Construct Validity Of Measures Research Articles

Construct validity of PROMIS pain interference, fatigue, and physical function as patient-reported outcomes in adults with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: An international study from the OMERACT myositis working group

BackgroundValidated patient-reported outcome measures to assess disease impact in patients with adult idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) are needed. The objective of this study was to assess the construct validity of PROMIS Pain Interference, Fatigue, and Physical Function measures in comparison with core disease activity measures. MethodsAdults with IIM, excluding inclusion body myositis, from OMERACT Myositis Working Group (MWG) clinic sites completed PROMIS Short Form v1.0—Pain Interference 6a, PROMIS Short Form v1.0—Fatigue 7a, and PROMIS Short Form v2.0—Physical Function 8b measures. Core disease activity measures including patient and physician global disease activity assessments, manual muscle testing, serum creatine kinase activity, and Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) were simultaneously assessed. To evaluate construct validity, a priori hypotheses for the expected correlations between PROMIS measures, age, and core disease measures were determined by >70 % agreement among MWG members and were compared against observed Pearson's correlations. Internal consistency of items and floor or ceiling effects for the PROMIS measures were also assessed. Subgroup analysis according to IIM subtype (dermatomyositis vs. non-dermatomyositis IIM) was performed. Results135 adults with IIM from 5 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia were included. For construct validity, a priori hypotheses were confirmed for 5 of 6 (83 %) PROMIS Pain Interference, 4 of 5 (80 %) PROMIS Fatigue, and 3 of 4 (75 %) PROMIS Physical Function correlations. Internal consistency was high for each PROMIS measure (Cronbach's alpha >0.9). Ceiling effects were observed only for PROMIS Pain Interference, with low/no pain in 29 % of patients. Subgroup analysis between dermatomyositis (n = 65) and non-dermatomyositis (n = 70) subtypes demonstrated similar correlations between PROMIS measures and disease activity measures. ConclusionsPROMIS Short Form v1.0—Pain Interference 6a, PROMIS Short Form v1.0—Fatigue 7a, and PROMIS Short Form v2.0—Physical Function 8b measures demonstrate strong construct validity when compared to core disease activity measures in IIM, with consistent results across IIM subtypes. These findings support the use of these selected PROMIS measures to assess core domains of interest for measuring life impact in IIMs.

Smartphone-Based Assessment of Mobility and Manual Dexterity in Adult People with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

More responsive, reliable, and clinically valid endpoints of disability are essential to reduce size, duration, and burden of clinical trials in adult persons with spinal muscular atrophy (aPwSMA). The aim is to investigate the feasibility of smartphone-based assessments in aPwSMA and provide evidence on the reliability and construct validity of sensor-derived measures (SDMs) of mobility and manual dexterity collected remotely in aPwSMA. Data were collected from 59 aPwSMA (23 walkers, 20 sitters and 16 non-sitters) and 30 age-matched healthy controls (HC). SDMs were extracted from five smartphone-based tests capturing mobility and manual dexterity, which were administered in-clinic and remotely in daily life for four weeks. Reliability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficients, ICC) and construct validity (ability to discriminate between HC and aPwSMA and correlations with Revised Upper Limb Module, RULM and Hammersmith Functional Scale - Expanded HFMSE) were quantified for all SDMs. The smartphone-based assessments proved feasible, with 92.1% average adherence in aPwSMA. The SDMs allowed to reliably assess both mobility and dexterity (ICC > 0.75 for 15/22 SDMs). Twenty-one out of 22 SDMs significantly discriminated between HC and aPwSMA. The highest correlations with the RULM were observed for SDMs from the manual dexterity tests in both non-sitters (Typing, ρ= 0.78) and sitters (Pinching, ρ= 0.75). In walkers, the highest correlation was between mobility tests and HFMSE (5 U-Turns, ρ= 0.79). This exploratory study provides preliminary evidence for the usability of smartphone-based assessments of mobility and manual dexterity in aPwSMA when deployed remotely in participants' daily life. Reliability and construct validity of SDMs remotely collected in real-life was demonstrated, which is a pre-requisite for their use in longitudinal trials. Additionally, three novel smartphone-based performance outcome assessments were successfully established for aPwSMA. Upon further validation of responsiveness to interventions, this technology holds potential to increase the efficiency of clinical trials in aPwSMA.

