Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Research Articles

Validation of the Persistent Somatic Symptom Stigma Scale for Healthcare Professionals

ObjectivePersistent somatic symptoms (PSS) describe recurrent or continuously occurring symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, or pain that have persisted for at least several months. These include single symptoms such as chronic pain, combinations of symptoms, or functional disorders such as fibromyalgia or irritable bowel syndrome. While many studies have explored stigmatisation by healthcare professionals towards people with PSS, there is a lack of validated measurement instruments. We recently developed a stigma scale, the Persistent Somatic Symptom Stigma scale for Healthcare Professionals (PSSS-HCP). The aim of this study is to evaluate the measurement properties (validity and reliability) and factor structure of the PSSS-HCP. Study Design and SettingThe PSSS-HCP was tested with 121 healthcare professionals across the United Kingdom to evaluate its measurement properties. Analysis of the factor structure was conducted using principal component analysis. We calculated Cronbach’s alpha to determine the internal consistency of each (sub)scale. Test re-test reliability was conducted with a sub-sample of participants with a two-week interval. We evaluated convergent validity by testing the association between the PSSS-HCP and the Medical Condition Regard Scale (MCRS) and the influence of social desirability using the short form of the Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS). ResultsThe PSSS-HCP showed sufficient internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.84) and sufficient test-retest reliability, intraclass correlation = 0.97 (95% CI 0.94 to 0.99, p<0.001). Convergent validity was sufficient between the PSSS-HCP and the MCRS, and no relationship was found between the PSSS-HCP and the MCSDS. A three factor structure was identified (othering, uneasiness in interaction, non-disclosure) which accounted for 60.5% of the variance using 13 of the 19 tested items. ConclusionThe PSSS-HCP can be used to measure PSS stigmatisation by healthcare professionals. The PSSS-HCP has demonstrated sufficient internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity and minimal influence of social desirability bias. The PSSS-HCP has demonstrated potential to measure important aspects of stigma and provide a foundation for stigma reduction intervention evaluation.

Development and validation of the SDR-O: A new measure of socially desirable responding in organizations

Organizational respondents often provide misleading or patently false information on job applications, personality tests, and other self-reports. Nevertheless, the degree to which socially desirable responding (SDR) threatens the validity of organizational self-reports remains controversial in academic research. The present research contends that the true level of SDR in organizational measures has often been underestimated because the SDR scales used to detect this bias (i.e., the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding and the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale) were never intended for use in organizational settings. We therefore develop and validate the SDR-O, which is a short, unidimensional scale designed to measure the impression management component of socially desirable responding in the workplace and other organizational contexts. We demonstrate that the SDR-O is a valid measure of the conscious tendency of organizational respondents to create an overly positive (i.e., inauthentic) impression via their answers to questions. Our research has important implications for academic and managerial research on the wide array of organizational topics that have a desirability component, including employee personality traits, performance, ethics, citizenship, and deviance.

The Rate of Social Acceptance in Psoriasis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran

Background: Psoriasis is recognized as a chronic immune system disease with unknown etiology that affects the skin. It might lead to psychological issues and pose considerable distress. The purpose of this study was to investigate the rate of social acceptance in psoriasis patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study which was carried out on all the patients (n=100) referred to specialized skin diseases clinic in Yazd, Iran. 100 psoriasis patients and 100 healthy people as a control group were enlisted. The patients were eliminated from the research in case they had other chronic medical conditions since it could affect social acceptance. The patients completed a social acceptability questionnaire (Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale) and demographic information was also collected. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and chi square test in the form of descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS-24 software. Results: The mean of patients’ age was 36.97±13.94 years old and 66% of the patients were female. Mean score of social acceptance was 18.04±4.4. The mean score of social acceptance in psoriasis patients’ group (&gt;40 years old) was estimated higher than in other groups (p&gt;0.05). The results revealed that only the job variable affected the Mean±SD of social acceptance in these patients. The rate of social acceptance in psoriasis patients was higher in those with governmental jobs in comparison to those with self-employment jobs. Overall, the level of social acceptance in people with psoriasis was lower than in the control group. Conclusion: This study showed that psoriasis patients who had governmental jobs received a great deal of acceptance via the people around them and they generally had a better quality of life.

