Internal Consistency Indices Research Articles

Dysfunctional Attitudes in Victims of Terrorism: Validity Evidence for the DAS-A.

The Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale, Form A (DAS-A), is the reference instrument for measuring dysfunctional attitudes which, according to Beck's cognitive theory, constitute the key vulnerability factor for depression. The psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the DAS-A have been examined in university students, but not in people with psychological disorders, despite being one of the most widely-used instruments in research and clinical practice of cognitive therapy for depression. The objective of the present study was to obtain validity evidence for the DAS-A in victims of terrorism with and without emotional disorders. The DAS-A's factor structure, internal consistency, and relationship with depression were analyzed in 196 victims of terrorism with emotional disorders and 280 victims without disorders. In both samples, the DAS-A exhibited a structure with three correlated factors: Achievement-Perfectionism, Dependency-Need for Approval, and Autonomous Attitude. In general, the total scale and the subscales showed good or adequate indices of internal consistency (alphas and omegas = .60 - .89) and a relationship with depression ( r =.22 - .44). The DAS-A provides reliable, valid measures of depressogenic dysfunctional attitudes in Spanish adults with emotional disorders and victims of terrorism.

Validity and usefulness of the short form of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire Revised (DMQ-R SF) among patients with schizophrenia

ObjectiveDrinking motives are considered to be major predictors of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. However, these motives have been poorly investigated in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of the present study among patients with schizophrenia was twofold: 1) assess the validity of the short form of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R SF); and 2) investigate the relationship between drinking motives and comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD). MethodA total of 179 patients with schizophrenia were approached to participate in the study. DSM-5 criteria were used to identify patients with comorbid AUD (AUD+; n = 42) and non-abstainers patients without comorbid AUD (AUD-; n = 71). ResultsA confirmatory factor analysis conducted on items of the DMQ-R SF for the whole sample revealed adequate goodness-of-fit values, while internal consistency indices were globally satisfactory. Group comparisons revealed higher use of alcohol and other substances, as well as stronger drinking motives among AUD + patients, while groups were comparable concerning clinical features of schizophrenia, including psychotic symptom dimensions and severity. Regression analysis showed that the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test score was significantly associated with two internal drinking motives: enhancement and coping. ConclusionsFindings suggest that the DMQ-R SF is a reliable tool for assessing drinking motives among patients with schizophrenia. Enhancement and coping motives seem to play a major role in comorbid AUD among these patients. Community-based and clinical treatment programs should take the drinking motives of dual-diagnosis patients into consideration, in order to improve their outcomes.

Dimensionality and psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Τype 1 Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale (DSAS-1-Gr).

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting children and adolescents. The daily management of T1D requires continuous insulin therapy, as well as the inevitable adjustment of daily activities according to glycaemic control, both of which may result in experiencing T1D related stigma. A significant proportion of people with T1D have been shown to experience social discrimination and stigma, which can lead to emotional distress and act as a barrier to help-seeking behavior. This study presents the psychometric properties of the Greek translation of the Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale-1 (DSAS-1), which assesses self-perceived stigma in people with T1D. A sample of 105 adults with T1D, mostly females (70.5%), with a mean age of 34.3 years (±11.1), and mean disease duration of 19.4 years (±10.5), completed the translated in Greek DSAS-1 (DSAS-1-Gr). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to investigate the construct validity of the scale. In line with the original version, the results of the present study supported the three-factor model of the scale 'identity concerns', 'different treatment', 'blame and judgment'. The internal consistency indices (Cronbach alpha) of the three subscales were above α=.80 and .88 for the whole scale. Moderate correlations were found between the DSAS-1-Gr and the Diabetes Distress scale for type 1 Diabetes (T1-DDS), the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and the DASS-21 subscales (depression, anxiety, and stress), which is indicative of convergent validity. DSAS-1-Gr correlated negatively with the diabetes duration (in years), which was indicative of discriminant validity. Finally, females presented higher total DSAS-1-Gr score than males. DSAS-1-Gr is a valid and reliable tool to be used in clinical practice to assess stigma in Greek people with T1D.

