Reliability Estimates Research Articles

Smartphone application for assessing teacher performance

This work seeks to design a smartphone application for assessing teacher performance utilizing a 4D development model modified with the Mardapi instrument development model of (1) define (defining); (2) design (deciding instrument requirements, determi­ning application media specifications, creating flowcharts, and creating storyboards); (3) develop (assemble instruments, code, execute tests, evaluate test results, and interpret measurement findings); and (4) disseminate (spread). Proof of the application’s viability was established through product testing with 26 principals acting as application users and evaluations by material and media specialists. The content validity of the acquired results was evaluated using the Aiken method, and the construct validity was evaluated using PLS (Partial Least Squares) analysis because the sample size does not have to be large, in accordance with this study where the number of samples is not so large. Using Cronbach’s alpha to evaluate the reliability. The results demonstrated that the built application was “possible,” as proven by the existing instruments in the valid and trustworthy application. This is proven by the fact that the content validity test utilizing the Aiken method yielded good validity results, with a mean score of 0.80 for material experts and 0.75 for media experts. The construct validity test using PLS (Partial Least Squares) yielded positive results for validity. The estimation of reliability using Cronbach’s alpha yields positive findings. Therefore, it can be concluded that the developed application for teacher performance evaluation possesses the features of a valid and trustworthy assessment instrument.

Rapid detection of adulterated lamb meat using near infrared and electronic nose: A F1-score-MRE data fusion approach

Individual detection techniques cannot guarantee accurate and reliable results when combatting the presence of adulterated lamb meat in the market. Here, we propose an approach combining the electronic nose and near-infrared spectroscopy fusion data with machine learning methods to effectively detect adulterated lamb meat (mixed with duck meat). To comprehensively analyse the data from both techniques, the F1-score-based Model Reliability Estimation (F1-score-MRE) data fusion method was introduced. The obtained results demonstrate the superiority of the F1-score-MRE method, achieving an accuracy rate of 98.58% (F1-score: 0.9855) in detecting adulterated lamb meat. This surpasses the performance of the traditional data fusion and feature concatenation methods. Furthermore, the F1-score-MRE data fusion method exhibited enhanced stability and accuracy compared with the single electronic nose and near-infrared data processed by the self-adaptive BPNN model (accuracy: 94.36%, 93.66%; F1-score: 0.9435, 0.9368). This study offers a promising solution to address concerns regarding adulterated lamb meat.

Beyond self-report surveys: A comparison of methods for directly observing motivationally supportive teaching practices

Observational measures of teaching are scarce in the motivation literature, but are needed for furthering theoretical knowledge and recommendations for how teachers can support motivation. To inform the development of effective observational tools, particularly for STEM settings, and based on a synthesis of current practices for observing motivational teaching, video lecture recordings from three undergraduate chemistry classes were observed for evidence of instructors’ supports for students’ motivation, including autonomy support, relevance support, and enthusiasm. Four different coding procedures selected from prior research were compared using interrater reliability estimates and descriptive comparisons of observer scores with student perceptions obtained from surveys. Results indicated that even with minimal coder training, observational measures of relevance support (i.e., connections to real life, support for meaningfulness, relevance statements) and enthusiasm achieved acceptable reliability in capturing motivational teaching that also appeared to align with student perceptions. For other observational measures, results indicated a need for further development including clearer operational definitions, limiting the number of processes observers are expected to simultaneously observe, and perhaps more extensive training for coders. To increase replicability and validity, we call for and contribute to greater transparency in reporting the development and implementation of observational methods for capturing contextual supports for students’ optimal psychological functioning in school.

Multi‐level Factor Analysis of Daily Data to Identify Subsyndromes of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms

AbstractBackgroundBehavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) are dynamic phenomena with a high amount of intraindividual variability. Many studies have used single‐level factor analysis approaches to identify subsyndromes of BPSD based upon meaningful groupings of co‐occurring symptoms yet, proposed subsyndromes have not been successfully replicated and lack stability over time. This may be due to measurement issues which do not account for dependencies in the data and create temporal misalignment. We applied an innovative multi‐level framework to overcome limitations of prior research to identify subsyndromes of BPSD.MethodsThis study used an intensive longitudinal design in which co‐residing family caregivers to persons living with dementia in the community were recruited to proxy‐report on their care recipient’s daily symptom experiences of 23 different BPSD for 8 consecutive days. A multi‐level exploratory/confirmatory factory analysis was utilized to account for nested data and separate within‐person variances from between‐level factor estimates.ResultsFamily caregivers (N = 70) were on average African American (54%) females (69%) most often caring for a parent with dementia (62%) average 74 years old requiring assistance with 4.5/7 activities of daily living. Data were provided on 79% of sampled days (n = 443 diaries). Exploratory factor analysis identified a 4‐between 3‐within factor structure based on fit statistics and clinical interpretability. The between‐level subsyndromes include wandering/aggression/care resistance (F1), affective/apathy/psychosis/vocalizations (F2), cognitive/ lability/ euphoria/ impulsivity/ compulsions (F3), and hallucinations/uncooperative (F4). Reliability estimates were high: 0.88 (F1), 0.91 (F2), 0.83 (F3), and 0.79 (F4).ConclusionThe between‐level factor structure identified through the multilevel factor analysis framework provide a more valid and reliable estimation of clinical subsyndromes within a population by separating out the variance due to within‐person daily fluctuations. At the between‐level, hallucinations was the only BPSD to cross‐load, which may indicate they are a byproduct of unmanaged depression in the affective/psychosis factor and their own unique subsyndrome. Support for the between‐level subsyndromes can be found in studies on shared neurobiological mechanisms of BPSD. The within‐level factors are similar to structures found in a recent systematic review. We argue these within‐level factors are more representative of symptom clusters, as they are driven by fluctuating contextual factors.

Role of CT attenuation correction gated SPECT MPI in prediction of pulmonary hypertension

ObjectiveTo elucidate the value of gated SPECT-MPI using CT attenuation correction (AC) for prediction of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) in coronary patients by estimation of reliability of non-contrast CT in measurement of main pulmonary artery diameter (MPAd) as well as by assessment of potential predictive role of gated parameters as beneficial accessory findings. BackgroundContrast-enhanced CT is known as an accurate tool for assessment of MPAd to predict PHT. [1] The low-dose non-contrast CT which is used for AC in MPI study, however, has an unclear value in precise vascular diameter measurement; it is also uncertain whether gated parameters could help to predict PHT. Methods and patientsA total of 207 patients, who had a transthoracic echocardiography and MPI with an interval of maximum one month, underwent this retrospective study. PHT was defined as a RVSP ≥36 mmHg by echocardiography; peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity (PTRV) was also calculated to use as a criterion for PHT. Of all subjects, 120 had RVSP ≥ 36 and 87 showed RVSP < 36; there also were 191 and 16 patients with PTRV ≤ 3.4 m/s and >3.4 m/s, respectively. Comparison was made unconnectedly between each group regarding the echocardiography results with the MPI parameters, with and without CT-AC, including MPAd derived from CT as well as RV/LV uptake ratio, shape index and septal wall motion and thickening scores to define the best indicators of PHT. ResultsThere was a significant association between established benchmark of PHT in echocardiography (RVSP), with MPAd derived from non-contrast CT as well as with LV shape index from gated study and RV/LV uptake ratio acquired from non-AC SPECT-MPI. Also, stress and rest RV/LV uptake ratio, MPAd, LV end-systolic and LV end-diastolic shape indexes are significantly higher in patients with RVSP ≥ 36 mmHg compare to patients with RVSP < 36 mmHg. ConclusionsGated-SPECT-MPI using CT-AC can predict PHT by reliable estimation of MPAd as well as by defining RV/LV uptake ratio and shape index, providing an added clinical value for this invaluable modality in cardiac patients.

The Psychometric Properties of Two Brief Measures of Teamwork in Sport.

In the current study, the structural and external validity of data derived from two shorter versions of the Multidimensional Assessment of Teamwork in Sport (MATS) were examined using multilevel analyses. Evidence of model-data fit was shown for both a 5-factor model comprising 19 items (with subscales assessing teamwork preparation, execution, evaluation, adjustments, and management of team maintenance) and a single-factor model comprising five items (providing a global estimate of teamwork). In general, data from both versions were positively and significantly correlated with (and distinct from) athletes' perceptions of team cohesion, collective efficacy, performance satisfaction, enjoyment in their sport, and commitment to their team and their coaches' transformational leadership. The measures appear well suited to detect between-teams differences, as evidenced by intraclass correlation coefficients and acceptable reliability estimates of team-level scores. In summary, the 19-item Multidimensional Assessment of Teamwork in Sport-Short and five-item Multidimensional Assessment of Teamwork in Sport-Global provide conceptually and psychometrically sound questionnaires to briefly measure teamwork in sport.