Gender minority stress in transgender people: a major role for social network.

Gender minority individuals, on average, experience higher rates of mental health problems. Mounting work suggests that gender minority stress (GMS) contributes to mental health outcomes in transgender/gender-nonconforming individuals. We assessed whether GMS decreased in transgender people after initiating gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), and we identified social predictors and hormonal associations for GMS at 2 time points. GMS was surveyed through self-report questionnaires tapping into proximal and distal stressors and coping constructs following the minority stress framework. Eighty-five transgender persons wishing to undertake hormonal interventions were assessed prospectively at start of GAHT and after 7.7 ± 3.5months (mean ± SD). Sixty-five cisgender persons served as a control group. (1) Proximal stressors were surveyed by the Beck Depression Inventory II, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Scale for Suicide Ideation, Suicidal Thoughts/Attempts, Stigma Consciousness Questionnaire, and Perceived Stress Scale; (2) distal stressors by the Everyday Discrimination Scale; and (3) coping constructs by the Resilience Scale, social network, social standing, and Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Transgender people experienced higher rates of proximal stressors (Beck Depression Inventory II, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Scale for Suicide Ideation, Suicidal Thoughts/Attempts, Perceived Stress Scale) and had lower protective factors (social standing) prior to and during GAHT than cisgender people. Social network and resilience were lower in transgender people relative to cisgender peers only at baseline. Prospectively, decreasing trait anxiety was observed in transgender people. Social factors were adequate predictors of multiple GMS constructs. Specifically, a major role for social network emerged. As for hormonal associations, only serum estradiol levels in transgender women with GAHT were negatively associated with trait anxiety and suicidal thoughts/attempts but positively with resilience and social desirability. Stimulating a social environment supportive of diverse identities, particularly by investing in social networks as a resource for resilience, is likely to alleviate GMS. Longer duration of interventions with sex steroid treatment, with continued resilience-enhancing strategies, is needed to observe further alleviation of GMS in transgender persons. Also, objective and subjective GMS identification with heteronormative attitudes and beliefs should be surveyed for good measure when assessing GMS. Transgender people experienced more GMS throughout study visits than cisgender people did. With a relatively short period of GAHT, some significant changes in and predictors for experienced GMS emerged.

Autorregulación emocional y deseabilidad social como predictores de la dependencia emocional en mujeres denunciantes de violencia familiar

ObjectiveTo determine whether emotional self-regulation and social desirability are predictors of emotional dependence in women who report cases of domestic violence. MethodsA cross-sectional predictive study was carried out in a sample of 155 women aged 18–66 years. The psychometric instruments used were the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale (M-C SDS) and the Emotional Dependence Inventory (EDI). ResultsSignificant correlations are evidenced between emotional regulation and emotional dependence (r = .305, p = .000), as well as between emotional dependence and social desirability (r = −.477, p = .000); likewise, through the application of structural equations, the effect of emotional regulation (β = .46, p = .000) and social desirability (β = −.45, p = .000) on emotional dependence is confirmed. ConclusionsEmotional regulation and social desirability predict the occurrence of emotional dependence in the context of cases that reach family violence complaints, which allows understanding the desistance or retractions in the manifestations in the complaints, at the same time opening possibilities of prevention and treatment with respect to emotional dependence.

Running away from phonological ambiguity, we stumble upon our words: Laboratory induced slips show differences between highly and lowly defensive people.