Validade da Psychological Well-Being Scale com Obesidade Mórbida Feminina

Abstract Psychological well-being is an important indicator of psychological adjustment. Obesity is considered a progressive disease that results in serious public health problems. This investigation sought validity evidence for the Psychological Well-Being Scale in 293 morbidly obese Brazilian women, aged between 18 and 61 years, who were awaiting bariatric surgery. The scores were submitted to Confirmatory Factor Analysis and several theoretical models were tested. According to the results, an oblique six-dimensional structure presented a good fit to the empirical data. Acceptable indices of internal consistency for the measurement factors were also obtained. The scale may contribute to the development of programs aimed at improving the psychological well-being of people with morbid obesity, before and after bariatric surgery.

Adaptação cultural e validação do Sport Imagery Questionnaire for Children (SIQ-C) para a língua portuguesa

Abstract The aim of this study was to translate, adapt and validate the Sport Imagery Questionnaire for Children to Brazilian Portuguese. For this purpose, analyzes of reproducibility, internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted. The final sample consisted of 521 athletes from 14 sports and ages 14 and 19 (M = 16.31, SD = 1.18). High indices of internal consistency (? = 0.870), reproducibility (0.824) and content validity were verified. In the confirmatory factor analysis, it was observed the appropriate global indexes of adjustment to the five-factor instrument model (RMSEA = 0.060; CFI = 0.90; TLI = 0.88; SRMR = 0.047). The translated instrument has adequate psychometric indicators to evaluate sport imagery, presents a reproducible factor structure and is a reliable test to measure the frequency of imagery use in Brazilian adolescent athletes.

Development and validation of a measure of social well-being during doctoral studies: The sense of scientific community scale

Several qualitative studies suggest that the sense of belonging to the scientific community is critical to the success of the doctoral journey. Although a few tools have been developed to capture some components of the sense of scientific community, no instrument is available to measure this construct in its entirety. The purpose of this study was to develop the Sense of Scientific Community Scale (SSCS) and to examine its psychometric qualities using a sample of 318 doctoral students in Canada. Five indicators of construct validity (exploratory, confirmatory, discriminant, predictive, and concurrent) and three indicators of reliability (internal consistency, test-retest and temporal stability) of the SCSS were examined. In sum, this scale comprises 18 items divided into three factors (perception of belonging, influencing, and benefiting from support) providing good internal consistency indices. The psychometric qualities of the SCSS justify its use in future studies.

Psychometric properties of two psychological restoration scales: translation, adaptation and validity evidences of the Brazilian versions (Propiedades psicométricas de dos escalas de restauración psicológica: traducción, adaptación y validez de las versiones brasileñas)

ABSTRACT Restorative environments refer to settings that allow for the recovery of depleted psychological resources. The potential to promote restoration can vary from place to place according to a setting’s characteristics. Two scales, Perceived Restorativeness Scale and Restoration Outcome Scale, have been applied to measure the restorativeness of places and restorative outcomes in the Global North. This study aims to translate, adapt and analyse the psychometric properties of these scales for their application in Brazil and to test their convergent validity. Our sample is composed of 566 adults (50.7% male) from the cities of Porto Alegre and São Paulo, with ages ranging from 18 to 85 years old. Both scales presented adequate internal consistency and model fit indexes. Moreover, the scales’ fit indexes were considered adequate regardless of participants’ gender and city of residence, which were tested through multigroup confirmatory factor analyses. With this contribution, we expect to help the expansion of research on restorative environments in the poorly studied Global South.

Cultural Adaptation and Validation into Spanish of the Scale to Measure Attitudes Towards the Sex Trafficking of Women and Girls in Students of the University of Salamanca.