Development, validity and reliability assessment of the Canadian Food Literacy Measure.

Food literacy is a growing area of interest given its potential to support healthy and sustainable diets. Most existing food literacy measures focus on nutrition and food skills but fail to address food systems and socio-environmental aspects of food literacy. Further, measures developed and tested in the Canadian context are lacking. The objective of this project was to develop and test the validity and reliability of a brief self-administered measure, in French and English, designed to assess multiple dimensions of food literacy among adults living in Canada. The 23-item Canadian Food Literacy Measure was developed through an iterative process that included assessment of face and content validity through expert review (n=20) and cognitive interviews (n=20), and construct validity and reliability, i.e., internal consistency through an online survey (n=154). The results indicate that the measure is well understood by both English- and French-speaking adults. The measure's construct validity is demonstrated by the observed differences in total scores in hypothesized directions by gender (p=0.003), age (p=0.007), education level (p=0.002), health literacy (p<0.001) and smoking status (p=0.001) and the significant positive correlation (r = 0.29; p=0.002) between total scores and fruit and vegetable intake. The measure also has high internal consistency with a Cronbach's coefficient alpha of 0.80. This measure can be used in surveillance studies to provide insight into the food literacy of adults living in Canada and in epidemiologic research that aims to explore how food literacy is associated with a variety of health outcomes.

Motivations for Endogamous Relationship Preferences.

People tend to select romantic partners who belong to the same social group as themselves (i.e., endogamy). However, there is limited research on the proximal psychological motivations for choosing endogamous relationship partners. The purpose of this research was to develop a measure of motivations for endogamous relationship preferences and to assess whether such motivations were associated with actual dating experiences and attitudes toward endogamy across four common social categories: race and/or ethnicity, religion, social class, and education. Data from an online sample of participants (Study 1, n = 341) were used to generate items assessing motivations for endogamous relationship preferences. This initial set of items was administered to a new sample of participants (Study 2, n = 193) to establish the component structure of the measure and to examine whether the motivational components were associated with participants' past exogamous dating experiences as well as the perceived importance of dating within one's own racial and/or ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and educational group. Endogamy motivations characterized by intergroup prejudice were the strongest and most consistent correlates of endogamous relationships and the perceived importance of endogamy. Study 3 (n = 332) replicated the component structure of the measure and the general pattern of associations documented in Study 2, and provided evidence for the measure's construct validity. The overall findings suggest that intergroup prejudice partially explains preferences for endogamous relationships.

The development of a novel, standardized, norm-referenced Arabic Discourse Assessment Tool (ADAT), including an examination of psychometric properties of discourse measures in aphasia.

