Evidence Of Internal Consistency Reliability Research Articles

THEORETICALLY BASED FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH STROKE FAMILY CAREGIVER HEALTH

Abstract Background Most stroke survivors are cared for at home by family members, many of whom experience depressive symptoms and life changes as a result of providing care. While many studies have explored the factors associated with depressive symptoms and quality of life in family caregivers, few have focused on caregiver health. Purpose: To determine theoretically based factors associated with unhealthy days in stroke family caregivers. Methods A conceptual model derived from Lazarus’ theory of stress and coping was used to guide analysis. Secondary data analysis was conducted using baseline data from a large randomized controlled clinical trial testing the Telephone Assessment and Skill-building Kit (TASK II) program with 254 family caregivers of stroke survivors within 2 weeks of discharge from acute care and rehabilitation settings in participating Midwestern facilities. Data were analyzed using multiple regression with unhealthy days as the dependent variable, and theoretically based factors (i.e., caregiver task difficulty, level of optimism, threat appraisal, depressive symptoms, and life changes) as independent variables. All scales demonstrated evidence of internal consistency reliability with Cronbach alpha scores above .70. Results Caregivers were mostly female (78%), white (71%), spouses (47%) or adult children (30%). Caregivers reported 9 unhealthy days on average within the past month. Unhealthy days were significantly correlated with caregiver task difficulty (r=.32), level of optimism (r=-.29), threat appraisal (r=.44), depressive symptoms (r=.60), and life changes (r=-.40) (p<.05). 37.8% variance in unhealthy days was explained, with depressive symptoms being the only significant individual predictor due to shared variance.

Validation Psychometrical analysis of Sexual Machism Scale (EMS-Sexism-12) among university students from Arequipa, Peru

Background: Sexual masochism is a form of gender discrimination based on beliefs, stereotypes and attitudes that limit autonomy and devalue individuals based on their gender. Objective: To determine the internal structure validity and reliability of the EMS-Sexism-12 to measure sexual machismo in the Peruvian population. Method: The study used an instrumental design with a convenience sample of 2470 students from a public university in Arequipa, Peru. The sample consisted of 50% men (M = 20.53; SD = 2.64) and 50% women (M = 19.95; SD = 2.27), representing engineering and social science disciplines. The instrument used was the Sexual Machismo Scale (EMS-Sexism-12), originally constructed and validated in Mexico. Results: The data were analysed using CFA and the WLSMV estimator along with polychoric correlation matrices in the open-source software Rstudio. The analysis revealed a unidimensional model with good fit indices for both men (CFI = .924, TLI = .907, SMRM = 0.069) and women (CFI = .936, TLI = .922, SMRM = 0.051). Furthermore, evidence of internal consistency reliability was observed for men and women, respectively (ω = .969; ω = .897). Gender-specific norms are included for reference. Conclusions: The sexual machismo scale shows evidence of similar validity and reliability with the same items in men and women from Arequipa, Peru.

Validation of the existential gratitude scale (EGS) in India and its relationship with spiritual well-being and distress

ABSTRACT This research aimed to investigate psychometric properties of the Existential Gratitude Scale (EGS) in India. Study 1 examined the factorial validity of EGS using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, which suggested a two-factor structure. Study 2 examined reliability and validity of the scale derived after CFA (referred to as Indian EGS). Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability estimates provided evidence for internal consistency reliability of the Indian EGS. Adequate AVE values indicated convergent validity of the scale. Further, the EGS score reported significant positive correlations with GRAT-16 and spiritual well-being scores and a negative association with distress scores, confirming criterion validity of the Indian EGS. These results establish reliability and validity of the two-factored twelve-item EGS scale in the Indian context.

Self-Efficacy for Engineering Design (SEED): Instrument Development and Validation

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This article presents the development and validation of a novel instrument, the self-efficacy for engineering design (SEED) instrument, using a sample of 257 undergraduate students who studied engineering design (ED) in their mechanical engineering program of study. The SEED instrument consists of 35 self-report survey items distributed across nine subsections representing phases of ED. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Background:</i> ED helps foster creative thinking and promotes the application of technical knowledge to real-world problems. Self-efficacy is frequently used to evaluate educational outcomes. No adequate instruments exist to measure SEED. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Research Questions:</i> 1) Do the proposed items adequately represent and measure the SEED construct, based on experts’ judgments, and thus providing evidence for content validity? 2) Do the proposed items coherently cluster into categories that meaningfully represent the SEED construct, thus providing evidence for internal structure validity? and 3) Do the proposed items pertaining to each subsection of the SEED instrument have strong and consistent relations among each other, thus providing evidence for internal consistency reliability? <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Methodology:</i> This study used established theoretical frameworks in ED and design thinking to develop the SEED items. Evidence for content validity came from agreements of three experts, and for internal consistency via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and McDonald’s <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf{\Omega}$</tex-math> </inline-formula> indices. <p xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <i>Findings:</i> The proposed items for the SEED instrument can be 1) used to adequately represent and measure the SEED construct, based on experts’ judgments (content validity) and 2) grouped into categories that represent the SEED construct (construct validity). The proposed items pertaining to each category of the SEED instrument have strong and consistent relations among each other (internal consistency reliability).

