Construct Validity Research Articles

Comparing the construct validity of measurement instruments for pain and stiffness in patients with axial spondyloartwhritis: cross-sectional analysis in the OASIS cohort

ObjectivesTo compare the construct validity, including discrimination between known groups, of three pain and three morning stiffness (MS) measurement instruments.MethodsPatients with radiographic axial spondyloarthritis with 8-year data from the Outcome...

Development and validation of a broadly applicable instrument to measure patients' health promotion and empowerment process in chronic disease.

This study aimed to develop and validate a generic, non-disease-specific, self-assessment measure that recognizes patients' health capacities and their empowering process of health promotion in chronic illness by using Bodyknowledging as the theoretical frame. Item generation and expert content validity analysis were the first steps in instrument development. Potential items were then validated in focus group interviews with six patients diagnosed with various chronic diseases. The research team reviewed the resulting items and undertook item reduction. A sample of adults (n = 357) with chronic disease surveyed the instrument items. Exploratory factor analysis with Oblimin rotation was conducted. A 3-factor solution was identified: nine items on the regaining health and wellness subscale, seven items on the uncertainty and bereavement subscale, and eight items on the loss of control and distancing subscale. Cronbach alpha for the scale was .92. The final 24-item instrument is non-disease-specific and broadly applicable for use in health promotion within the context of chronic disease. The instrument demonstrates high internal consistency reliability with initial face and construct validity. The new instrument has the potential for measuring patients' empowering process of health promotion in chronic disease and the outcomes of person-centered interventions and may guide clinicians in tailoring individual support.

Predicting high variability in imageability ratings across age groups and its influence on visual word recognition.

Imageability, an important word characteristic in the psycholinguistic literature, is typically assessed by asking participants to estimate the ease with which a word can evoke a mental image. Our aim was to explore inter-rater disagreement in normative imageability ratings. We examined the predictors of variability around average imageability ratings for young, middle-aged and older adults (Study 1) and assessed its impact on visual word recognition performance in young adults (Study 2). Analyses of French age-related imageability ratings (Ballot et al., Behavior Research Methods, 54, 196-215, 2022) revealed that inter-rater disagreement around the average imageability value was critically high for most words within the imageability norms, thus questioning the construct validity of the average rating for the most variable items. Variability in ratings changed between age groups (18-25, 26-40, 41-59, and over 60 years) and was associated with words that are longer, less frequent, learnt later in life and less emotional (Study 1). To examine the consequences of elevated standard deviations around the average imageability rating on visual word recognition, we entered this factor in a hierarchical regression alongside classic lexico-semantic predictors. The effect of word-imageability on young adults' lexical decision times (Ferrand et al., Behavior Research Methods, 50, 1285-1307, 2018) remained significant after accounting for inter-rater disagreement in imageability ratings, even when considering the least consensual words (Study 2). We conclude that imageability ratings reliably predict visual word recognition performance in young adults for large datasets, but might require caution for smaller ones. Given imageability rating differences across adulthood, further research investigating age-related differences in language processing is necessary.

Beyond thinking fast and slow: a Bayesian intuitionist model of clinical reasoning in real-world practice.

Clinical reasoning is a quintessential aspect of medical training and practice, and is a topic that has been studied and written about extensively over the past few decades. However, the predominant conceptualisation of clinical reasoning has insofar been extrapolated from cognitive psychological theories that have been developed in other areas of human decision-making. Till date, the prevailing model of understanding clinical reasoning has remained as the dual process theory which views cognition as a dichotomous two-system construct, where intuitive thinking is fast, efficient, automatic but error-prone, and analytical thinking is slow, effortful, logical, deliberate and likely more accurate. Nonetheless, we find that the dual process model has significant flaws, not only in its fundamental construct validity, but also in its lack of practicality and applicability in naturistic clinical decision-making. Instead, we herein offer an alternative Bayesian-centric, intuitionist approach to clinical reasoning that we believe is more representative of real-world clinical decision-making, and suggest pedagogical and practice-based strategies to optimise and strengthen clinical thinking in this model to improve its accuracy in actual practice.

