism, and with SPS after neuroticism was taken into account. In conclusion, the PAQ represents a reliable and valid instrument for assessing alexithymia.

Abstract: In psychological assessment, vocabulary tests are commonly used as reliable and efficient indicators of crystallized intelligence, as retrospective proxies for premorbid intelligence, and as measures of language proficiency. However, many of the widely used German vocabulary tests are outdated, proprietary, and lack a clear rationale for item selection. To address these limitations, we developed a new, openly available vocabulary test: the Next-Generation Open Vocabulary Assessment (NOVA). We constructed 110 multiple-choice vocabulary items with support from ChatGPT and administered them to 1,052 German-speaking adults using a multiple-matrix design, along with a declarative knowledge test for validation purposes. Using Ant Colony Optimization, we assembled two parallel 30-item short forms by optimizing reliability as well as item difficulty and discrimination parameters within a three-parameter logistic item response model. The resulting test forms provided unidimensional and reliable measurement, covered a broad ability range, showed no gender differences, and correlated strongly with declarative knowledge. A Shiny app is available to calculate norm-referenced scores based on individual test results. Additional analyses revealed that 61.2% of the variance in item difficulty was explained by word frequency and word length, underscoring their potential utility in guiding future vocabulary test development.

Abstract: School engagement, comprising behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and social components, is crucial for students’ academic and emotional development. This study evaluates the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional School Engagement Scale (MSES) in a Chilean sample and its measurement invariance with a US sample. Using a non-experimental, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 2,436 Chilean and 3,632 US students (5th–12th grade). In Chile, the MSES demonstrated strong internal consistency. Confirmatory factor analysis validated its bifactor structure with two global and seven specific factors (ꭓ 2 (593) = 3004.64, p < .001, CFI = .915, RMSEA = .041). Criterion validity was supported through significant correlations with the Student Engagement Instrument ( Appleton et al., 2006 ). Measurement invariance analysis with the US confirmed metric and scalar invariance for specific factors, allowing latent mean comparisons, though scalar invariance for global factors was not achieved. This study highlights the MSES’s relevance in underrepresented cultural contexts and its potential to advance cross-cultural research on student engagement and disengagement in diverse educational settings.

Abstract: In this study, we evaluate the psychometric properties of the Future Expectation Task ( Bamford & Lagattuta, 2020 ) with two samples of 5-year-olds ( N = 336, N = 789) in Norway. Factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure – General and Achievement-Specific Optimism – showing acceptable reliability. Measurement invariance was established across age, sex, and maternal education, and results showed that the two factors related differently to these demographic variables. Validity was partly supported; while the task did not correlate with a teacher-rated optimism measure, both factors correlated with self-reported well-being and growth mindset. Achievement-specific optimism was also strongly correlated with perceived academic competence. The findings support the task as a reliable measure of optimism in young children and highlight how its two distinct factors may relate to children’s well-being and school experiences differently.

Abstract: Teamwork self-efficacy is crucial in higher education due to its association with students’ motivation for team-based work, a key component of active teaching methods that foster academic success and professional readiness. Despite its relevance, a comprehensive and empirically validated instrument for assessing this construct has been lacking. To address this gap, the present study translated the Teamwork Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (TSQ) into Spanish and evaluated its psychometric properties in a sample of 720 Colombian university students (333 women, 387 men). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in separate subsamples supported a unidimensional model for TSQ scores. The scale demonstrated measurement invariance across gender up to the strict level, with women scoring slightly higher ( r < 0.11). TSQ scores showed adequate composite reliability, moderate temporal stability over 1 month, and weak-to-moderate correlations with personality traits, attitudes toward teamwork, and general self-efficacy beliefs. However, TSQ scores did not prospectively predict the frequency of teamwork behaviors. Overall, these results suggest that the Spanish version of the TSQ is a valid and reliable measure of teamwork self-efficacy among Colombian university students, although further research is warranted to examine its predictive utility for teamwork behavior.

Abstract: The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is widely used to assess positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). An international short-form version (I-PANAS-SF) was created for cross-cultural research. This study evaluates the validity and reliability of its Spanish version. This cross-sectional study involved 2,120 Spanish-speaking adults. We examined the structural, convergent, cross-groups, known-groups, and criterion validity, along with internal consistency and test–retest reliability. A two-factor model (PA and NA) showed excellent fit (CFI = 0.97, TLI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.07). Measurement invariance across sex, age, depression, and anxiety groups was found. Correlations with depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness were as expected. The I-PANAS-SF discriminated between individuals with/without possible major depression or general anxiety disorder. Reliability and stability were adequate (PA: ω = .85, ICC = 0.80; NA: ω = .75, ICC = 0.75). The Spanish I-PANAS-SF is a valid and reliable tool for assessing affect in Spanish-speaking adults.

Abstract: Multisensory mental imagery refers to the mental simulation of experiences across several sensory modalities. The Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire (PSIQ, Andrade et al., 2014 ) was developed to assess the vividness of mental imagery in seven sensory modalities: vision, sound, smell, taste, touch, bodily sensations, and emotion. The present article aimed to validate a French version of the PSIQ (PSIQ-F). We examined its factorial structure in a sample of 501 French adults. As expected, for both the PSIQ-F and the shorter version we proposed, a 7-factor structure was found to be more appropriate than a general imagery solution. The PSIQ-F demonstrated excellent internal consistency, test–retest reliability, satisfactory construct validity, and cultural invariance. Scores were unrelated to vocabulary level. Results support the overall reliability of the PSIQ and its cross-cultural usefulness.

Abstract: A six-item short form of the Need Inventory of Sensation Seeking (NISS-6) was previously developed using the same data set used to standardize the long version. In the current study, we evaluated the NISS-6 in a sample that was representative of the German general population in 2024, comprising individuals between the ages of 16 and 96 years, along with scales for measuring anxiety and depression. The results showed that the NISS-6 is factorially valid and can be sufficiently well-differentiated from anxiety and depression. Furthermore, in line with expectations, we found small gender differences and large age differences. However, we found significantly lower internal consistencies for the overall scale and the subscales from the NISS-6 compared with the full 17-item version. In addition to the smaller number of items, the lower reliability can also be attributed to the intended heterogeneity in the item content.

Abstract: The present study aimed to evaluate evidence on the measurement invariance of the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) – a measure designed to assess positive and negative affect – across educational stages, gender, and time in adolescence. Three independent adolescent samples from Serbia were recruited: primary school students ( n = 412; 55.3% female; age range = 11–14 years), secondary school students ( n = 421; 48% female; age range = 15–19 years), and secondary school students who completed the SPANE at three time points over a 12-month period ( n = 493; 57.6% female; age range = 15–17 years). Measurement invariance testing provided evidence for full scalar invariance of the SPANE’s two-factor structure across educational stages, gender, and time. Our findings indicate that the SPANE can be used as a valid measure for comparing mean levels and correlates of positive and negative affect across younger and older adolescents, boys and girls, and over time in longitudinal studies.