Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Research Articles

Impediments in BIM implementation for the risk management of tall buildings

This study background highlights the increasing need for effective management of risks in tall buildings due to their complexity and potential hazards. BIM has been accepted as a potential solution for management of risks in tall buildings; however, its adaptation has been slow due to several obstacles. The purpose of this study is to identify and validate the impediments to the adaptation of BIM for management of risks. The study adopted a two-step methodology, consisting of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). The data were collected through an online survey of professionals involved in design, construction, and management. Results of the study reveal six significant impediments: technical, integration, operational, creativity, privacy, and standardization. The findings provide theoretical contributions to the literature by identifying and validating the impediments to adaptation of BIM for risks in tall buildings. Practical implications suggest that organizations involved in design, construction, and management of tall buildings need to address the identified impediments to ensure successful adaptation of BIM for management of risks. This study contributes to the understanding of the obstacles to the adaptation of BIM for management of risks in tall buildings and provides insights for organizations to overcome these impediments.

Parenting in the context of driving: Spanish adaptation of the Family Climate for Road Safety (FCRSS) for parents and children

The Family Climate for Road Safety Scale (FCRSS; Taubman – Ben-Ari & Katz – Ben-Ami, 2013) is a comprehensive measure originally developed in Israel to assess parent-children relations in the specific context of driving. The scale consists of seven dimensions: Modelling, Feedback, Communication, Monitoring, Messages, Limits, and Non-commitment to Safety. While the original FCRSS examines the young drivers’ perception across the seven domains, a version applicable to parents has also been developed by the same authors. The current study investigates the validity and reliability of the FCRSS-Spain for both parents and young drivers. A total of 377 parents (199 fathers and 178 mothers) and 243 of their children (143 daughters and 100 sons) responded to the FCRSS-Spain versions and provided sociodemographic data. In addition, the young drivers completed the Spanish version of the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI-Spain). Results from exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) indicate that six out of the seven FCRSS domains were replicable among Spanish drivers. The Messages dimension did not emerge as a consistent factor in the FCRSS for either parents or young drivers. All six factors demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (ordinal alpha coefficients exceeding 0.70), except for Non-commitment to safety. Significant differences were found between mothers and fathers in various FCRSS dimensions in the predicted direction, whereas no significant differences in FCRSS scores were found between young men and young women. As expected, associations were found between parents’ scores in various FCRSS dimensions and the reckless, angry, dissociative, anxious, and careful driving styles reported by the young drivers, as well as between young drivers’ FCRSS scores and their self-reported reckless, angry, dissociative, anxious, and careful driving styles.

Psychometric and structural properties of the Karolinska Exhaustion Disorder Scale: a 1,072-patient study

ObjectiveExhaustion disorder is a stress-related diagnosis that was introduced in 2005 to the Swedish version of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th edition (ICD-10). The Karolinska Exhaustion Disorder Scale (KEDS) was developed to assess exhaustion disorder symptomatology. While the KEDS is intended to reflect a single construct and be used based on its total score, the instrument's characteristics have received limited attention. This study investigated the KEDS’s psychometric and structural properties in a large clinical sample.MethodsThe study relied on data from 1,072 patients diagnosed with exhaustion disorder that were included in two clinical trials in Sweden. We investigated the dimensionality, homogeneity, and reliability of the KEDS using advanced statistical techniques, including exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) bifactor analysis.ResultsA one-factor confirmatory analytic model exhibited a poor fit, suggesting at least a degree of multidimensionality. The ESEM bifactor analysis found the general factor to explain about 72% of the common variance extracted, with an omega hierarchical coefficient of 0.680. Thus, the ESEM bifactor analysis did not clearly support the scale’s essential unidimensionality. A homogeneity analysis revealed a scale-level H of only 0.296, suggesting that KEDS’s total scores do not accurately rank individuals on the latent continuum assumed to underlie the measure. The KEDS’s reliability was modest, signaling considerable measurement error.ConclusionFindings reveal important limitations to the KEDS with possible implications for the status of exhaustion disorder as a nosological category.Trial registrationThis study was pre-registered on Open Science Framework (osf.io) on April 24, 2022 (https://osf.io/p34sq/).

Measuring mental health professionals' trauma care competencies: Psychometric properties of the novel readiness to work with trauma-exposed patients scale.