People with aphasia (PWA) typically exhibit deficits in spoken discourse. Discourse analysis is the gold standard approach to assess language deficits beyond sentence level. However, the available discourse assessment tools are biased towards English and European languages and Western culture. Additionally, there is a lack of consensus on which discourse measures to use and limited evidence of the psychometric properties of published discourse measurements. (1) To develop a standardized, norm-referenced, culturally and linguistically appropriate Arabic Discourse Assessment Tool (ADAT); and (2) to examine the psychometric properties of content and construct validity and interrater reliability of different discourse measures elicited using three discourse genres (descriptive, narrative and procedural) in neurotypical control adults and matched PWA. Discourse samples were collected using three novel discourse stimuli that are sensitive to the Arabic language and culture from 70 neurotypical control adults and a matched group of 50 PWA. Transcription agreement was assessed. A standard approach was used to evaluate construct validity and interrater reliability for 16 discourse measures that assess fluency, language productivity, information content, lexical-semantics, lexical diversity, grammatical category, grammatical structure and syntactic complexity. Strong measures were identified based on their psychometric properties, and normative data were established on these measures. Discourse performance of PWA was then examined using the newly developed tool (ADAT). Transcription agreement was extremely high for all discourse stimuli in both groups. Eight discourse measures were proven to have consistently very high construct validity and consistently very good to excellent reliability across the three stimuli in both neurotypical control and aphasia groups: lexical information units, content information units, words per minute, discourse duration, number of different words, number of complete sentences and proportion of open and closed class words. Norms were established on these measures, and cut-off scores of impairments were determined. Other measures showed low construct validity and variable or poor reliability across the two groups. The newly developed, standardized, and norm-referenced tool(ADAT) consist of three discourse stimuli and eight high-quality discourse measures that assess multiple aspects of spoken discourse and were able to differentiate PWA from neurotypical adults consistently. ADAT also includes normative data and cut-off impairment scores. The tool has great potential to enhance clinical practice and research with Arabic speakers. Evidence was provided that not all discourse measures are of high quality, as some are vulnerable to differences between raters, discourse stimuli and groups. Clinicians and researchers can use ADAT for accurate aphasia assessments, better management plans and to monitor therapy effectiveness. ADAT can be further validated in other clinical populations with language impairments. What is already known on the subject Discourse analysis is the gold standard approach to assess language deficits beyond sentence level. However, existing discourse assessment tools are biased towards English and European languages and Western culture. Additionally, there is a lack of consensus on which discourse measures to use in aphasia, and limited evidence of the psychometric properties of published discourse measurements. What this paper adds to existing knowledge A novel, standardized, norm-referenced Arabic Discourse Assessment Tool (ADAT) was developed and validated in this study. ADAT was further validated among PWA. The study provides evidence that not all discourse measures are of high quality and thus should not be used with confidence. Specific measures are vulnerable to the type of stimuli, the rater and/or the tested group. On the other hand, eight discourse measures were identified to be reliable between different raters and across different stimuli for the two groups, and they were able to differentiate the discourse performance of PWA from neurotypical control adults. Normative data derived from neurotypical control adults were established on these strong measures, and the performance of PWA was classified as impaired based on these norms. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The present study provides a novel, standardized, norm-referenced, validated discourse assessment tool that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for use by Arabic speakers (ADAT). ADAT holds immense potential to enhance clinical practice and research with Arabic speakers. The study also identified strong discourse measures that can be used to assess language productivity, information content, lexical-semantics, lexical diversity, grammatical category, and syntactic complexity for accurate and comprehensive assessments. This will lead to better rehabilitation management by guiding the development of tailored client-centred interventions. ADAT can be utilized in clinical and research settings in PWA and has the potential to be further validated with other clinical populations.

Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Age-related Disintegration in Functional Connectivity: Reference Ability Neural Network Cohort.

Some theories of aging have linked age-related cognitive decline to a reduction in distinctiveness of neural processing. Observed age-related correlation increases among disparate cognitive tasks have supported the dedifferentiation hypothesis. We previously showed cross-sectional evidence for age-related correlation decreases instead, supporting an alternative disintegration hypothesis. In the current study, we extended our previous research to a longitudinal sample. We tested 135 participants (20-80 years) at two time points-baseline and 5-year follow-up-on a battery of 12 in-scanner tests, each tapping one of four reference abilities. We performed between-tasks correlations within domain (convergent) and between domain (discriminant) at both the behavioral and neural level, calculating a single measure of construct validity (convergent - discriminant). Cross-sectionally, behavioral construct validity was significantly different from chance at each time point, but longitudinal change was not significant. Analysis by median age split revealed that older adults showed higher behavioral validity, driven by higher discriminant validity (lower between-tasks correlations). Participant-level neural validity decreased over time, with convergent validity consistently greater than discriminant validity; this finding was also observed at the cross-sectional level. In addition, a disproportionate decrease in neural validity with age remained significant after controlling for demographic factors. Factors predicting longitudinal changes in global cognition (mean performance across all 12 tasks) included age, change in neural validity, education, and National Adult Reading Test (premorbid intelligence). Change in neural validity partially mediated the effect of age on change in global cognition. Our findings support the theory of age-related disintegration, linking cognitive decline to changes in neural representations over time.