Validation of the Behavioral Health Screen-Depression With Adolescents in Residential Care

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to (1) examine the psychometric properties of the Behavioral Health Screen Depression Subscale (BHS-DS), including internal consistency, factor structure, convergent and discriminant validity, and (2) identify cut-off scores on the BHS-DS to distinguish patients with depression risk and their level of severity among an acute clinical sample of adolescents in residential psychiatric care. Participants included 861 youths ages 10–24 at residential treatment centers who completed a battery of measures, including the BHS-DS and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Factor analysis, bivariate correlation, and Cronbach’s α suggested the BHS-DS is a unidimensional scale with evidence of internal consistency reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified four clinical cut-off scores (no, mild, moderate, and severe depression risk). Analysis of variance, Cohen’s kappa (κ), and Wilcoxon signed-rank test results suggested the four groups differ from each other and that the BHS-DS exhibits moderate agreement with the PHQ-9. The BHS-DS demonstrates good psychometric properties among a sample of residential youth, offering clinicians a good alternative to the PHQ-9 in screening for depression.

Creation And Pilot Testing Of The Confidence To Engage In Physical Therapy In Older Adults (CEPT) Measure

The measurement of self-efficacy is important in physical therapy (PT) settings where patients face barriers and adoption of new behavior is critical for recovery. However, existing measures of exercise self-efficacy do not account for the internal (i.e., fatigue) and external (i.e., scheduling) barriers to self-efficacy observed in older adults. We developed a self-report measure assessing an individual’s confidence to engage in PT despite barriers. Qualitative ratings from patients (N = 75; age M =78.26 ± 11.2; 80% white; 20% African American) enrolled in PT at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and their physical therapist were used to create a 21-item pool for the Confidence to Engage in Physical Therapy in Older Adults (CEPT). We next evaluated item characteristics and scale reliability and validity of the CEPT in a new sample of patients (N = 19; age M = 81.11± 8.93; 88.8% white, 11.1% African American) enrolled in an outpatient PT program who also received the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), and the Activities-specific Balance (ABC) Scale. Response choice ranged from 0% (not confident at all) to 100% (highly confident) with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy. Item analyses indicated adequate response variability across items (M = 55.9 ± 24.80, range 10-85). The scale demonstrated evidence of internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) = 0.98. Construct validity was demonstrated by positive association between CEPT and the ABC (r = .74, p < .001) and negative association with GDS-15 (r = -.64, p < .01). The CEPT requires further evaluation with larger sample sizes.

The Initial Development and Validation of the Perceptions of Disability Scale (PoDS): Results from Pilot Studies

The purpose of this study was to report the initial process of developing and validating the Perceptions of Disability Scale (PoDS), a scale designed to map a continuum of sympathy, empathy, and advocacy perspectives on people with disabilities. We first created a 30-item scale based on a thorough literature review and the findings of a previous qualitative study. Then we further refined and validated the scale through 3-phase approach as well as internal consistency reliability evidence and validity evidence based on content, response process, and internal structure. Results suggest that the final 21-item scale has excellent reliability and validity. Suggestions for how the scale can be used in recreational therapy practice and human-service related trainings, and for future research are provided.Subscribe to TRJ

Measuring Egyptian Women’s Vulnerability to Sexual Harassment Threat: Reliability and Validity Evidence

This study developed an instrument to assess Arab women’s perception of the threat of sexual harassment (SH). In order to capture the cultural and interpersonal aspects related to Arab women’s views of such a phenomenon, this study utilized an instrument of seven scales with a total of 76 items: Threat of SH, exposure to SH, society awareness, social engagement, religiosity, the effect of media, and perceived stress. The convenience sample in the study consisted of 1948 females aged 19-45 years from five governorates in Egypt. The study results provided evidence of internal consistency reliability and internal structure evidence of validity for the scales. Implications for social work education and practice were presented.

Measurement of Family Management in Families of Individuals With Down Syndrome: A Cross-Cultural Investigation.

Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability worldwide. The purpose of this analysis was to determine the internal consistency reliability of eight language versions of the Family Management Measure (FaMM) and compare family management of DS across cultures. A total of 2,740 parents of individuals with DS from 11 countries completed the FaMM. The analysis provided evidence of internal consistency reliability exceeding .70 for four of six FaMM scales for the entire sample. Across countries, there was a pattern of positive family management. Cross-cultural comparisons revealed parents from Brazil, Spain, and the United States had the most positive family management and respondents from Ireland, Italy, Japan, and Korea had the least positive. The rankings were mixed for the four remaining countries. These findings provide evidence of overall strong internal consistency reliability of the FaMM. More cross-cultural research is needed to understand how social determinants of health influence family management in families of individuals with DS.

Development and Validation of the Insomnia Daytime Symptoms and Impacts Questionnaire (IDSIQ).

Background and ObjectiveChronic insomnia has major consequences for daytime functioning, yet no fully validated patient-reported outcome instrument for once-daily assessments is available to measure these consequences. This study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Insomnia Daytime Symptoms and Impacts Questionnaire (IDSIQ).MethodsThe Daytime Insomnia Symptom Scale (DISS), an existing 20-item instrument for assessing daytime functioning, was modified to give an 18-item version of the IDSIQ (IDSIQ-18) based on iterative qualitative interviews with 54 subjects with insomnia and expert input. The construct validity and other psychometric properties of the IDSIQ-18 were analyzed based on an interventional study (NCT03056053) in which subjects with insomnia received zolpidem (5 or 10 mg) daily for 2 weeks and an observational study among subjects with no diagnosis of insomnia (good sleepers). Participants in both studies completed the IDSIQ-18 daily for 2 weeks. Exit interviews were conducted with a sample of subjects who completed the interventional study to elicit concepts defining the experience of insomnia, to assess understanding of the response scales, and to determine meaningful change thresholds. Exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis were conducted to further assess the structure and latent model for the scoring of the final IDSIQ instrument. Further psychometric evaluation of the final IDSIQ was then conducted.ResultsSubjects in both the interventional study (N = 114) and observational study (N = 103) were predominantly female (65% for subjects with insomnia and 60% for good sleepers). Mean age was 51 years for subjects with insomnia and 45 years for good sleepers. Subjects in the exit interviews (N = 41) demonstrated a good understanding of the IDSIQ-18 response scales. Day 1 mean scores were higher (worse) in subjects with insomnia compared with good sleepers. Based on inter-item correlation, exploratory factor, and Rasch analyses and review of the qualitative data, four items were removed. This yielded the final IDSIQ, with 14 items comprising three domains: Alert/Cognition, Mood, and Sleepiness. The domain structure was determined in a confirmatory factor analysis. Evidence of internal consistency reliability was strong: day 1 Cronbach’s alpha was 0.917 for IDSIQ total score and 0.806–0.918 for the domains. Test-retest reliability, assessed for subjects with insomnia with no change on the Patient Global Assessment of Disease Severity scale between day 1 and day 8, was also good (intra-class correlation coefficient 0.856–0.911). Meaningful change thresholds derived for this sample using anchor-based approaches were 20 for IDSIQ total score, 9 for the Alert/Cognition domain, 4 for the Mood domain, and 4 for the Sleepiness domain.ConclusionsThese studies, which closely followed Food and Drug Administration Guidance for Industry on patient-reported outcome measures, support use of the IDSIQ as a fit-for-purpose measure for deriving valid and reliable endpoints in insomnia clinical research trials and real-world studies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s40271-020-00474-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Measurement of Attributional Style for Positive and Negative Events Using the Children’s Attributional Style Interview-II

The current study provides psychometric support for the use of the Children’s Attributional Style Interview-II (CASI-II) to assess attributional style for positive and negative events with young adolescents. The paper-and-pencil version of the CASI-II was administered to a sample of 546 seventh- and eighth-grade students attending a Midwest suburban middle school (50% women, 54% white, 22% Hispanic, 10% Asian American, and 14% other). A multilevel confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated a factor structure consistent with attributional style theory and evidence for internal consistency reliability and temporal stability. Construct and convergent validity were strong. Dimensional subscale scores as well as composite scores for both positive and negative events showed adequate reliability and strong validity evidence. These results offer confidence for testing theory-driven predictions related to attributional style for both positive and negative events, as well as specific attributional dimensional patterns, using the CASI-II.