Rubric development and validation for assessing educational robotics skills

The current study describes the process of development and validation of a rubric for assessing educational robotics skills among middle school students. A multiphase method has been followed, including a literature study, expert consultation, content validation, pilot testing, reliability analysis, and construct validation. The resulting dual-category rubric designing and programming skills were further elaborated by specific criteria and performance levels. Content validation identified seven key criteria: stability and durability, motors, innovation, code organization, dependability and reliability, movement and rotation, and innovative use of sensors. The results of inter-rater reliability analysis for all criteria indicated good agreement, with Krippendorff’s alpha ranging from 0.941 to 1.000. Additionally, construct validation using exploratory factor analysis confirmed a two-factor structure that aligns with the intended domains of design and programming skills, explaining 67.4% of the total variance. The rubric was consistent with learning/teaching theories such as Bloom’s taxonomy, constructivist learning theory, and self-determination theory. This rubric fulfills the existing need for a specific assessment tool in educational robotics and supports educational practices through very detailed feedback to students on their performance. This adds much to educational assessment and education in robotics and enhances teaching and learning outcomes for STEAM education in various settings.

Validation of the Japanese version of the Esophageal Hypervigilance and Anxiety Scale for esophageal symptoms.

The Esophageal Hypervigilance and Anxiety Scale (EHAS) is an English questionnaire created in the USA to assess these factors in all patients with esophageal diseases. The aim of this study was to develop and validate the Japanese version of EHAS and investigate the relationship between EHAS scores and symptoms in untreated disorders of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) outflow. This prospective study recruited patients who underwent high-resolution manometry (HRM) at six tertiary centers in Japan. The EHAS was translated to Japanese using standard forward and backward translation methods. Patients completed the following questionnaires: the Japanese EHAS, Eckardt score, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for assessment of construct validity. Logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with esophageal symptom severity in untreated disorders of EGJ outflow. Overall, we analyzed 432 patients. Their main symptoms were dysphagia and reflux. The most common HRM diagnosis was normal (35.9%), followed by achalasia (29.4%). The Japanese EHAS demonstrated excellent reliability, and construct validity, with two subscales similar to the original EHAS. Total EHAS score moderately correlated to Eckardt score (r = 0.545, p < 0.001). In 113 patients with untreated disorders of EGJ outflow, multivariable analysis demonstrated that younger age, type II achalasia, and higher EHAS score were independently associated with higher Eckardt score. The Japanese EHAS is a reliable and valid questionnaire. Its subscale scores can be used as in the original version with some caution. Future studies are warranted to assess the appropriateness of factor loading.

Validity and Reliability Evaluation of the Dietary Habits Scale for Adults (25-55 years old) Derived from Iranian Traditional Medicine

Methods: This cross-sectional study was designed to develop the dietary habits scale and evaluate its validity and reliability. The scale was drafted with two subscales including eating manners and drinking manners based on the principles of Iranian medicine. Afterward, to determine the construct validity and reliability of the scale, it was administered to 40 people aged 25 to 55 years. Data were analyzed using SPSS21 and AMOS software. Results: The content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) were 0.99 and 0.79, respectively. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) test was used to evaluate its dimensionality. The CFMIN/DF was 1.80, and RMSEA, GFI, and CFI were 0.05, 0.91, and 0.93, respectively. The internal consistency of the scale was confirmed by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α = 0.805). Conclusion: The eating habits scale developed based on the Iranian medicine has acceptable reliability and validity for its administration on the participants. In future studies, researchers are recommended to focus on different demographic groups and examine the impact of contextual and clinical variables.

Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Adaptation of Stress Mindset Measure

Objective: This study aimed to adapt the Stress Mindset Measure to Turkish culture by conducting validity and reliability analyses. Method: Convenience sampling method was used in this study, which was conducted with the survey model. With 354 adult participants, Stress Mindset Measure, Life Satisfaction Scale and Perceived Stress Scale were used as data collection tools. Cronbach's alpha and two-half reliability coefficient were used for the reliability of the Stress Mindset Measur. The results of the analyses showed that the internal consistency coefficient was .85 and the split-half reliability coefficient was .76. Furthermore, the difference between the 27% lower and upper groups among the participants was statistically significant. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to test the construct validity of the Stress Mindset Measure. Results: The model fit values were at an acceptable level. Item factor loadings ranged between .49 and .78 and the scale was found to have a single-factor structure. Besides, the results of the analyses conducted to ensure convergent validity were found to be at the desired level. The concepts of perceived stress and life satisfaction were used to test criterion validity. Conclusion: Turkish adaptation of the Stress Mindset Measures a valid and reliable measurement tool.

The Norwegian version of the Personal Feelings Questionnaire-2: clinical utility and psychometric properties

AbstractShame and guilt are universal emotions meant to elicit socially approved behaviors and inhibit antisocial behavior. Excessive feelings of shame and guilt—shame especially—are linked to various destructive behaviors, difficulties in emotion regulation, maladaptive personality traits, psychological difficulties, and negative impacts on treatment outcomes. These make it especially important to have a valid instrument to evaluate the mechanisms related to these emotions. No validated self-report instrument measuring generalized shame and guilt was available in Norwegian. The Personal Feelings Questionnaire (PFQ-2) is designed to measure the level of generalized shame and guilt. This project’s aim was to translate the PFQ-2 into Norwegian and evaluate the clinical utility and psychometric properties of a Norwegian version of the PFQ-2. Data were collected from students at a local university college in Norway (N = 320, age: M = 25.4, SD = 8) and patients at a local outpatient psychiatric hospital (N = 53, age: M = 31.4, SD = 10.43). To be able to evaluate the factor structure of the Norwegian version of the PFQ-2, the dataset was divided in two by random selection with a 50/50 split. First an Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on one half of the sample (N = 180) and then a Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the other half (N = 193). According to the EFA the factor structure was similar to the original factor structure, with the exception of one item (item 6). Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good goodness of fit for the two factors measuring shame and guilt. The internal consistency was high in both subscales (shame, α = 0.818, and guilt, α = 0.834). The instrument showed further adequate construct validity, where the clinical sample experienced greater shame than the community sample (M = 17, SD = 6.887 vs. M = 13, SD = 5.311) and stronger guilt (M = 18, SD = 5.248 vs. M = 14, SD = 15.210). The subscales correlated with other constructs, as expected. The PFQ-2—with the suggested adjustment of moving one item (item 6) from the shame scale to the guilt scale—can be used to evaluate the levels of feelings of shame and guilt among adults in Norway.

Unpacking the Relationship Between Empowerment Leadership and Electricity Worker’s Unsafe Behavior: A Multi-Moderated Mediation Approach

Ensuring workplace safety in high-risk sectors is critical to achieving sustainable productivity and occupational health, particularly in industries prone to unsafe practices. Drawing on social exchange theory (SET), this study examines the impact of empowerment leadership (EL) on electricity workers’ unsafe behaviors (EWUBs) in Jordan, focusing on the mediating roles of safety motivation (SM) and work engagement (WE), as well as the moderating role of the error management climate (EMC). A quantitative approach was employed, collecting data from 409 electricity workers across various regions of Jordan. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) employing SmartPLS 4 to assess the relationships of these variables and AMOS 24.0 to compute the study measurement model’s internal consistency and construct validity. The results demonstrate that empowerment leadership significantly reduces electricity workers’ unsafe behaviors through increased safety motivation and work engagement. Furthermore, the error management climate moderates the relationship between empowerment leadership and work engagement (Estimate = 0.238, t = 7.783, &lt;0.001) is stronger when the error management climate is high and weaker but also insignificant when the error management climate is low (Estimate = 0.045, t = 1.015, &gt;0.05). The research highlights the crucial role of empowerment leadership in promoting safety motivation and work engagement, which (Estimate = 0.238, t = 7.783, &lt;0.001) is stronger and essential for minimizing unsafe behavior in high-risk industries like electricity. The findings highlight the pivotal role of shaping employees’ unsafe behavior and offers practical implications for policymakers and institutions aiming to promote employees’ safety behavior. Future studies also emphasize fostering an error management climate to reinforce these effects and organizations should focus on leadership development and creating a supportive error management climate to maximize safety outcomes.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric analysis of the Indonesian version of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES), patient self-report section