Designing and Psychometric Evaluation of a Questionnaire for Assessing Society's Perception of Flash Flood Risk

Background: Public perception of risks associated with natural disasters like flash floods significantly influences disaster management effectiveness. Flash floods pose a major threat to life and property, and a lack of tools to evaluate societal risk perception creates a critical gap. Objectives: This study aimed to design and evaluate the psychometric properties of a questionnaire specifically assessing society's perception of flash flood risk. Methods: A two-stage approach was employed. The first stage involved collecting questionnaire items through a systematic literature review and a qualitative study. In the second stage, a comprehensive psychometric evaluation was conducted, including assessments of face validity, content validity, and construct validity. Reliability was established using Cronbach's alpha. Confirmatory factor analysis was further conducted with data collected from 136 community members who had experienced flash floods. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20 and AMOS software. Results: A combination of qualitative data and systematic review findings facilitated the development of 36 initial questionnaire items. Applying quantitative and qualitative construct validity measures led to the refinement of the instrument, resulting in 29 final items categorized into three domains: Risk perception (12 items), awareness (10 items), and preparedness (7 items). The internal consistency of the instrument was confirmed by a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.88. Factor analysis further supported the good fit of the hypothesized model to the data. Conclusions: This study successfully developed and rigorously evaluated a questionnaire to assess society's perception of flash flood risk. This instrument offers valuable insights for informed decision-making and identification of factors influencing risk perception, ultimately contributing to improved disaster preparedness and management.

The Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Stigma Scale: Measurement Properties of an Adaptation in German and French.

This study aimed to adapt and validate the HIV PrEP Stigma Scale (HPSS) in French and German languages (HPSS-FR/DE) and assess its applicability across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts. The original scale was adapted to French and German and administered through an online survey in multiple European nations. A four-factor structure was extracted from the data, including negative social consequences, social pressure, self-support, and external support. The scale's construct validity, reliability, and cross-linguistic consistency were evaluated. The adapted HPSS-FR/DE demonstrated robust psychometric properties, good construct validity, acceptable reliability, and consistent measurement across different languages. This adaptation enhances its utility in multicultural settings, offering a comprehensive tool to assess PrEP-related stigma. This study provides a suitable tool to address PrEP stigma in multicultural environments to enhance PrEP uptake and adherence among men who have sex with men. Moreover, it lays the groundwork for further investigations into PrEP stigma across diverse populations and cultural settings, enabling the development of targeted public health interventions and policies to combat this issue effectively.