Freud proposed that slips of the tongue, including apparently simple ones, always have a sense and constitute « a half-success and a half-failure » compromise resulting from defensive mechanisms. A total of 55 subjects participated in a French adaptation of the Spoonerisms of Laboratory Induced Predisposition or SLIP-technique including 32 "neutral" and 32 taboo spoonerisms and measures of defensiveness. In accordance with a psychoanalytical and empirically supported distinction, we considered two kinds of defenses: elaborative or primary process and inhibitory or secondary process defenses, which were operationalized with the GeoCat and the Phonological-Nothing (PN) WordList, respectively. The GeoCat is a validated measure of primary process mentation and the PN WordList was shown to measure the defensive avoidance of language ambiguity. Participants produced 37 slips, with no significant difference in the number of "neutral" and taboo slips. The GeoCat and the N/PN parameters explained 30% of the variance in the production of parapraxes, confirming the defensive logics of slips. When dividing the population into lowly and highly defensive participants (with the Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability scale), primary process mentation appears as a baseline default defense, but only highly defensive participants mobilize an additional inhibitory secondary process type of defense. Taking into account the a priori difference between taboo and "neutral" parapraxes, highly defensive participants made 2.7 times more taboo parapraxes than lowly defensive participants. However, if "neutral" parapraxes in both subgroups followed the same logic as the total group of parapraxes (significant contribution of primary process mentation in lowly defensives and of primary and secondary process mentation in highly defensives), these measures had no contribution to explain the occurrence of taboo parapraxes. We propose that Motley et al.'s prearticulatory editor, ensuring the censorship over taboo parapraxes, is an external instance of inhibition, proximal to uttering, equivalent to the censorship between the systems Preconscious and Conscious in Freud's metapsychology. By contrast, the defenses measured in this research are internal, intimate control systems, probing for the censorship between the systems Unconscious and Preconscious, this is, for repression. This study contributes to support a psychodynamic explanatory model for the production of parapraxes.

Prediction of Homesickness Based on Maladaptive Schemas, Psychological Flexibility, and Social Desirability among Medical and Paramedical Female Students in Dormitories in Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in 2022

Introduction: Being away from anything familiar, stable, comfortable, or positive can lead to a sense of homesickness. This study aims to predict homesickness based on maladaptive schemas, psychological flexibility, and social desirability in female students residing in dormitories of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences. &#x0D; Methods: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive-correlational study. The statistical population comprised all the female students residing in dormitories of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in 2022. The sample included 125 students selected using convenience sampling method. The students filled out the following questionnaires: the Utrecht Homesickness Scale, the Young Schema Questionnaire, the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and the Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation test and multiple regression.&#x0D; Results: According to the findings, psychological flexibility and social desirability significantly and negatively (p&lt;0.05) predicted homesickness. Furthermore, schema of mistrust, social isolation, defectiveness, emotional deprivation, dependence, vulnerability, an underdeveloped self, failure, entitlement, insufficient self-control, subjugation, emotional inhibition, and unrelenting standards significantly and positively predicted homesickness in the students (p&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: It can be concluded that homesickness among dormitory students can be predicted through their maladaptive schemas, and perception of social desirability.

0291 Social Desirability Mediates Self-Reported Sleepiness during a Laboratory Total Sleep Deprivation Study

Abstract Introduction Total sleep deprivation (TSD) increases sleepiness and impairs vigilant attention. There are large individual differences in vulnerability to sleep loss, but individuals’ self-ratings of sleepiness often do not align with their objective performance impairment. Here we investigated whether the trait of social desirability – the desire to conform to social standards – plays a role. Methods N=39 healthy adults (ages 27.6±4.6y; 22 men) completed a 3-night/4-day in-laboratory study with 10h baseline and recovery sleep opportunities (22:00–08:00) preceding and following a 38h period of TSD. Every 2–4h during TSD, subjects completed the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) and a 10min Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) to assess subjective sleepiness and vigilant attention, respectively. Throughout the study, subjects were behaviorally monitored by the researchers. Prior to the study, subjects completed the Marlow-Crowne Social Desirability (MCSD) scale. Based on standard criteria, subjects were categorized post hoc into average (n=13) and high (n=26) social desirability groups (no subjects in the sample scored low on social desirability). Self-reported sleepiness scored on the KSS and lapses (reaction times ≥500ms) on the PVT were analyzed using mixed-effects ANOVA with fixed effects for time awake and MCSD group and their interaction. Results As expected, there was a main effect of time awake for KSS score (F[12,441]=31.48, p&amp;lt;0.001) and PVT lapses (F[12,441]=16.27, p&amp;lt;0.001), with sleepiness and lapses increasing during TSD. We found a main effect of MCSD group for KSS score (F[1,441]=4.56, p=0.033), with the high MCSD group reporting lower levels of sleepiness than the average MCSD group. However, there was no effect of MCSD group for PVT lapses (p=0.93) and no time awake by MCSD interaction for either KSS (p=0.86) or PVT (p=0.99). Conclusion Subjects high in social desirability reported less sleepiness during TSD than those with average social desirability yet their objective performance was equally degraded. This finding has implications for fatigue risk management because individuals with high social desirability may underreport their sleepiness. This may undermine the reliability of self-report assessments of sleepiness and ability to work safely. [ 1] Whether there is bias in self-reported sleepiness for individuals low in social desirability as well remains to be investigated. Support (If Any) Support: ONR N00014-13-1-0302 and PRMRP W81XWH-20-1-0442