A lack of training in PTSD assessment and treatment can cause nonrecognition, misdiagnosis, or mistreatment of trauma-exposed patients in clinical practice. To fill the gap of the measures of trauma care-related competencies, the current study aimed to test psychometric properties of the novel Readiness to Work with Trauma-Exposed Patients Scale (RTEPS) in a sample of clinicians. The study sample comprised 279 Lithuanian mental health professionals (91% psychologists and 9% psychiatrists). The mean age of study participants was 41.09 (SD = 10.68), 93.9% were female. Almost half of the participants (49.1%) had more than 10 years of work experience in the field of mental health, and 61.3% of clinicians reported routinely seeing trauma-exposed patients in their clinical practice. Exploratory structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that a three-factor, first-order model of the 10-item self-report RTEPS comprising competencies of assessment, treatment, and affect tolerance showed the best fit for the data. Additionally, previous trauma-focused training experience but not work experience was significantly associated with perceived readiness to work with trauma-exposed patients while controlling for the rates of depression and anxiety of mental health professionals. The findings of the study provide evidence of the RTEPS validity based on test content, internal structure, relations to other variables as well as internal consistency. The RTEPS scale is a brief and easily administered instrument that could be used in the context of training or clinical setting to evaluate the trauma care competencies among professionals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Development and validation of the dizziness fear-avoidance behaviours and beliefs inventory for patients with vestibular disorders.

The purpose of this study is to present the development and analysis of the factorial structure and psychometric properties of a new self-administered questionnaire (Dizziness Fear-Avoidance Behaviours and Beliefs Inventory (D-FABBI)) designed to measure fear-avoidance behaviors and cognitions related to dizziness disability. A mixed-method design combining a qualitative study with an observational and cross-sectional study was employed to develop (content validity) and psychometrically validate (construct validity, reliability, and convergent/discriminant validity) a new instrument. A total of 198 patients with vestibular disorders (acute vestibular syndrome (AVS), 23.2%; chronic vestibular syndrome (CVS), 35.4%; and episodic vestibular syndrome (EVS) 41.4%) were recruited. Sociodemographic characteristics, the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and D-FABBI were evaluated. The final version of the D-FABBI consists of 17 items distributed across two subscales: activities of daily living fear-avoidance and movement fear-avoidance. The D-FABBI showed high internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.932; 95% CI [0.91-0.94]) and so did the subscales (Cronbach α > 0.8). The exploratory structural equation model and confirmatory factor analysis provided better fit results, with a comparative fit index and root mean square error of approximation values of 0.907 to 0.081. No floor or ceiling effects were identified. There was a positive, significant, and moderate-strong magnitude correlation with the total DHI (r = 0.62) and low-moderate with respect to the HADS depression (r = 0.35) and HADS anxiety subscales (r = 0.26). The patients with CVS had a higher D-FABBI score than those with AVS or EVS. The D-FABBI appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the fear-avoidance behaviors and cognition related to dizziness disability of patients with vestibular disorders.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Orthorexia Nervosa Inventory (ONI)

BackgroundOrthorexia Nervosa (ON) is an emerging clinical condition characterized by a pathological fixation with healthy eating. Recently, the Orthorexia Nervosa Inventory (ONI) has emerged as a promising tool for assessing orthorexic tendencies and behaviours, aiming to overcome the well-established limitations of existing measures for ON. The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the ONI.MethodsA total of 879 participants (Mage = 33.22 years, SD = 9.19; 56.9% females) completed the ONI along with the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS), measures of disordered eating, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCD), and psychosocial impairment. To establish the factorial validity of the ONI, a competing measurement modeling approach was employed by comparing standard confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) with exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) solutions. Model-based omega coefficients were computed to examine the internal consistency of the scale. Factorial invariance tests across gender were conducted within a multi-group framework.ResultsA three-factor first-order ESEM solution provided the best and most parsimonious representation of the data: χ2(207) = 558.641, p < .001, RMSEA = 0.044 (90% CI 0.040–0.048), CFI = 0.976, TLI = 0.968, SRMR = 0.036. The three latent dimensions, labelled behaviors, emotions, and impairments, showed excellent internal consistency (ω > 0.88). Furthermore, ONI scores were found to be positively correlated with DOS scores, disordered eating, OCD symptoms, and psychosocial impairment, supporting its convergent and criterion validity. Eventually, the ONI was factorially invariant across gender.ConclusionsOverall, the present study provides evidence for the satisfactory psychometric properties of the ONI in the Italian context, endorsing its use in both clinical and research settings.