Development and validation of the SUCCESS instrument: Towards a valid and reliable measure of expectancies of success in school science

Research on factors affecting enrolments in science-related studies has constantly struggled with poorly conceptualized and developed measurement instruments. After discussing theoretical and psychometric properties pitfalls of the most relevant measures used in the Spanish science education literature, this study reports on the development and initial validation of an instrument rooted in the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation, named SUCCESS. Content validity was established using a panel of experts, and item readability and interpretation was confirmed through cognitive interviews with the target sample. Besides, exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 6-item unidimensional scale of satisfactory construct and convergent validity. Finally, Cronbach α and item-total r provided acceptable evidence for internal consistency reliability, which supports its use in exploratory studies. This promising instrument can be used to advance research on factors affecting enrollments in science education careers from the early stages of the educational system.

Mystical Experiences in Retrospective Reports of First Times Using a Psychedelic in Finland

ABSTRACT Despite their acutely inebriating and sometimes unpleasant effects, some people report positive changes in life satisfaction, well-being, or mental health after taking psychedelic drugs. One explanation may be the ability of psychedelics to trigger mystical-type experiences. We examined the validity, reliability, and factor structure of a novel Finnish translation of the Revised Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ30) among 288 people retrospectively reporting on their first time using a psychedelic. We found evidence for internal consistency reliability and preliminary evidence for criterion and discriminant validity of the Finnish MEQ30. A four-factor structure with factors for mystical qualities, positive mood, transcendence, and ineffability had the best, fair to reasonable fit to the data. MEQ30 scores and having a full mystical experience were highly associated with describing the experience as mystical, spiritual, or religious, and as personally significant, and somewhat associated with the experience being sad or difficult. Mystical experiences were especially associated with positive changes in relationships with nature and oneself and in creativity. Mystical experiences were more common with larger doses. Increasing research suggests mystical-type experiences to relate to positive changes after taking psychedelics. The Finnish MEQ30 is able to tap into relevant information about this aspect of people’s psychedelic experiences.

Development and psychometric testing of the self-care scale for patients with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF-SCS-10).

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) require continuous self-care due to possible complications and side effects from treatment. However, existing tools do not capture all of the critical factors of AF self-care and have limited evidence of reliability and validity. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a new Atrial Fibrillation Self-Care Scale-10 (AF-SCS-10) that assesses disease-specific, multidimensional, person-centered self-care for AF patients in South Korea. For this cross-sectional research design, 290 individuals over 20 years of age with a diagnosis of AF for at least three months were recruited. A literature review and in-depth interviews were utilized to identify the scale items. An expert panel evaluated the validity and reliability of a preliminary scale. Exploratory factor analysis and parallel analysis was performed to extract factors; confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to evaluate fit on the factor structures. Criterion validity was supported by the correlation between AF-SCS-10 and AF quality of life. The internal consistency reliability coefficient was 0.87. Three factors, "self-care knowledge," "self-care behavior," and "self-care resources" were extracted from the exploratory factory analysis, explaining 79.30% of the total variance in the data. The three-factor model was also confirmed by parallel analysis; CFA met the fitness criteria. There is preliminary evidence for internal consistency reliability, as well as content and construct validity, for the AF-SCS-10. Future research is needed to confirm the study results using a larger, more culturally diverse sample.

Validity and Reliability of the Daily Living Self-Efficacy Scale in Subacute Geriatric Rehabilitation

Aim: To examine the reliability and validity of the Daily Living Self-Efficacy Scale (DLSES) with patients participating in subacute geriatric rehabilitation. Methods: A prospective single-center cohort study of 151 patients was completed. Construct validity, convergent validity and internal consistency reliability were examined. Results: Cronbach’s α for the DLSES and the activities of daily living and psychosocial subscale were 0.73, 0.72 and 0.75, respectively, demonstrating sufficient evidence of internal consistency reliability. Principal components analysis established construct validity as three components with eigenvalues exceeding 1 (eigenvalues = 3.20, 1.31, 1.23) were generated, accounting for 63.69% of the variance in self-efficacy. Convergent validity was indicated as the DLSES was significantly positively correlated with the Cognitive Functional Independent Measure with r = 0.196 (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: This research has provided initial evidence for the reliability and validity of the DLSES with a general geriatric subacute rehabilitation population.

Psychometric testing of the developmental care scale for neonates with congenital heart disease.