The aim of this study was to validate and analyze the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Sexual Trafficking Attitudes Scale towards women and girls (STAS). A sample of 204 students from the University of Salamanca (Spain) was used. The exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a multifactorial structure of six factors (70.1% of variance). The Cronbach's α internal consistency index obtained for the sample was 0.87 and composite reliability was 0.94. Convergent validity was determined between the full scale and the six dimensions, and divergent between subscales. The Spanish version of the instrument consisted of 25 items, proving to be a reliable and parsimonious measure.

Psychometric Properties of the Problematic Pornography Use Scale in a Japanese Sample.

Problematic pornography use (PPU) is the inability to control the use of pornography and is considered a form of compulsive sexual behavior. It can have a negative effect on one's life and is an important clinical and social issue. In Japan, there is no assessment tool to measure PPU and very little research has been done. The Problematic Pornography Use Scale is one of the scales assessing the severity of PPU. This study validated a Japanese version of the Problematic Pornography Use Scale (PPUS-J) and examined its psychometric properties in a sample of 1011 individuals through an online survey (502 men, 509 women; Mage = 35.9years, SD = 13.75). The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four factors in the original scale were consistent with the factors in the PPUS-J, and strict invariance could be assumed for male and female participants. With regard to reliability, internal consistency indices were appropriate both at the overall and subscale levels for male and female participants. The PPUS-J showed good convergent and divergent validity due to the relationship between the subscales and other measures such as the Sexual Compulsivity Scale. These results demonstrate the validity of the PPUS-J for assessing problematic pornography use in a Japanese sample. Given the paucity of studies conducted in non-Western cultures and on women, this study will be useful in advancing research on PPU across different cultures. Future studies should examine test-retest reliability of the PPUS-J and its use with clinical groups.

Design and validation of the Self-Care Behaviors Scale

Self-care constitutes a series of actions and behavior that contributes to individuals life, health and well-being maintenance and represents a relevant construct in diverse psychological areas. The purpose of this study is to develop the Self-Care Behaviors Scales and evaluate its psychometric properties. The sample included 235 individuals (M= 29.11 years, SD= 10.53) from northern Mexico. To analyze the structure, a factorial exploratory analysis, revealed the existence of three factors (physical self-care, psychological self-care, spiritual self-care) that would explain 54% of total covariance. A three-factor analysis of covariance allowed adequate goodness-of-fit indices and the calculation of the mean variance extracted. The scale obtained evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The internal consistency indices of the total score and the subscales were high (between .93 to .96). The significant correlation between these factors with personal variables provided evidence of the concurrent validity of the scale.

Adaptation and validation of the Barriers to Research Utilization (BARRIERS scale) questionnaire among Polish nurses and midwives: Cross-sectional study

AimThe study was designed to assess a Polish version of the Barriers to Research Utilization (BRU) scale for reliability and validity, in a group of nurses and midwives. BackgroundThe implementation of Evidence-Based in practice is a key element of care and the use of research requirements the research awareness of nurses. MethodsIn 2018, cross-sectional validation was carried out among nurses and midwives qualified for the project. ResultsThe Cronbach alpha internal consistency index and mean correlations between items for each of the five subscales comprised in the BRU Instrument were satisfactory. The regression weights show that the items fit well with the subscales and there are no deviations from it. ConclusionsWe should the right tools to assess research awareness and be able to identify barriers. Knowing them will allow us to implement preventative measures and allow us to plan our activities.

Abstract 10892: Cross-Cultural Validation and Psychometric Testing of the Heart Failure Somatic Perception Scale in Japan