Purpose To translate the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) score into Indonesian and to assess its psychometric properties. Materials and methods The ASES score was translated into Indonesian following the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines. Next, the validity and reliability of the Indonesia-ASES (I-ASES) were investigated. Patients with shoulder problems at a hospital in Indonesia who were willing to participate completed three questionnaires: the I-ASES, the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). Participants were asked to complete the I-ASES a second time after a one-week interval. In adherence to COSMIN guidelines, we assessed construct validity using hypothesis testing, test–retest reliability, internal consistency, floor and ceiling effects, and measurement error. The Bland–Altman method was used to evaluate systematic bias. Results The I-ASES showed good construct validity. No floor or ceiling effects were found. An ICC value of 0.82 was found, indicating a robust level of test–retest reliability. A Cronbach α of 0.90 implied good internal consistency. Bland and Altman analysis showed no systematic bias. The standard error of measurement (SEM), the minimal detectable change at the individual level (MDCind) and at the group level (MDCgrp) were 2.3, 6.5, and 0.6, respectively. Conclusions The I-ASES shows good validity and reliability for evaluating shoulder problems in Indonesian-speaking patients and reveals comparable psychometric properties to those of the other languages version of ASES. Implications for rehabilitation The Indonesian version of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (I-ASES) is now available. I-ASES demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. I-ASES can be considered a valid and reliable questionnaire for use in Indonesian patients with shoulder problem.

Remote monitoring of social attention in neurogenetic syndromes and idiopathic neurodevelopmental disability.

Social attention is a key aspect of neurodevelopment and is significantly altered in neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes and many individuals with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The primary aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of webcam-collected social attention measurements, including four new specific aspects of social attention, in three genetic syndromes (PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome-PHTS; Malan Syndrome-NFIX; and SYNGAP1-related disorder-SYNGAP1), a mixed group of other neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes (Other NDGS), and individuals with a range of idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD). The secondary aim was to evaluate the construct validity of these social attention measurements, including evaluating known-groups validity across study groups and concurrent validity for separating ASD and non-ASD cases. Participants (N = 467, age 3-45; PHTS n = 102, NFIX n = 23, SYNGAP1 n = 42, other NDGS n = 63, idiopathic NDD n = 53, neurotypical siblings n = 71, and unrelated neurotypical controls n = 113) completed a 4-min online-administered social attention paradigm that includes a variety of distinct stimuli at three timepoints (baseline, 1-month, and 4-month follow-up). Social attention measures had good scale and test-retest reliability, with the exception of measures of non-social preference and face-specific processing. Unique patterns of social attention emerged across study groups, with near neurotypical levels in PHTS and weaker social attention in NFIX and SYNGAP1 relative to controls. Global social attention had good accuracy in detecting ASD within NDGS participants. Remote monitoring social attention, including distinct aspects of social attention, may be useful for characterizing phenotypic profiles and tracking the natural history of distinct NDGS and idiopathic NDD as well as identifying ASD within NDGS. Given their reproducibility and stability, global social attention and several distinct social attention measures may be useful outcomes for future clinical trials.