Estimation of the stress-strength parameter under two-sample balanced progressive censoring scheme

In this paper, we obtain the stress-strength reliability estimation under balanced joint Type-II progressive censoring scheme for independent samples from two different populations. We simultaneously place two independent samples where the experimental units follow Weibull distributions with common shape parameter β and different scale parameters α, λ, respectively. The maximum likelihood estimators of the unknown parameters are derived. Further, the Bayesian inference is considered using Lindley's approximation and Gibbs sampling method. Extensive simulations are performed to see the effectiveness of the proposed estimation methods. Further, we derive the optimal censoring scheme in the Bayesian framework by using the variable neighbourhood search method proposed by [Bhattacharya et al. On optimum life-testing plans under type-ii progressive censoring scheme using variable neighbourhood search algorithm. Test. 2016;25(2):309–330]. Further, some simulation schemes are provided to compare the performances of the estimations under the jointly censored samples versus two separate censored samples.

Emotional Intelligence And Mathematics Achievement Of Underachieving High Ability Senior Secondary School Students: A Perspective Of Inclusivity In Regular Secondary Schools In Calabar Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria

Some high ability students who show great mathematics potentials fails to perform at a level commensurate with their abilities in mathematics. Most of them lack self-efficiency, goal directedness or self-regulation skills which has resulted to poor performance in Mathematics The dwindling performance in Mathematics in both internal and external examinations among high ability students in Nigeria are not because they do not have the intellect but because of prevailing factors of emotional intelligence which influence their performance in schools. The main purpose of the study is to examined the relationship between emotional intelligent and Mathematics achievement of high ability students in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. This study adopted correlational survey design which determined emotional intelligence (wellbeing, self control and sociability) as relate to Mathematics achievement of high ability students in Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. It was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses. A sample of 400 Senior Secondary II students was selected from public schools using the stratified random sampling technique, school record, and teachers’ nomination checklist. Two instruments, emotional intelligence Questionnaire (EIQ) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT), were used for data collection. The reliability of the questionnaire, established using Cronbach Alpha with a coefficient of 81 and .84 while the reliability estimate of the high ability Students’ MAT was established through Kuder Richardson formula K-R20 which yielded .83. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson product Moment Correlation Coefficient at .05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that wellbeing, self control, sociability significantly relate with mathematics achievement of underachieving high ability senior secondary school students. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended amongst others that the attributes of emotional intelligence should be taken into consideration during planning of educational curriculum so as to enrich the current Mathematics curriculum and enhance high ability students’ performance in the subject.&#x0D; &#x0D;

An analytical approach to the estimation of vehicular communication reliability for intersection control applications

Connected and automated vehicles bring the capability to generate traffic data for intersection control applications. Unfortunately, for various reasons, such as signal blocking and interference, vehicles may experience communication failures leading to inefficiencies, e.g., unnecessarily long waiting queues, increased noise and greenhouse gas emissions or increased delays of emergency vehicles at intersections resulting in lower life-saving rates. This paper proposes an analytical approach to estimate vehicular communication reliability for road intersection control applications. The road segment in front of the intersection is divided dynamically into two areas. Due to the physical proximity to the roadside unit, the adjacent area is assumed to have more reliable communication than the more distant area. Consequently, the information about the approaching traffic in the more distant area is deduced from received communication in both areas. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by simulation experiments. First, we evaluate the communication reliability estimator by prediction accuracy metrics. Second, we study the benefits of the deployment of this estimator for emergency vehicle preemption. Our results provide evidence that the estimator has the potential to improve the performance of intersection control applications.

Academic Stress and Parental Pressure as Predictors of Psychological Health in Covid-19 Emergency Times among School Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria: The Implication for Counseling