Background: The assessment of symptoms experienced by patients with heart failure (HF) has important contextual implications for self-care and allows for early recognition of signs of worsening HF. The Heart Failure Somatic Perception Scale (HFSPS) is a measurement tool developed in the U.S. to assess symptoms experienced by patients with HF, but it is expected to be applicable to patients in countries with different cultural backgrounds. Objectives: To evaluate the psychometric properties (validity and reliability) of the HFSPS in Japanese HF patients. Methods: This study assessed the factor structure of the HFSPS using confirmatory factor analysis in 320 HF outpatients in Japan. Criterion-related validity of the HFSPS was evaluated by correlating its factor scores with Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Internal consistency reliability of the HFSPS was evaluated using the factor score coefficient of determination, Cronbach's alpha, and the model-based internal consistency index. Results: The sample (n=320) was 72% male, mean age 72.9±12.8 years. Confirmatory factor analysis examining the four-factor structure of the HFSPS (dyspnea, chest discomfort, early and subtle, and edema), resulted in resulted in the following fit indices: χ2= (129, N=310), P<0.001, comparative fit index =0.825, Tucker-Lewis index =0.793, root mean square error of approximation =0.131. For criterion-related validity, all domains of the PROMIS items (physical health, mental health, global health, and social role satisfaction) were negatively correlated (-0.07 to -0.37) and statistically significant indicating higher symptom burden was associated with worse global health. HFSPS reliability resulted in Cronbach's alpha 0.878 for dyspnea, 0.607 for chest discomfort, 0.772 for early and subtle, 0.777 for edema, and 0.921 for the entire scale. Conclusion: This study suggests the HFSPS is a reliable and valid tool among Japanese with HF. Using this scale will provide accurate assessment of symptoms experienced by HF patients in research testing educational interventions to improve HF symptom recognition and response.

Psychometric properties, validity and insights of the School Bullying Questionnaire (CIE-A) in secondary schools of the Valencian Community (Spain).

Besides its several threats to health, welfare, social and academic development and performance of kids and teenagers, school bullying remains highlighted as one of the most relevant related challenges for educational, behavioral and legal sciences worldwide. Moreover, the lack of research on the field and the crucial but unattended need to count on psychometrically suitable and valid tools to detect school bullying make difficult understanding its contexts, dynamics and possible solutions. Objective The aim of this study was to thoroughly present in detail the psychometric properties and validity issues of the School Bullying Questionnaire (CIE-A) among secondary students. Methods A regionwide sample of 810 (47.2% girls) secondary students attending to 21 schools across the Valencian Community (Spain), aged M = 14.40 (SD = 1.61) years, responded to a paper-based questionnaire containing the 36-item version of the CIE-A and various scales related to psychosocial health and wellbeing, used as criterion variables. Results The outcomes of this study suggest that the CIE-A has a clear factor structure, an optimal set of item loadings and goodness-of-fit indexes. Further, that CIE-A has shown good internal consistency and reliability indexes, coherent associations with other mental health and academic performance variables, and the possibility to assess gender differences on bullying-related factors among secondary students. Conclusion The CIE-A may represent a suitable tool for assessing bullying in a three-factorial approach (i.e., victimization, symptomatology, and intimidation), offering optimal psychometric properties, validity and reliability insights, and the potentiality of being applied in the school environment. Actions aimed at improving the school coexistence and the well-being of secondary students, targeting potential bullied/bully profiles or seeking to assess demographic and psychosocial correlates of bullying among teenagers, might get benefited from this questionnaire.

The Informal Social Support for Autonomy and Dependence in Pain Inventory Spanish version.

Social support plays a crucial role in the quality of life of people with chronic pain. The Informal Social Support for Autonomy and Dependence in Pain Inventory assesses two functions of received social support: the promotion of autonomy and the promotion of dependence. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to adapt this instrument for its use in the Spanish population. The sample comprised 256 individuals with chronic pain. Participants were recruited through two local associations of people with fibromyalgia, a physiotherapy unit and a hospital pain unit. The data were collected in Spain between October 2018 and January 2020. The structure of the questionnaire was analysed using confirmatory factor analysis, average variance extracted, composite reliability and internal consistency indexes, and inter-correlations between the scales. The criterion-related validity of the instrument was analysed by investigating its relationship with pain intensity, positive and negative affect, daily functioning, activity impairment, wellbeing and satisfaction with life. The structure with the best fit had four related factors: emotional social support for the promotion of autonomy; instrumental social support for the promotion of autonomy; emotional social support for the promotion of dependence and instrumental social support for the promotion of dependence. The scales showed adequate internal consistency. An association was found between higher levels of instrumental social support for the promotion of dependence and higher levels of pain-related disability and decreased daily functioning. An association was also found between the promotion of autonomy and increased satisfaction with life. The Spanish version of the inventory shows appropriate psychometric properties. In the setting of disability prevention, this instrument is useful in assessing the support relationships between people with chronic pain and their relatives.