Parenting styles and dimensions of emerging adulthood in yoga and nonyoga practitioners

Background: Career choice in engineering, especially in India, is determined by many factors such as parental influence and other inherent traits of students. Understanding the factors that are associated with self-regulated, choiceful decision-making in a career choice is essential to build better human resources. Early yoga practice may influence certain inherent traits, which can enable autonomous decision-making. Hence, exploration of those psychological factors is attempted in this study. Aim: This study aims to explore the parenting styles and dimensions of emerging adulthood among yoga and nonyoga practitioners. Methods: From an engineering college in South India, 311 first-semester students were recruited for the study. The Free will and Determinism Scale, the General Health Questionnaire, the Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood, the 13-item short form of the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and the Perceived Parental Autonomy Support Scale were administered. Results: The students were divided into two categories, yoga practitioners and nonyoga practitioners. We performed Pearson's partial correlation between various variables across these two groups, controlling for social desirability scores. Overall, the magnitude of the correlations was low to moderate. Conclusion: There are a few dimensions of emerging adulthood that have desirable outcome trends, both in yoga and nonyoga practitioners. Distinct features of yoga practitioners are students who exercise inner free will, and with autonomy-supportive parenting style tend to have a positive outlook. Therefore, yoga may promote self-regulated ways of inner growth and learning in emerging adults.

An investigation of the relationship between school counselor trainees’ broaching behavior and their racial identity attitudes

AbstractThis study examined the relationship between the racial identity attitudes and broaching behavior in a sample of 198 trainees matriculating in school counseling programs. Respondents completed the Broaching Attitudes and Behavior Survey, the Cross Ethnic‐Racial Identity Scale‐Adult, Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and a demographic survey. Findings demonstrated that trainees with lower levels of racial identity functioning (RIF) endorsed Avoidant broaching attitudes and behaviors, and trainees with higher levels of RIF endorsed more Infusing broaching attitudes and behaviors.

Experimental auction confirmation that social desirability bias does not predict willingness to pay for eco-labeled goods

Abstract It is often assumed that consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for eco-labeled products in research settings is not because of a desire for environmental protection, but rather that they are socially compelled to make decisions that reflects favorably on them, limiting the validity of findings. Using a second-price Vickrey experimental auction, this study found higher WTP for an eco-labeled product than a comparable good, but that social desirability bias, measured by the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale, was not a significant predictor of WTP. Instead, environmental consciousness, environmental knowledge, education, and available information were stronger predictors of WTP for eco-labeled goods.

Eating Behaviour among University Students: Relationships with Age, Socioeconomic Status, Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, Waist-to-Height Ratio and Social Desirability.

Eating behaviour is of particular interest for research focusing on body weight status. However, little is known about the relationships of certain factors, especially social desirability, with self-reported eating behaviour such as cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating among young adult males and females. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between eating behaviour and age, socioeconomic status (SES), physical activity (PA), body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and social desirability among university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 353 university students (59.2% females). Eating behaviour was assessed using the 13-item Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-13). SES and PA were determined using self-reporting, and the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale assessed social desirability. BMI and WHtR were calculated based on measured parameters. Associations between self-reported eating behaviour and other variables were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multivariate general linear models. Cognitive restraint was positively correlated with BMI and WHtR in both males (r = 0.174, P = 0.036 and r = 0.194, P = 0.020, respectively) and females (r = 0.239, P < 0.001 and r = 0.165, P = 0.017, respectively), and emotional eating was positively correlated with BMI among females (r = 0.184, P = 0.008). Social desirability was negatively correlated with uncontrolled eating (r = −0.287, P < 0.001) and emotional eating (r = −0.301, P < 0.001) among females. There were no significant correlations between eating behaviour and age or socioeconomic status (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that, among males, PA had a main effect on emotional eating (ηp2 = 0.044, F = 6.276, P = 0.013). Among females, cognitive restraint was positively associated with PA (ηp2 = 0.034, F = 7.127, P = 0.008) and BMI (ηp2 = 0.038, F = 7.959, P = 0.005), and emotional eating with BMI (ηp2 = 0.032, F = 6.638, P = 0.011). Social desirability had the highest main effect on eating behaviour among females, being negatively associated with uncontrolled eating (ηp2 = 0.077, F = 16.754, P < 0.001) and emotional eating (ηp2 = 0.082, F = 18.046, P < 0.001). This study showed that PA, BMI, WHtR, and social desirability were associated with self-reported eating behaviour among university students. Social desirability bias should be considered when evaluating uncontrolled eating and emotional eating among females.