Background: Academic stress and parental pressure have been shown to be important factors associated with psychological health. However, the internal mechanism between them is still not clear.&#x0D; Aim: This study assessed the joint significant influence of the predictor variables (academic stress and parental pressure) as predictors of psychological health in COVID-19 emergency times among school children with disabilities in Calabar metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria: The implication for counseling.&#x0D; One study objective was stated, and one statement of hypothesis was posed. A literature review was carried out based on the variable under study.&#x0D; Method: The research design that was adopted in this study is correlational research design. A simple random sampling technique was adopted to select the 234 respondents sampled for the study from a population of 2,344. A validated 35-item four-point modified Likert scale questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The face and content validity of the instrument was established by experts in Test and Measurement. The reliability estimates 0.89 of the instruments were established using the Cronbach Alpha method. A multiple Linear regression statistical tool was used to test the hypotheses formulated for the study. The hypothesis was tested at a 0.05 level of significance.&#x0D; Results: The results obtained from the data analysis revealed that there is a joint significant influence of the predictor variables (academic stress and parental pressure) on psychological health in COVID-19 emergency times among school children with learning disabilities.&#x0D; Conclusion: Sometimes, stress and pressure can be motivating at the mild stage. However, at the severe stage, it could lead to frustration, social pressure, family workload, and cognitive overload, which in turn influences an individual to use and abuse substances in order to escape from unpleasant feelings of life situations. It was recommended that Parents should advise students on how to perform well academically rather than setting standards that may put so much pressure on students, which may have a negative impact on the psychological health of the students.

Validation of the novel Eosinophilic Esophagitis Impact Questionnaire

BackgroundEosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) has a detrimental effect on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The Eosinophilic Esophagitis Impact Questionnaire (EoE-IQ) is a novel patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure assessing the impact of EoE on HRQOL. To assess suitability of the EoE-IQ, its measurement properties were evaluated.MethodsUsing baseline and week 24 data from the pivotal, randomized, placebo-controlled, multinational phase 3 R668-EE-1774 trial (NCT03633617) of dupilumab, we evaluated EoE-IQ’s measurement properties (including reliability, construct and known-groups validity, and ability to detect change) and established the threshold for change in scores that can be considered clinically meaningful.ResultsThe analysis population comprised 239 adults and adolescents with EoE. Mean age was 28.1 (standard deviation, 13.14) years; 63.6% were male, and 90.4% were White. Reliability estimates for the EoE-IQ average score exceeded acceptable thresholds for patients who were stable as indicated by ratings of Patient Global Impression of Severity (PGIS) and Change (PGIC) (intraclass correlation coefficients, 0.75 and 0.81). Construct validity correlations with other EoE-specific PRO scores were moderate at baseline (|r|= 0.44–0.60) and moderate to strong at week 24 (|r|= 0.61–0.72). In known-groups analysis, EoE-IQ average score discriminated among groups of patients at varying EoE severity levels defined by PGIS scores. A ≥ 0.6-point reduction in EoE-IQ average score (where scores range from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating worse HRQOL) from baseline to week 24 can be considered clinically meaningful.ConclusionsThe EoE-IQ’s measurement properties are acceptable, making it a valid, reliable measure of the HRQOL impacts of EoE among adults and adolescents.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03633617. Registered August 14, 2018, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03633617.

A Descriptive Analysis of Social Media Usage as Predictors of Study Habits among Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Calabar Metropolis: Implications for Inclusive Education

Aim: This study is a descriptive analysis of Facebook and WhatsApp as predictors of study habits among SSII students with disabilities in Public Secondary Schools of Calabar Metropolis of Cross River State, Nigeria: Implications for inclusive education. Two study objectives were stated to guide the study and achieve its goals. Two research questions were formulated. A literature review was carried out based on the variables under study, as research gaps were also stated.&#x0D; Method: The study utilised the descriptive survey research design. The population of Senior Secondary School II (SSII) students with disabilities in Calabar Metropolis comprises 3,814 from 24 public Secondary Schools. The study used a stratified random sampling technique. Out of 3,814 respondents, 763 respondents were sampled for the study. A validated 15-item four-point modified Likert scale questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection. The face and content validity of the instrument was established by experts in Test and Measurement from the University of Calabar, Calabar-Nigeria. The reliability estimates of 0.82 for the instruments were established using the Cronbach Alpha method. A descriptive analysis of frequency, percentages, mean, and standard deviation was used to test the research questions posed for the study.&#x0D; Results: The results obtained from the data analysis revealed there is a high extent of the impact of Facebook on study habits among SSII students with disabilities, and there is also a high extent of the impact of WhatsApp on study habits among SSII students with disabilities in Public Secondary Schools of Calabar Metropolis of Cross River State, Nigeria&#x0D; Conclusion: Based on the study's findings, it was concluded that Facebook and WhatsApp utilisation significantly impact study habits among SSII students with disabilities in Public Secondary Schools in the study area.&#x0D; Recommendation: Based on the result of the study, it was recommended that there should be a continuity of inclusive education policies and social media usage in Cross River State and Nigeria at large.