Exploring the Multicomponent Structure of Acceptance Attitudes in Portuguese Children Using the Modified Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes toward Children with Handicaps scale

<p style="text-align: justify;">Social participation represent one of the major outcomes of inclusive education. Students with additional support needs often encountered negative attitudes of social acceptance exhibited by their typically developing peers hindering their social participation in the educational context. This study explored the multicomponent structure of Portuguese children’s attitudes toward their peers with disabilities using a modified short form of the Chedoke-McMaster Attitudes toward Children with Handicaps scale (CATCH). In particular, this study aimed to (a) determine the factor structure of the CATCH and (b) evaluate the measurement invariance across age and gender. To identify the CATCH factor structure, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on data collected from 1,038 children aged 8–18 years. Analyses revealed that a modified short form of the CATCH consisting of a 20-item measure with a three-factor structure displayed acceptable fit and internal consistency indices. This model proved to be invariant across groups. The Portuguese-modified short form of the CATCH, in which cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions are represented, has acceptable psychometric properties and the potential to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs designed to improve children’s attitudes.</p>

Reliability and Validity of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia Questionnaire in Individuals with Non-specific Low Back Pain

Background: The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) is considered a valid and reliable tool to assess the fear-avoidance behavior in patients. There is a valid and reliable Persian version of the TSK-17. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the internal consistency as a measurement for the test reliability and factor (domain) validity of the Persian version of the TSK-17 to determine whether a modified form can be proposed. Methods: This study analyzed the data of 295 individuals with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess internal consistency (reliability). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were applied to evaluate factor validity which is an aspect of the construct validity. The Chi-square divided by the degrees of freedom, the goodness of fit index (GFI), the confirmatory fit index (CFI), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) indices were utilized as the goodness-of-fit criteria. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 18), AMOS software (version 20), and EQS software (version 6.2). Results: Two factors were extracted for the TSK-17 questionnaire using EFA, and then the structure was confirmed with CFA. Cronbach’s alpha as an internal consistency index was 0.949 for the entire questionnaire, 0.931 for the 11-item fear-of-movement factor, and 0.971 for the 6-item belief factor. The evaluation of the inappropriate items demonstrated that no items were selected for the deletion; therefore, a modified version of the TSK was not presented. The goodness-of-fit indices were reported as GFI = 0.882, RMSEA=0.066 (90% CI: 0.055-0.076), CFI = 0.983, and minimum discrepancy per degree of freedom = 2.27. Conclusions: The Persian version of the TSK-17 can be considered a valid and reliable tool to assess the fear of movement and avoidance behavior in individuals with NSLBP.

THE INVENTORY OF STATEMENTS ABOUT SELF-INJURY (ISAS): THE EXPERIENCE OF ADAPTATION TO THE DOMESTIC USAGE

The topic of self-injurious behavior is relatively new for the domestic academic psychology. The article presents the definition of the phenomenon of self-injurious behavior and problematic aspects connected with its conceptualization, the groups of subjects the most prone to its demonstration are specified. The most widespread classifications of forms and types of self-harming behavior are provided, the relations of self-harm with different behavioral manifestations and individual and psychological characteristics are described (low self-esteem, perfectionism, negative self-attitude and body image, and the feeling of failure); its basic psychological reasons (emotional and sexual violence as well as the experience of traumatization) and functions (cutting on psychological pain, decrease of tension, mastering the feeling of internal empiness and loss, attraction of attention, etc.) are summarized. The persisting nature of self-injurious behavior is stressed that demands separate investigation of the psychological interventions elaborated for the current moment. The analysis is made with reference to current foreign both descriptive theoretical works and relevant empirical research. The procedure of primary adaptation of E. Klonsky's ISAS questionnaire for the domestic use is presented: preparation of the Ukrainian version of translation with participation of 3 experts, involvement of the sample of research participants (initially 154 subjects aged 17-49, 82 females, finally 34 subjects aged 17-47, 30 females), finding indices of retest validity and internal consistency of the questionnaire. The calculations showed satisfactory indices for the relevant critetia of the validity of the questionnaire. At the end of the article the Ukrainian version of the translation of the questionnaire is given with the sub-scales (affect regulation, interpersonal boundaries, self-punishment, self-care, anti-dissociation / feeling generation, anti-suicide, sensation-seeking, peer-bonding, interpersonal influence, toughness, marking distress, revenge, and autonomy) and the key. Defining construct validity, making calculations as for the standartization of the questionnaire and its validity verification of a clinical sample are planned.