The perceived vulnerability to disease scale: Cross‐cultural measurement invariance and associations with fear of COVID‐19 across 16 countries

AbstractUsing cross‐sectional data from N = 4274 young adults across 16 countries during the COVID‐19 pandemic, we examined the cross‐cultural measurement invariance of the perceived vulnerability to disease (PVD) scale and tested the hypothesis that the association between PVD and fear of COVID‐19 is stronger under high disease threat [that is, absence of COVID‐19 vaccination, living in a country with lower Human Development Index (HDI) or higher COVID‐19 mortality]. Results supported a bi‐factor Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling model where items loaded on a global PVD factor, and on the sub‐factors of Perceived Infectability and Germ Aversion. However, cross‐national invariance could only be obtained on the configural level with a reduced version of the PVD scale (PVD‐r), suggesting that the concept of PVD may vary across nations. Moreover, higher PVD‐r was consistently associated with greater fear of COVID‐19 across all levels of disease threat, but this association was especially pronounced among individuals with a COVID‐19 vaccine, and in contexts where COVID‐19 mortality was high. The present research brought clarity into the dimensionality of the PVD measure, discussed its suitability and limitations for cross‐cultural research, and highlighted the pandemic‐related conditions under which higher PVD is most likely to go along with psychologically maladaptive outcomes, such as fear of COVID‐19.

A Circumplex Approach to (de)motivating Styles in Physical Education: Situations-In-School–Physical Education Questionnaire in Spanish Students, Pre-Service, and In-Service Teachers

ABSTRACT Building upon self-determination theory and the circumplex approach, the objective of this study was to adapt the Situations-in-School–Physical Education (SIS–PE) questionnaire and to gather validity and reliability evidence in the Spanish PE context. Three samples of 1441 students (46.43% girls), 473 in-service teachers (35.73% women), and 654 pre-service teachers (50.31% women) participated. Multidimensional scaling analyses indicated that (de)motivating styles (autonomy support, structure, control, and chaos) were graphically depicted by a two-dimensional circular structure differing into need-supportiveness (horizontal axis) and teacher directiveness (vertical axis). Eight specific approaches (two per stye) were additionally identified (participative, attuning, guiding, clarifying, demanding, domineering, abandoning, and awaiting) drawing an ordered pattern of correlations. Bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling additionally supported four overarching styles and eight specific approaches. Reliability and external validity were met in the three samples. The Spanish versions of the SIS-PE questionnaire are valid and reliable measures to assess students’, in-service, and pre-service teachers’ perceptions of (de)motivating styles.

Development of freight trip generation model using observed and unobserved information of supply chain characteristics for a sustainable urban transformation

Supply Chain Characteristics (SCC) drive the city logistics to control the economic activities that support urban life and transformation. The dynamics of freight trip activity and SCC in city logistics are less understood by city planners, disrupting the prediction of urban Freight Trip Generation (FTG) models. To develop robust urban FTG models, the present study introduces the concept of estimating the freight trip activity using observed and unobserved (subjective) information of SCC for sustainable urban transport movement. Traditionally, the objective variable excludes the unobserved information of SCC while developing the FTG model; this gap can be addressed by incorporating subjective variables to measure both observed and unobserved information of SCC. A unique framework was designed by a combination of objective and subjective variables through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to estimate the freight trip activity. An Establishment Based Freight Survey (EBFS) collected from an Indian smart city (1793 samples) comprising various SCC was used to test the developed framework. Deployed EFA can identify the subjective variables using latent constructs to explain the observed and unobserved information in the SCC. Then, sequential execution of SEM with hypothesis path structure for estimating the freight trip activity. The direct, indirect, and total effects of the FTG model revealed added advantage of causal inter-relationship of urban freight trip activity and SCC between intermediate and pure receiver establishment. The developed FTG models using observed and unobserved information of SCC predicted freight trip activity with an accuracy of 57% for intermediate and 63% for pure receiver establishment. The effect of SSC on freight trip activity aids in creating sustainable urban freight transportation that could be an agile, responsive, and flexible adaptive system for the global market demand.