Personality-Driven Adoption of WhatsApp and Facebook for Educational Collaboration: Academic Performance as a Mediator

The Big Five Personality Traits—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism—are widely regarded as a comprehensive framework for understanding individual differences. These traits influence various behaviors, including social interactions, learning preferences, and technology adoption. Objectives of the study were; 1) To analyze the relationship between the Big Five Personality Traits and students' adoption of WhatsApp and Facebook for educational collaboration. 2) To investigate the association between social network site usage and academic performance of the students. 3) To evaluate the mediating role of academic performance in the relationship between the Big Five Personality Traits and the educational use of WhatsApp and Facebook. All 8617 Students of grade 10th of District Attock, (4,868 Boys &amp; 3,749 Girls) at secondary and higher secondary school level in 248 public schools were the population of the study. 816 students were the sample for this study from the population. Proportional Sampling technique was used for sampling. Big Five Personality Tool consists of 39, Usage of Social Network Sites tool consists of twenty nine different items for five basic and commonly used Social Network Sites. Reliability of the tools was found by using Cronbach’s Alpha. For content validity, both research tools were validated from the experts of field of education while for construct validity, EFA was performed. The findings from the PROCESS procedure (Model 4) offer insights into the relationships between Big Five Personality Traits (BFPTs), Academic Performance (AP), and Social Network Sites (SNSs). The analysis shows that BFPTs significantly predict Scholastic Performance (SP), with a positive coefficient of 1.528 (p &lt; 0.01). The model's R-squared value of 0.528 indicates that 52.81% of the variance in Scholastic Performance can be explained by BFPTs. This relationship suggests that students' personality traits are strongly related to their academic performance. Hence, it is recommended that, Interventions should focus on improving both Scholastic Performance and personality traits to help students manage their social media usage effectively.

Measures of social connectedness in adult populations: a systematic review

BackgroundPoor social connectedness has been identified as a risk factor for poor mental health but there is a lack of standardisation in how it is measured. This systematic review aimed to identify suitable measures of social connectedness for use in UK adult general populations.MethodsSearches were undertaken in two stages to identify: (1) measures of social connectedness from review articles and grey literature and (2) studies reporting on the psychometric properties of the identified measures. Grey literature and five databases were searched: MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO; CINAHL and Web of Science. Studies based on UK adult general populations (16–65 years) or other English language speaking countries with similar cultures (US, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) were included. Psychometric evidence was extracted relating to six general domains: conceptual model, content validity, reliability, construct validity, scoring and interpretability, and respondent burden and presentation. A narrative synthesis summarised these psychometric properties.ResultsStage (1) 2,396 studies were retrieved and, 24 possible measures of social connectedness were identified; stage (2) 6,218 studies were identified reporting on psychometrics of identified measures and 22 studies were included. These studies provided psychometric evidence for 10 measures, and we did not find psychometric studies for the other identified measures. Six measures (6/10, 60%) reported assessing loneliness and four (4/10, 40%) reported assessing social support but there was a degree of overlap between the assessments of each concept. There was good evidence of reliability across measures, 90% (9/10) had adequate internal consistency, but evidence of content validity was only available for one scale. Five measures (5/10, 50%) reported on at least half of the psychometric criteria, and these were: UCLA-3 (for loneliness), and MSPSS, F-SozU K-6, SPS-10 and SPS-5 (for social support).ConclusionsThis review identified ten social connectedness measures, and identified UCLA-3, MSPSS, F-SozUK-6, SPS-10, and SPS-5 as having the most robust psychometric properties for the UK adult population. Further testing is required to establish content validity, and to clarify the definition and conceptualisation of social connectedness, to enable standardisation in the approach to measuring social connectedness.

Psychometric Validation of Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral to Care (SPARC) in Korean Cancer Patients.

Identifying the palliative care needs of patients with advanced cancer is important for maintaining quality of life and timely transition to palliative care. We aimed to validate the Korean Sheffield Profile for Assessment and Referral for Care (K-SPARC) in such patients and establish its psychometric properties, including reliability, validity, and responsiveness to change. We used the forward-back translated version of SPARC, which was verified through a pilot study, to assess the palliative care needs of patients with advanced cancer. Reliability was evaluated by internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficients and test-retest reliability. Criterion validity was analyzed against other questionnaires, including the Korean versions of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G Korean) and Korean versions of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (K-ESAS). Factor analysis was used to assess construct validity. Two hundred fifty-nine patients were included from 2019 to 2022. Forty-nine percent of all patients were women, and the median age was 63 years. Cronbach's alpha coefficient (range, 0.642-0.903) and test-retest reliability (range, 0.574-0.749) indicated acceptable reliability. The correlation coefficients between K-SPARC and FACT-G Korean suggested significant criterion validity. The correlation coefficients for the physical, social, emotional, and functional domains were 0.701, 0.249, 0.718, and 0.511, respectively (p-value <0.001, all). Factor analysis demonstrated satisfactory construct validity of the tool. This study demonstrated the utility of K-SPARC as an evaluation tool for providing palliative care to patients with advanced cancer through psychometric validation; the tool had good internal consistency, reliability, and acceptable validity.