Measuring social desirability bias: Do the full and short versions of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability scale matter?

Given the sensitive nature of ethics research, the presence of social desirability bias (SDB) threatens the validity of research findings. As ethics studies often overlook this bias, we aimed to provide evidence that SDB varies across individual and situational factors. We thus investigated the influence of socio-demographic factors and survey modes on SDB. A total of 348 working adults were randomly chosen to participate in either an on-line or off-line survey containing eight versions of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability (MCSD) scale. The reliabilities for the eight versions ranged from 0.35 to 0.81. Statistical tests revealed that different socio-demographic factors influence different versions of the MCSD scale. The results also showed that using on-line surveys minimizes SDB. This study provides practical implications and suggestions for future research.

Adaptation of the Marlowe‒Crowne Social Desirability Scale Short Form C to the Turkish Culture: Validity and Reliability Study

Adaptation of the Marlowe‒Crowne Social Desirability Scale Short Form C to the Turkish Culture: Validity and Reliability Study

Validity and reliability of the Greek version of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory for patients with chronic pain

Background/aims The Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory has been used widely to evaluate pain perceptions and beliefs of patients with chronic pain. This is a cross-cultural adaptation of the instrument into Greek. The purpose of the study was to investigate: the face and content validity; the factor structure; the concurrent validity; the discriminant validity; and the internal consistency and the test–retest reliability of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory for people with chronic pain. Methods A total of 174 patients with chronic low back pain, neck pain and/or pain of limbs lasting for at least 6 months and with a physiotherapy referral participated in the study. Exploratory factor analysis by a principal axis factoring with direct oblimin rotation was chosen to examine the factor structure of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory. The concurrent validity was assessed using correlations by Spearman's rho correlation coefficient among the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory and the Short Form-McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Present Pain Index, the visual analogue scale and the Brief Pain Inventory. The discriminant validity was examined by Spearman's rho correlation coefficient among the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory and Social Desirability Scale. The reliability of the instrument was examined using Cronbach's α internal consistency coefficients and intraclass correlation coefficients. Results Exploratory factor analysis confirmed the four factor structure of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory that explained 66.353% of the total variance. Concurrent validity was determined through examination of correlations between the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory and other validated constructs (eg Short Form-McGill Pain Questionnaire Affective factor with Total Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory Spearman's rho=0.257, P&lt;0.001, Brief Pain Inventory General Activity and Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory Constancy factor Spearman's rho=0.522, P&lt;0.05, Brief Pain Inventory relations with other people and Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory Constancy factor Spearman's rho=0.512, P&lt;0.05). The discriminant validity of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory was confirmed by examining correlations between the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory with the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale. The questionnaire was internally consistent (α=0.89–0.96) and its stability was good (intraclass correlation coefficients=0.73–0.82). Conclusions The Greek translation of the Pain Beliefs and Perceptions Inventory is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate Greek patients with chronic pain.

Development and validation of the self-efficacy for medical communication scale.