Construct and criterion validity of the HiTOP spectra to predict dimensional and categorical somatization in a large non-western sample

The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is a phenotypic data-driven framework for the classification of psychopathology. We tested the construct and criterion validity of the HiTOP spectra measured by the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) and hierarchical regressions both to predict somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRD) and a somatization factor. The case–control study used hierarchical logistic regressions to distinguish 257 cases with SSRD from 1007 healthy controls by both the maladaptive and the temperament factors. The extracted factors were also used in hierarchical linear regressions to predict the dimensional somatization factor. The seven temperament factors explained more variance above and beyond the five maladaptive factors when predicting SSRD (pseudo R2 = 0.169 to 0.266 versus 0.125 to 0.196; change in pseudo R2 = 0.055 to 0.087 versus 0.011 to 0.017). The temperament factors also explained more variance above and beyond the maladaptive factors when predicting the somatization factor (R2 = 0.392 versus 0.269; change in R2 = 0.146 versus 0.023). Although the HiTOP spectra measured by PID-5 are significant structures related to the categorical and dimensional measurements of somatoform, our findings highlight potential problems with both the construct and criterion validity of the HiTOP spectra.

The Dimensionality of the Moral Foundations: Contributions from the Moral Foundations Sacredness Scale in Four Societies

Moral Foundations Theory proposes that five innate modules offer an intuitive response that drives our moral judgments. Various instruments were developed to measure the five moral foundations, including the MFV and the MFQ-30 which focus on deliberative moral reasoning. This approach is limited because intuitions are more basic and affect-laden. The Moral Foundations Sacredness Scale (MFSS) was designed to elicit responses that more closely resemble these phenomena. However, studies have not converged on a factorial structure for the MFSS, and measurement invariance has never been assessed. Our study sought to evaluate these properties across four adult samples, via Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, and the associations between the MFSS’s scales and relevant constructs. We found that a two-factor solution, reflecting the individualizing and binding foundations, had a reasonable fit, and had invariance (configural, metric, and scalar) across gender, age groups, and (configural) four international samples. The scales were reliable, had construct validity with the MFQ-30, and criterion-related validity with the binding moderately predicting belief in God/spirit and religious behaviors. The convergence we found regarding the MFSS’s factorial structure across groups has important implications for the dimensionality of these constructs, and – ultimately – for the development of Moral Foundations Theory.

The Leipzig Leadership Model: Measuring leadership orientations

AbstractThe Leipzig Leadership Model (LLM) connects theory and practice. Building on actor-world relations and insights from motivational psychology (actor-action relations), the LLM proposes a holistic framework able to integrate the existing plethora of leadership theories and styles. This opens up a new perspective on a comprehensive understanding of leadership roles. With its four leadership orientation dimensions of purpose, entrepreneurial spirit, responsibility, and effectiveness, the LLM enables leaders to identify and reflect on relevant leadership competencies. In order to facilitate future research on the LLM and its dimensions, we report on two studies that are developing and validating a 32-item LLM-based scale. We applied oblique bifactor target rotation in a bifactor Exploratory Structural Equation Model within CFA approach in a German sample (N = 309) with robust WLSMV-estimates to fit an LLM-based model to the data. The results suggest a good fit. Furthermore, as ECV, PUC and ARPB support the multidimensional nature of the scale, we report the appropriate bifactor statistical indices. After parallel back translation, an English version of the scale was tested in a second sample (N = 311) to replicate our earlier findings. This study facilitates future empirical research by providing a concise and integrative self-rating measure of leadership orientations. We further strengthen the scientific foundation of the LLM by empirically testing its conceptually developed four-factor structure. The scale provides a starting point for further research into leadership orientations (also as standalone subscales), and offers an applicable guideline for self-reflection and decision-making.

The bifactor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale: Bayesian approaches to overcome exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) limitations.