Reliability and validity of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia in patients with traumatic hand-forearm injuries.

Fear of movement in patients with traumatic hand-arm injuries can negatively affect functional outcomes. Therefore, it is important to evaluate fear of movement in this patient population. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia in patients with traumatic hand-forearm injuries. Cross-sectional. Hand rehabilitation unit in a university hospital. The study included 170 patients with traumatic hand-arm injuries and a mean age of 37.57 (11.85) years. Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory and pain severity rating (via Visual Analog Scale) were completed by interview in the first session. In addition, Modified Hand Injury Scoring System was used to determine severity of the injury. Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia was re-administered 15 days after the first session. Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia were evaluated. In addition, exploratory factor analysis was completed using baseline data. Cronbach's alpha for the scale was 0.604, and test-retest reliability was acceptable (ICC = 0.646). Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia had a significant relationship with Beck Anxiety Inventory (r = 0.269, p < 0.001), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (r = 0.457, p < 0.001) and pain severity at rest (r = 0.168, p = 0.029). Factor analysis estimated the scale represented five subsections in this population. Psychometric properties of the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia were acceptable in patients with hand-forearm injuries. However, since our results were weaker than those in the literature, this should be considered when interpreting the results.

Developing an instrument to measure the quality of social work cancer counseling regarding return to work — psychometric properties of the German Quality of Cancer Counseling Questionnaire-Return to Work (QCCQ-W)

PurposeCounseling by social workers can be of great relevance supporting cancer survivors with their psychosocial challenges such as returning to work. However, an instrument for assessing the quality between social worker and client in the cancer counseling setting regarding return to work is not yet available. This study was carried out to develop and validate an instrument for this purpose.MethodsA questionnaire was developed in collaboration with cancer counseling experts. Data collection took place in 19 outpatient cancer counseling centers in Germany. Cancer survivors seeking advice regarding their occupational situation were asked to complete the questionnaire 3 months after starting counseling. Exploratory factor analysis (n = 229) and confirmatory factor analysis (n = 216) in two distinct samples, as well as validity and reliability tests, were performed.ResultsExploratory factor analysis suggested a two-component solution. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed this solution, with a satisfactory model fit (CFI = 0.995, RMSEA = 0.049, SRMSR = 0.036). The components identified included six items with three items each and were termed “1. relationship building” and “2. competent support.” The components had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α between 0.84 and 0.92) and test–retest reliability (1. r(30) = 0.49, p = 0.005, 2. r(30) = 0.89, p < 0.001). Significant correlations with other constructs measuring satisfaction with counseling and its usefulness indicated moderate to good construct validity (r between 0.36 and 0.77, p < 0.001).ConclusionThe questionnaire developed shows satisfactory psychometric properties. It is an evaluation tool specific for cancer counseling regarding return to, since it will initially be used to evaluate an intensified program for supporting cancer survivors returning to work after treatment. It may also be tested as an instrument for quality assurance and management in general cancer counseling in the future.