Psychometric validation of the Peruvian version of a short scale to assess psychological violence in health professionals: A cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to adapt a Peruvian version of the brief scale to assess psychological violence in health professionals (EVP-salud), exploring its validity and reliability properties. We made a cross-sectional study of psychometric evaluation conducted between January 2019 and February 2020. It involved the voluntary and anonymous participation of 316 health professionals and administrative workers from 17 health centers in Peru, who were administered the 22-item psychological violence scale. In addition, three other instruments were used to assess convergent and discriminative validity. In contrast to other findings using similar instruments, the item composition of the abbreviated psychological violence scale converges on three components that assess isolation, intimidation, and belittling violence. This validation provides evidence of good fit in criterion and construct, explaining 66.7% of the accumulated variance and up to 54.3% when the final version is reduced to 13 items and three factors. The data reflect a high inverse association between psychological violence and intrinsic job satisfaction. The empirical results indicate psychometric properties of the instrument, with strong support in the validity and appropriate reliability according to the internal consistency indexes.

Psychometric properties of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) in Greek women after cesarean section.

The aim of this study was to examine psychometric properties of the revised Posttraumatic Stress Checklist (PCL-5) for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual- 5th Edition (DSM-5) in Greek postpartum women after Cesarean Section(CS) (emergency-elective).So far, there was no study in Greece assessing psychometric properties of the PCL-5 in women after CS. The participating women (N = 469), who gave birth with emergency and elective CS at the Greek University Hospital of Larisa, have consented to participate in two phases of the survey and completed self-report questionnaires, the 2nd day after CS and at the 6th week after CS. Measures used in this study were the PCL-5 for DSM-5, the Life Events Checklist (LEC-5), Criteria B, C, D, E, and Criterion A, specifically designed for detection of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in postpartum period. To evaluate the internal reliability of the PCL-5 two different indices of internal consistency were calculated, i.e., Cronbach's alpha (.97) and Guttman'ssplit-half (.95), demonstrating high reliability level. The data were positively skewed, suggesting that the reported levels of PTSD among our participants were low. Factor analyses demonstrated acceptable construct validity; a comparison of thePCL-5 with the other measures of the same concept showed a good convergent validity of the scale. Overall, all the results suggest that the four-factor PCL-5 seemed to work adequately for the Greek sample of women after CS.

Longitudinal and Gender Measurement Invariance of the Gratitude Questionnaire in Chinese Adolescents.

The 5-item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-5) is one of the most commonly used instruments to measure dispositional gratitude in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to verify the longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) and gender measurement invariance (GMI) of the GQ-5 that was administered to an adolescent sample twice over the course of 18 months (N = 669). Single-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was adopted to examine the LMI and multiple-group CFA was conducted to assess the GMI. The results showed that the GQ-5 had strong invariance (i.e., equality of factor patterns, loadings, and intercepts) across time and gender. Validation of latent factor mean differences showed that females had higher gratitude scores than males. In addition, the GQ-5 exhibited good internal consistency indices across time and a moderate stability coefficient was also found across an 18-month time interval in adolescents. In summary, our study showed that LMI and GMI of the GQ-5 are satisfactory and the GQ-5 is a reliable instrument for measuring gratitude in adolescents.