The rapidly expanding self-compassion research is driven mainly by Neff's (2003a, 2003b, 2023) six-factor Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Despite broad agreement on its six-first-order factor structure, there is much debate on SCS's global structure (one- vs. two-global factors). Neff et al. (2019) argue for an exploratory structural equation model (ESEM) with six specific and one global bifactor (6ESEM + 1GlbBF) rather than two global factors (6ESEM + 2GlbBF). However, ESEM's methodological limitations precluded testing the appropriate 6ESEM + 2GlbBF, relying instead on a model combining ESEM and traditional confirmatory factor analysis (6ESEM + 2CFA). Although intuitively reasonable, this alternative model results in internally inconsistent, illogical interpretations. Instead, we apply recent advances in Bayesian SEM frameworks and Bayes structural equation models fit indices to test a more appropriate bifactor model with two global factors. This model (as does 6CFA + 2GlbBF) fits the data well, and correlations between compassionate self-responding (CS) and reverse-scored uncompassionate self-responding (RUS) factors (∼.6) are much less than the 1.0 correlation implied by a single bipolar factor. We discuss the critical implications for theory, scoring, and clinical application for the SCS that previously were inappropriately based on this now-discredited 6ESEM + 2GlbCFA. In applied practice, we endorse using scores representing the six SCS factors, total SCS, and CS and RUS components rather than relying solely on one global factor. Our approach to these issues (dimensionality, factor structure, first-order and higher order models, positive vs. negatively oriented constructs, item-wording effects, and alternative estimation procedures) has wide applicability to clinical measurement (see our annotated bibliography of 20 instruments that might benefit from our approach). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploratory structural equation modeling: a streamlined step by step approach using the R Project software

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) has been a popular yet limited approach to assessing latent factor structures. Despite items rarely loading exclusively on one latent factor in multifactorial scales, CFA assumes all indicators/items should load uniquely on their allocated latent dimensions. To address this weakness, Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) combines exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and CFA procedures, allowing cross-loadings to occur when assessing hypothesized models. Although such advantages have enhanced ESEM popularity, its adoption is often limited by software rigidity and complex coding difficulties. To address these obstacles, the current tutorial presents a streamlined, step-by-step approach using the open-source software R while providing both R and Mplus ESEM syntax. The tutorial demonstrates the sequence of the ESEM stages by examining the frequently debated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) factor structure, using openly accessible data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). As ESEM may allow a better understanding of the complex associations in multidimensional scales, this tutorial may optimize the epidemiological and clinical assessment of common yet multifaceted psychiatric presentations.

Mechanisms of cognitive disinhibition explain individual differences in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder traits

BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults is strongly associated with psychiatric comorbidity and functional impairment. Here, we aimed to use a newly developed online cognitive battery with strong psychometric properties for measuring individual differences in three cognitive mechanisms proposed to underlie ADHD traits in adults: 1) attentional control – the ability to mobilize cognitive resources to stop a prepotent motor response; 2) information sampling/gathering – adequate sampling of information in a stimulus detection task prior to making a decision; and 3) shifting - the ability to adapt behavior in response to positive and negative contingencies. MethodsThis cross-sectional and correlational study recruited 650 adults (330 males) aged 18–69 years (M = 33.06; MD = 31.00; SD = 10.50), with previously diagnosed ADHD (n = 329) and those from the general community without a history of ADHD (n = 321). Self-report measures of ADHD traits (i.e., inattention/disorganization, impulsivity, hyperactivity) and the cognitive battery were completed online. ResultsLatent class analysis, exploratory structural equation modeling and factor mixture modeling revealed self-reported ADHD traits formed a unidimensional and approximately normally distributed phenotype. Bayesian structural equation modeling demonstrated that all three mechanisms measured by the cognitive battery, explained unique, incremental variance in ADHD traits, with a total of 15.9% explained in the ADHD trait factor. ConclusionsAttentional control and shifting, as well as the less researched cognitive process of information gathering, explain individual difference variance in self-reported ADHD traits with potential to yield genetic and neurobiological insights into adult ADHD.

Validation of the HRI-24 on Adolescents and Development of a Short Version of the Instrument

AbstractThe Hikikomori phenomenon often starts during adolescence and, once it develops, it tends to persist. Thus, having an instrument specifically validated for detecting it at early ages could play a pivotal role to reduce the chronicity risk. This work aims to validate the 24-item Hikikomori Risk Inventory (HRI-24) on adolescents and to develop a short version of it. In Study 1, an exploratory structural equation model was used to evaluate the functioning of the HRI-24 and to select the items for inclusion in the short version. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analyses were run on the short version, and measurement invariance across gender and school levels was investigated. Structural validity and measurement invariance of the HRI-24 were supported. The psychometric properties of the short version, denoted as HRI-15, were satisfactory and analogous to those of the HRI-24, while accuracy and specificity in identifying at-risk individuals were slightly higher. Measurement invariance of the HRI-15 was supported as well. The validation of the HRI-24 on adolescents would help professionals to screen young people at the first onset of the Hikikomori phenomenon, and the short version could be highly useful in large epidemiological and screening studies.