Approximate dynamic programming for condition-based node deployment in a wireless sensor network

The flexibility of deployment strategies combined with the low cost of individual sensor nodes allow wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to be integrated into a variety of applications. Network operations degrade over time as sensors consume a finite power supply and begin to fail. In this work we address the selective maintenance of a WSN through a condition-based deployment policy (CBDP) in which sensors are deployed over a series of missions. The main contribution is a Markov decision process (MDP) model to maintain a reliable WSN with respect to region coverage. Due to the resulting high dimensional state and outcome space, we explore approximate dynamic programming (ADP) methodology in the search for high quality CBDPs. Our model is one of the first related to the selective maintenance of a large-scale WSN through the repeated deployment of new sensor nodes with a reliability objective, and one of the first ADP applications for the maintenance of a complex WSN. Additionally, our methodology incorporates a destruction spectrum reliability estimate which has received significant attention with respect to network reliability, but its value in a maintenance setting has not been widely explored. We conclude with a discussion on CBDPs in a range of test instances, and compare the performance to alternative deployment strategies.

Adaptation and Validation of the Mental Health Continuum Long Form (MHC-LF) in Indonesia: A Psychometric Analysis

The study aims to adapt and validate the MHC-LF in Indonesia. The sample used was 315 participants (29 client group and 286 general group. Psychometric property analysis was carried out, including item analysis, reliability estimation using test-retest and internal consistency, and collecting validity evidence based on test content, internal structure, and relationships with other variables. The results showed that psychological well-being item number 10 and social well-being number 3 had insignificant loading factor values. MHC-LF reliability is high, with r= 0.85-0.94. This shows that the score produced by the MHC-LF is stable over time, and the items that compose it have internal consistency and are unidimensional. The expert panel judgment provides evidence that all MHC-LF items are relevant to measured aspects. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the three-factor model of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. MHC-LF is positively correlated with WEMWBS and negatively correlated with BDI-II. The difference in the mean scores of each subscale and the total significantly differed between the general and client groups. The validity evidence proves that the MHC-LF is a measuring tool that measures subjective well-being. The systematic judgmental scale provides evidence that the measurement tool for the translation results is equivalent to the original version.

MC-reduction simulation approach with heuristic rules for reliability estimation in a multi-state flow network

The system reliability of a multistate flow network (MSFN) holds significant importance as a critical indicator for assessing the probability of successfully transmitting a given demand. It is recognized that evaluating the system reliability of an MSFN presents a challenge due to its NP-hard property. Hence, the paper introduces a novel simulation approach based on minimal cuts (MCs) to estimate the system reliability of an MSFN. The MC-based simulation approach not only enhances computational efficiency during the simulation but also introduces two heuristic rules to remove the MCs that are likely to satisfy the demand. The first rule revolves around the concept of cut size, aiming to reduce the number of the MCs. Subsequently, a saturation threshold is implemented to preserve saturated MCs. By incorporating these two rules, the need to consider all MCs is circumvented, leading to notable gains in computational efficiency during the simulation. Furthermore, the proposed simulation approach effectively deals with non-integer demands directly for the system reliability estimation. Illustrative examples demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed MC-reduction simulation approach. Overall, the reduction in the number of MCs directly translates into a reduction in the time required, underlining the practical benefits of this innovative approach.

Development of Adolescent Strengths Use Scale for Turkish adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective This study aimed to develop and validate a new measure- the Adolescent Strengths Use Scale- to assess school-based strength use among Turkish adolescents. Method The study group consisted 1209 Turkish students in grades 7–12. A 12-item pool was initially created in light of the relevant literature and content analysis of open-ended questions asked to the relevant stakeholders including students, parents, teachers and psychological counsellors. Then, 16 experts evaluated the items in terms of their scope, conformity with language, and compliance with measurement and evaluation principles. The expert evaluation resulted in 7 remaining items which were subsequently tested with a pilot study (n = 103 students). Results Exploratory factor analysis (n = 596 students) yielded a single factor structure that explained 49.4% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis (n = 376) provided a good model fit to the data: X 2/df = 2.52, p < .001, TLI = 0.96, CFI = 0.98, GFI = 0.97, and RMSEA = 0.06. Regarding criterion validity, the scale had a significant positive correlation with student subjective well-being and prosociality while it had negative significant correlations with symptoms of internalising and externalising behaviours. Furthermore, the scale produced strong internal reliability estimates (α = 0,82, Ω = 0,83).The test-retest result was also sufficient (r = 0,88). Conclusions The results suggest that the newly developed scale can be used as a reliable and valid assessment tool to measure adolescents’ strength use in school settings.