12124 Background: Most studies of clinician-patient communication use scales created ad hoc with unknown validity. To provide a standard measure for future studies, we developed and validated a new scale of clinician-reported skills in communicating difficult news: the Self-Efficacy for Medical Communication (SEMC) scale. Methods: Using evidence-based scale development guidelines, we created 16 items sampling a range of communication skills, including “Disclose difficult news in manageable chunks, so the patient is not overwhelmed,” and “Determine how to present information based on the patient’s emotional state.” Items are rated on Likert scales from 1 ( cannot do at all) to 10 ( highly certain can do). We constructed two forms—one assessing communication with patients and one with family—using identical items but replacing “patient” with “family/caregiver.” We examined the convergent and discriminant validity of the SEMC (correlations with similar and dissimilar measures) as well as its reliability and factor structure. A total of 221 clinicians working in oncology settings (physicians, nurses, medical students) completed measures online. Convergent measures included medical communication items from past studies; the Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale to measure communication ability outside the medical realm; and the General Self-Efficacy and Occupational Self-Efficacy scales to measure overall self-efficacy/confidence. Discriminant measures included the Ten Item Personality Inventory to measure personality factors; the Maslach Burnout Inventory to measure job burnout; and the Satisfaction with Life Scale to measure well-being. Finally, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability (MCSD) scale measured motivation to “look good” in responding to survey questions. Results: Mean scores were similar for the patient (126.36) and family (127.09) forms (max score 160), both with excellent reliability ( alphas =.94,.96, respectively). Because these forms were almost perfectly correlated ( r =.95, p &lt;.001), we used only the patient form in subsequent analyses. Factor analysis demonstrated that the SEMC measures a unitary construct ( eigenvalue = 9.0). Its mean correlation was higher with convergent ( r =.46) than discriminant measures ( r =.22), supporting its validity. Moreover, its correlation with the MCSD was small ( r =.28) and no larger than between the MCSD and other measures, indicating minimal social-desirability effects. Finally, no differences emerged for gender or profession; higher scores did correlate with age ( r =.29, p &lt;.001) and years working in oncology ( r =.18, p =.01). Conclusions: Our findings support the SEMC’s validity and reliability. Scores on the patient and family forms were similar, indicating that either may be used. The SEMC provides a useful tool for measuring clinician-rated communication skills in future research, ultimately allowing standardization across studies.

Validated tool for quality assessment of anesthesia services by cardiac surgeons.

Background and Aim:The role of the cardiac anaesthesiologists extends beyond mere patient wellbeing to diagnostic input and active participation in decision making during cardiac surgery. The quality of service provision should therefore be judged not only by patient satisfaction but also by the satisfaction of cardiac surgeons. Unfortunately, quantification of cardiac surgeon satisfaction remains a challenge due to the absence of a reliable and validated tool. We therefore attempted to develop a robust, validated, pilot psychometric questionnaire, to measure satisfaction of cardiac surgeons' to cardiac anesthesia services.Methods:The questionnaire was developed with the help of senior cardiac anesthesiologist, cardiac surgeon and statistician with database search in PubMed and the Cochrane Library. The questionnaire was tested for content validity, comprehensibility, and identification of new items. This generated the second version of the questionnaire with nine socio-demographic and professional questions, 46 Likert type questions, an abridged Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability scale and one open ended question. This questionnaire was e-mailed to 100 cardiac surgeons requesting them to participate via a web-based survey application.Results:Content validity of the responses was tested by Aiken's content validity coefficient (V). Internal consistency was tested with Chronbach's alpha. Fifty-two cardiac surgeons participated in the survey. Twelve Likert type questions were deleted due to low V values. Excellent Chronbach's alpha (0.94) was obtained in the remaining 34 items.Conclusions:We have developed a questionnaire that includes 34 variables and allows quantifying surgeon satisfaction in a reliable fashion and is validated for the purpose.

Interrogative suggestibility in the elderly.

Interrogative suggestibility (IS) describes the extent to which an individual behavioral response is affected by messages communicated during formal questioning within a closed social interaction. The present study aimed at improving knowledge about IS in the elderly (aged 65 years and older), in particular about its association with both emotive/affective and cognitive variables. The sample (N = 172) was divided into three groups on the basis of age: late adult (aged 55–64, N = 59), young elderly (aged 65–74, N = 63), and elderly (aged 75 and older, N = 50). Cognitive (i.e., Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test-2, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test), emotive/affective (i.e., Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale, Penn State Worry Questionnaire) and suggestibility measures (i.e., Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale-2) were administered. In order to identify differences and associations between groups in IS, cognitive and emotive/affective variables, ANOVAs tests and Pearson’s correlations were run. Furthermore, moderation analyses and hierarchical regression were set to determine whether age, cognitive and emotive/affective variables predicted IS components (i.e., Yield and Shift). Finally, machine learning models were developed to highlight the best strategy for classifying elderly subjects with high suggestibility. The results corroborated the significant link between IS and age, showing that elderly participants had the worst performance on all suggestibility indexes. Age was also the most important predictor of both Yield and Shift. Results also confirmed the important role of non-verbal intelligence and memory impairment in explaining IS dimensions, showing that these associations were stronger in young elderly and elderly groups. Implications about interrogative procedures with older adults were discussed.