Application of school attachment factors as a strategy against school dropout: A case study of public school students in Albania

Recent educational reforms in Albanian public schools have attempted varied qualitative benchmarks such as teacher efficiency and standards, school infrastructure support and improved learning outcomes, however, many socio-economic constraints still remain, contributing to dropout of students. This paper reviews the attachment theory as a ‘pull’ factor motivating students towards better school engagement. A descriptive and self-report survey design was adopted to measure the students’ perception of SA and determine the crucial factors determining the students’ attachment to the school. The survey involved high school adolescent students in Albania from grades 10, 11 and 12. The results, measured with exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, indicated that although interest in learning and positive feelings about the school had a vital impact on students’ engagement with their school, positive attitudes towards teachers was the greatest determinant to student school attachment to the school. This indicates the necessity to improve and strengthen the role and efficacy of teacher-student interactions to build and foster greater SA for students.

Factor structure, criterion-related validity, and longitudinal measurement invariance of the Regulation of Eating Behavior Scale (REBS): A bifactor S-1 exploratory structural equation modeling approach

The Regulation of Eating Behavior Scale (REBS) is one of the most popular measures to assess why people regulate their eating behaviors. However, few studies have examined its psychometric properties and problems with discriminant validity have been identified in previous research. The present study (re)examined the factor structure and criterion-related validity of the REBS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), and bifactor (S-1) modeling in a sample of middle-aged women (N = 1447). We also examined longitudinal measurement invariance in a subsample of participants (n = 803) who responded to the survey 5 years later. The bifactor S-1 ESEM provided an excellent fit to the data and the factor loading pattern showed a well-defined global self-determination factor anchored in intrinsic motivation with decreasing contribution from the other items on the continuum. Relations between the global and specific motivation factors, food habits, binge eating, and BMI provided evidence of criterion-related validity. Longitudinal measurement invariance across time was also verified. Our results support the idea that the global factor represent a general quantity of self-determination rather than relative self-determination.

Überzeugungen angehender Sportlehrkräfte zu nachhaltiger Entwicklung im Sportunterricht – Skalenentwicklung und -validierung

AbstractClimate change poses a major challenge to people and ecosystems and calls for action across all areas to contribute to a sustainable transformation of society. To shape this transformation, it is crucial that teachers implement education for sustainable development (ESD) in schools for a more sustainable future generation, which also applies to physical education (PE) teachers. However, little is known about PE teachers’ beliefs, a key dimension of professional competence, regarding the implementation of ESD in PE. Hence, the goal of this study was to 1) develop a scale to capture PE teachers’ beliefs about the relevance of sustainable development generally and in the context of PE, and 2) investigate its psychometric properties and criterion validity. The analysis using exploratory structural equation modeling in a cross-sectional sample of 206 preservice teachers resulted in a 10-item instrument with good psychometric properties (comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.976; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.047; standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = 0.057) and reliability across three factors: a) general beliefs about the relevance of sustainable development, b) positive, and c) critical subject-specific beliefs about sustainable development in PE. Based on the value-belief-norm theory, criterion validity was confirmed through associations between biospheric values and beliefs. We conclude that the newly developed scale is appropriate for assessing PE teacher’s beliefs about the implementation of ESD in PE.

Assessment of an Epidemic Urgency: Psychometric Evidence for the UCLA Loneliness Scale.

In modern industrialized countries, loneliness has been declared an epidemic. The present paper aimed to replicate previous findings about the dimensionality of the UCLA Loneliness Scale-3 version (LS-3) in a sample of Italian adults using Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM). In Study 1, 1676 participants (Mage= 31.15; SD = 11.89) completed the LS-3. The three-factor ESEM model was performed to replicate the previous Italian version, and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis compared the three- and ten-item short versions. In Studies 2, 3, and 4, we administered measures of anxiety, depression, stress, internet addiction, self-esteem, and social interaction anxiety to 3513 participants (Mage= 30.81; SD = 11.77) to assess the convergent and discriminant validity of LS-3. The ESEM 3-factor model was replicated using a Target rotation (X2 = 847.597; df = 133; CFI = 0.942; TLI = 0.917; RMSEA = 0.062), whereas the already-known LS-3 short version raised psychometric concerns. Positive relationships with anxiety, depression, stress, internet addiction, and social interaction anxiety, as well as negative association with self-esteem were found. In conclusion, our findings support the use of the LS-3 in the Italian sample and discourage the administration of the current short forms. The implications for research and clinical practice have been discussed.