Probabilistic assessment of seismic earth pressure against backfills with a nonlinear failure criterion

A novel approach for the probabilistic assessment of seismic earth pressure against nonlinear backfills is introduced in this study. To implement reliability-based design for the retaining structures under seismic loading condition, nonlinear upper bound analysis is adopted to obtain the seismic earth pressure through optimization procedure. Firstly, rigorous analytical function is formulated to reveal the normal-shear stress information along the failure surface in soil with nonlinear failure criterion. Subsequently, a kinematic equation is put forward to estimate the seismic earth pressures by balancing the external work rate and the internal energy dissipation rate. The solutions are verified by the Discontinuity Layout Optimization numerical modellings based on the derived stress data from the proposed method. To consider the probability analysis of nonlinear backfill properties, the moment method is presented by combining the adaptive dimension decomposition with the direct integral method. According to the estimated first four statistical moments, the approximated probability density function of the performance function is determined contently. Finally, the failure probability of seismic earth pressure is calculated based on the proposed moment method. Two numerical examples demonstrate that the moment method can be adapted to the characteristics of nonlinear backfills and further improve the accuracy of reliability estimation by introducing higher-order moments analytically.

FREEDOM: Validated Method for Rapid Assessment of Incipient Faults of Aerospace Systems

Model-based fault detection and isolation (FDI) methods allow to infer the health status of complex aerospace systems through a large quantity of data acquired in flight and evaluations of numerical models of the equipment. This results in an intensive computational procedure that can be addressed only grounding the aircraft. We introduce an original methodology to sensitively accelerate FDI by reducing the computational demand to identify the health status of the aircraft. Our scheme FREEDOM (Fast Reliability Estimate and Incipient Fault Detection of Multiphysics Aerospace Systems) proposes an original combination of a novel two-step compression strategy to compute offline a synthesized representation of the dynamical response of the system and uses an inverse Bayesian optimization approach to infer online the level of damage determined by multiple fault modes affecting the equipment. We demonstrate and validate FREEDOM against numerical and physical experiments for the case of an electromechanical actuator employed for secondary flight controls. Particular attention is dedicated to simultaneous incipient mechanical and electrical faults considering different experimental settings. The outcomes validate our FDI strategy, which permits to achieve the accurate identification of complex damages outperforming the computational time of state-of-the-art algorithms by two orders of magnitude.

An Assessment of the Internal Structure of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Using Two Samples of High-Risk Adolescents

The purpose of this study is to test the internal structure of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment, a widely used assessment of behavioral health difficulties among youth. The dimensionality and internal consistency of the CANS was examined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Cronbach’s coefficients. Data were drawn from two separate samples of adolescents (ages 11–17) who completed the CANS as part of a community-based intervention program. The use of two separate samples facilitated assessments of measurement invariance (Sample 1, n = 120; Sample 2, n = 170). Results did not provide strong support for the internal structure of the CANS. Item performance (i.e., standardized factor loadings), explained factor variance (R2), and internal reliability estimates (α) were inconsistent across CANS domains and samples. The implications of these findings for continued use of the CANS domains in jurisdictions across the country are discussed and key areas for future research are outlined.

Choosing Between Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha, McDonald’s Coefficient Omega, and Coefficient H: Confidence Intervals and the Advantages and Drawbacks of Interpretive Guidelines

The purpose of this instructional piece was to provide a nontechnical synthesis of common internal consistency reliability estimates used in professional counseling and in related fields. The article begins with an overview of coefficients alpha, omega, omega hierarchical, and H, with guidelines for their selection. Next, I provide recommendations for interpretive cutoff scores for higher and lower stakes testing followed by commentary on the limitations of relying too heavily on such guidelines. I discuss the importance of reporting confidence intervals (CIs) for reliability estimates to enhance reliability generalizations. When evaluating internal consistency reliability estimates of scores based on sample data counselors are advised to (a) determine the intended use of test scores in terms of higher or lower stakes testing, (b) take a multifaceted approach and consider the requirements of each reliability index, (c) include CIs, and (d) refer to interpretive cutoff scores as tentative general guidelines, not absolute standards.