Lymphedema Symptom Intensity and Distress Surveys-Truncal and Head and Neck, Version 2.0.

Background: A comparison of symptom prevalence, intensity, and distress for participants with truncal lymphedema, head and neck lymphedema, and no lymphedema identified a need for a truncal-specific, lymphedema-related symptom assessment tool and a revision of the Lymphedema Symptom Intensity and Distress Survey-Head and Neck (LSIDS-H&N). The purpose of this study was to institute the development of the Lymphedema Symptom Intensity and Distress Survey-Truncal (LSIDS-T) and revise the LSIDS-H&N. Methods and Results: A comprehensive midline measure and subsequent series of analyses were used to develop the LSIDS-T and revise the initial LSIDS-H&N. Participants included 97 without lymphedema, 82 with truncal lymphedema, and 72 with head and neck lymphedema. Cluster analysis for the LSIDS-T resulted in five clusters with a total of 21 items. Cluster analysis for the LSIDS-H&N resulted in seven clusters with a total of 31 items. Key correlations in expected directions were found with the validated measures for both surveys, and correlations with the Marlowe Crown Social Desirability Scale did not indicate issues with social desirability of response. Conclusion: The 24-item LSIDS-T and the 31-item revised LSIDS-H&N v.2 are promising additions to the suite of other LSIDS measures for use in clinical environments.

The effects of anxiety and depression on asthma control and their association with strategies for coping with stress and social acceptance

AimChronically ill patients may be preoccupied with health issues such as anxiety and depression that can heighten emotional difficulties, and previous studies have reported an association between asthma and depression and anxiety. The literature contains limited data about the relationship between negative psychological state and control in asthma patients. We aimed to evaluate psychiatric comorbidities such as anxiety and depression in addition to coping strategies in terms of stress management and social desirability in asthma patients, and sought to investigate their impact on asthma control. Study design and methodA total of 88 adult asthma patients were included in the study. They underwent physical examination, as well as pulmonary function testing and an asthma control test: (ACT), and their body mass index (BMI) was determined. All participants completed the following questionnaires: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Coping Strategies with Stress Inventory-Short Form (COPE), and the Marlowe Crowne Social Desirability Scale-Short Form (MCSD). ResultsAnxiety was found in 55% and depression was found in 62% of asthmatic patients. Compared to men (32%), a significantly higher proportion of women (61%) had anxiety (P=0.023). ACT scores were significantly lower for patients with anxiety and depression than for patients without [18 (15–21) vs. 19 (17–23), P=0.028] and [18 (15–21) vs. 21 (17–23), P=0.003, respectively]. “Turning to religion and Planning” were the leading coping strategies in all asthmatics. 41% of patients had controlled asthma while 59% had uncontrolled asthma. “Seeking Social Support for Instrumental Reasons” was more common in patients with uncontrolled asthma than in those with controlled asthma (P=0.029). The coping strategies of “Behavioral Disengagement” (P=0.02, P=0.011, respectively) and “Self-Accusation” (P=0.018 and P=0.016, respectively) were more prevalent among patients with anxiety and depression, while non-depressive asthma patients most frequently used “Positive Reinterpretation, Acceptance, Humor and Seeking of Emotional Social Support” as ways of coping with stress compared to subjects with depression (P=0.002, P=0.034, P=0.01, P=0.006, respectively). There was no statistically significant difference between social desirability indexes for the controlled and uncontrolled asthma groups. ConclusionsIt is known that psychiatric disorders may affect the clinical course of asthma. This real-life study suggested the importance of assessing depression and anxiety symptoms in addition to strategies for coping with stress and achieving social approval to improve asthma control in clinical practice. Knowledge of the approach adopted by individuals to cope with stressful conditions may help in determining treatment targets and monitoring therapeutic efficacy.