Developmental care of neonates with CHD is essential for proper neurodevelopment. Measurement of developmental care specific to these neonates is needed to ensure consistent implementation within and across cardiac ICUs. The purpose of this study was to psychometrically test the Developmental Care Scale for Neonates with Congenital Heart Disease, which measures the quality of developmental care provided by bedside nurses to neonates in the cardiac ICU. Psychometric testing was conducted with 119 cardiac ICU nurses to provide evidence of internal consistency reliability and construct validity. Participants were predominantly young (median = 32 years), white (90%) females (93%) with bachelor's degrees (78%) and a median experience in the cardiac ICU of 7 years. Evidence of internal consistency reliability (α =.89) was provided with corrected item-total correlations ranging from .31 to .77. Exploratory factor analysis provided evidence of construct validity as a unidimensional scale, as well as a multidimensional scale consisting of four subscales: creating the external environment, assessment of family well-being, caregiver activities toward the neonate, and basic human needs. Evidence of reliability and validity of the 31-item Developmental Care Scale for Neonates with Congenital Heart Disease was established with nurses caring for neonates in the cardiac ICU. This instrument will serve as a valuable outcome measure tasked with improving developmental care performance and makes it possible to identify relationships between developmental care performance and neonatal neurodevelopmental outcomes in future research.

Corporate Sustainable Longevity: Scale Development and Validation

From the roots of corporate longevity that has been built by previous researchers, this article enhances existing work toward measuring the concept of corporate sustainable longevity (CSL) beyond an average firm’s age. By adopting the sequential exploratory mixed method, we performed this study in two phases: qualitative followed by quantitative. In the first phase, we used the Delphi method to verify and validate the thematic elements of the construct and generated a pool of items from the extant literature. In the second phase, we collected the data twice through a survey questionnaire (pilot N = 200 and final N = 271) and validated the scale through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The results generated a five-factor structure of CSL with model fit indices, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.15, goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.917, adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) = 0.901, normed fit index (NFI) = 0.938, incremental fix index (IFI) = 0.996 with comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.996 with satisfactory discriminant and convergent validities. Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.89 to 0.90 provided an evidence of internal consistency reliability of the CSL scale. This novel scale fills the gap in the literature by enabling practitioners and researchers in anticipating the firm’s ability to survive in the long run. The significance and limitations of the study are discussed in the end.

A Preliminary Study Measuring Social Self-Efficacy Among Early Adolescents and Its Association with Aggressive Behavior

ABSTRACTThis study evaluated a brief social self-efficacy (SSE) measure among 4,122 public middle school adolescents and its association with aggressive behavior. Data analytic procedures included calculating mean ratings, standard deviations in addition to inspecting the scale’s reliability, internal structure, and relationships to demographic and aggressive behavior (physical fighting, being bullied, and avoiding school) variables. Results revealed acceptable evidence of internal consistency reliability, internal structure, and relationships to the demographic and aggressive behavior variables. Females reported significantly higher SSE than males, seventh grade students reported significantly higher SSE than eighth grade students, while White and Black students reported significantly higher SSE than Asian students. Significantly lower SSE ratings were also noted for those who reported aggressive behavior. Results suggest SSE may be an important component in the adolescent developmental process and this brief measure of social self-efficacy may further facilitate inclusion in more comprehensive assessments for early adolescents.

University student engagement inventory (USEI): Psychometric properties

Academic engagement describes students’ investment in academic learning and achievement and is an important indicator of students’ adjustment to university life, particularly in the first year. A tridimensional conceptualization of academic engagement has been accepted (behavioral, emotional and cognitive dimensions). This paper tests the dimensionality, internal consistency reliability and invariance of the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI) taking into consideration both gender and the scientific area of graduation. A sample of 908 Portuguese first-year university students was considered. Good evidence of reliability has been obtained with ordinal alpha and omega values. Confirmatory factor analysis substantiates the theoretical dimensionality proposed (second-order latent factor), internal consistency reliability evidence indicates good values and the results suggest measurement invariance across gender and the area of graduation. The present study enhances the role of the USEI regarding the lack of consensus on the dimensionality and constructs delimitation of academic engagement.

Content validity of the developmental care scale for neonates with CHD.

For this cross-sectional study, items were developed based on clinical expertise and the core measures for developmental care. In this study, seven experts provided content validity ratings of items for total scale and subscale fit and relevance. A content validity index was used to determine item retention. Item modifications and additions were based on expert feedback. Expert ratings provided evidence of content validity on 24 of 53 items within the five domains of developmental care. A total of 24 items were deleted, and five items with low content validity ratings were retained, because of conceptual importance, and revised. An additional 11 items were added based on expert qualitative feedback. This study provided evidence of content validity of the developmental care scale for neonates with CHD by researchers and bedside nurses caring for these neonates. Further psychometric testing is warranted to provide evidence of internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and to identify variables that influence quality of the developmental care.