Exploring heterogeneity of perimenopause with application of multivariable analysis approaches

ObjectivesHeterogeneity of clinical appearance had made it a challenge to make individualized and comprehensive management of perimenopause. This study aimed to estimate the profiles over heterogenous appearances of perimenopause with application of latent variable analysis methods over an optimized multidimensional assessing framework.MethodsA two-phase clinical study was designed and advanced in the research center in Guangzhou, China. The assessing framework was developed over the initial item pool as integration of 4 scales including Insomnia severity index, Modified Kupperman index, Self-rating anxiety scale, and Self-rating depression scale. Validity and reliability of the instrument were evaluated and the psychometric properties of the items were estimated with multidimensional item response theory(MIRT). And then computer adaptive testing(CAT) was developed with the estimated model. We used latent profile analysis (LPA) to cluster patients into subgroups as patterns characterized by multidimensional latent trait scores. Finally, interpretability and efficiency were analyzed via comparison between the two assessing strategies.ResultThere were in total 336 patients diagnosed with perimenopause enrolled for the assessment. A conceptual framework was estimated consisting of 6 factors including sleep disturbance, mood swings, vasomotor symptoms, positive attitude towards life, multisystem abnormality, and fatigue. The construct validity was evaluated as optimized with CMIN/df = 1.814, GFI = 0.619, CFI = 0.721, TLI = 0.707 and RMSEA = 0.075. With scores in the simulated CAT, the 4 latent profiles model was estimated indicating the heterogeneity of perimenopause characterized by different severity of psychological and physical discomforts in the LPA.ConclusionThe quantitative paradigm raised in this study revealed the potential patterns presenting heterogeneity of perimenopause offering better interpretation for clinical assessment.

Establishing construct validity for dynamic measures of behavior using naturalistic study designs.

There has been a recent surge of naturalistic methodology to assess complex topics in psychology and neuroscience. Such methods are lauded for their increased ecological validity, aiming to bridge a gap between highly controlled experimental design and purely observational studies. However, these measures present challenges in establishing construct validity. One domain in which this has emerged is research on theory of mind: the ability to infer others' thoughts and emotions. Traditional measures utilize rigid methodology which suffer from ceiling effects and may fail to fully capture how individuals engage theory of mind in everyday interactions. In the present study, we validate and test a novel approach utilizing a naturalistic task to assess theory of mind. Participants watched a mockumentary-style show while using a joystick to provide continuous, real-time theory of mind judgments. A baseline sample's ratings were used to establish a "ground truth" for the judgments. Ratings from separate young and older adult samples were compared against the ground truth to create similarity scores. This similarity score was compared against two independent tasks to assess construct validity: an explicit judgment performance-based paradigm, and a neuroimaging paradigm assessing response to a static measure of theory of mind. The similarity metric did not have ceiling effects and was significantly positively related to both the performance-based and neural measures. It also replicated age effects that other theory of mind measures demonstrate. Together, our multimodal approach provided convergent evidence that dynamic measures of behavior can yield robust and rigorous assessments of complex psychological processes.

Psychometric Properties and Cultural Adaptation of the Persian Version of the Family Functioning Questionnaire in Rehabilitation (FFQR) in Parents of Children with Disabilities

Background: Children with special needs require extensive medical and rehabilitative interventions, which pose significant challenges for their families. The Family Functioning Questionnaire in Rehabilitation (FFQR) assesses family performance in this context. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the reliability, validity, and cultural adaptation of the Persian version of the FFQR among Iranian parents of children with special needs. Methods: This methodological study rigorously evaluated face and content validity, criterion validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity. Participants included 250 parents of children aged 3 to 18 with special needs, recruited from rehabilitation facilities in Tehran province. Results: The translation process, along with assessments of face and content validity, led to adjustments in questionnaire items. The Persian version of the FFQR demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.946) and high test-retest reliability (correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.94). However, criterion validity with the Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale-developmental disability was not established. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original factor structure of the FFQR, affirming its cross-cultural applicability. Model fit indices indicated reasonable fit, although the chi-square test suggested an imperfect fit (χ² = 2409.03, df = 1074, P &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: The Persian FFQR proved to be a reliable and culturally relevant tool for assessing family functioning in the rehabilitation of Iranian children with special needs. These findings highlight the importance of employing culturally sensitive measurement tools in research and clinical applications.