Characterizing the Validity of Using VASES to Derive DIGEST-FEES Grades

Introduction: Visual Analysis of Swallowing Efficiency and Safety (VASES) and Dynamic Imaging Grade of Swallowing Toxicity for Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (DIGEST-FEES) are two complimentary methods for assessing swallowing during FEES. Whereas VASES is intended to facilitate trial-level ratings of pharyngeal residue, penetration, and aspiration, DIGEST-FEES is intended to facilitate protocol-level impairment grades of swallowing safety and efficiency. The aim of this study was to assess the validity of using VASES to derive DIGEST-FEES impairment grades. Methods: DIGEST-FEES grades were blindly analyzed from 50 FEES – first using the original DIGEST-FEES grading method (n = 50) and then again using a VASES-derived DIGEST-FEES grading method (n = 50). Weighted Kappa (κw) and absolute agreement (%) were used to assess the relationship between the original DIGEST-FEES grades and VASES-derived DIGEST-FEES grades. Spearman’s correlations assessed the relationship between VASES-derived DIGEST-FEES grades with measures of construct validity. Results: Substantial agreement (κw = 0.76–0.83) was observed between the original and VASES-derived grading methods, with 60–62% of all DIGEST-FEES grades matching exactly, and 92–100% of DIGEST-FEES grades within one grade of each other. Furthermore, the strength of the relationships between VASES-derived DIGEST-FEES grades and measures of construct validity (r = 0.34–0.78) were similar to the strength of the relationships between original DIGEST-FEES grades and the same measures of construct validity (r = 0.34–0.83). Conclusion: Findings from this study demonstrate substantial agreement between original and VASES-derived DIGEST-FEES grades. Using VASES to derive DIGEST-FEES also appears to maintain the same level of construct validity established with the original DIGEST-FEES. Therefore, clinicians and researchers may consider using VASES to increase the transparency and standardization of DIGEST-FEES ratings. Future research should seek to replicate these findings and explore the simultaneous use of VASES and DIGEST-FEES in a greater sampling of raters and across other patient populations.

Using survey experiments for construct validation: “strong leader” questions and support for authoritarian leadership

ABSTRACT Survey experiments are an increasingly popular tool for causal inference in political science. We argue that an under-utilized application for survey experiments is nomological/construct validation, where researchers evaluate whether indicators really measure systematized concepts. We demonstrate this approach by examining respondents’ preferences for autocratic leadership by asking whether those that say they want strong leaders who bend the rules or ignore parliament and elections really want undemocratic leadership in the context of an experimental task. While approaches that measure construct validity with observational data support the validity of these measures, our experimental data tell a different story. We find that respondents – even those who indicate a preference for “strong” leaders in survey questions – are less likely to choose hypothetical candidates who ignore democratic institutions and refuse to compromise with other parties. Our study contributes to the literatures on survey measurement and support for democracy and authoritarian values in established democracies.

Final Validation of the Quality of Life after Brain Injury for Children and Adolescents (QOLIBRI-KID/ADO) Questionnaire.

Until recently, no disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire existed for pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). In this revalidation study, the psychometric properties and the validity of the 35-item QOLIBRI-KID/ADO questionnaire in its final German version were examined in 300 children and adolescents. It is the first self-reported TBI-specific tool for measuring pediatric HRQoL in individuals aged between 8 and 17 years. The six-factor model fits the data adequately. The questionnaire's internal consistency was excellent for the total score and satisfactory to excellent for the scale scores. Intraclass correlations indicated good test-retest reliability, and the measure's construct validity was supported by the overlap between the QOLBRI-KID/ADO and the PedsQL, which measures generic HRQoL. The discriminant validity tests showed that older children and girls reported a significantly lower HRQoL than comparison groups, and this was also true of children who were anxious or depressed, or who suffered from post-concussion symptoms, replicating the results of the questionnaire's first developmental study. Our results suggest that the QOLIBRI-KID/ADO is a reliable and valid multidimensional tool that can be used together with the adult version in clinical contexts and research to measure disease-specific HRQoL after pediatric TBI throughout a person's life. This may help improve care, treatment, daily functioning, and HRQoL after TBI.

Validity of Mental Health Literacy Scales on Helping People at Risk of Depression among Thai Students in Health Science: Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Mental health literacy (MHL) has garnered global attention as a crucial element in mitigating the risks associated with depression within communities and plays a pivotal role in shaping help-seeking behaviors. Objective: To develop an MHL and helping behavior (HB) scale while examining a causal relationship model of HB. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study designed by collecting 211 Thai health science students through stratified random sampling. The development process and quality assessment of the MHL and HB measures revealed five components by trying out 30 participants with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.811 to 0.901 and item-total correlations of 0.252 to 0.828. Data were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) utilizing LISREL version 8.72. Results: 1) CFA confirmed the construct validity of both measures with empirical data. The 15-item MHL scale achieved an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.84 and factor loading between 0.35 and 0.85. Similarly, the 17-item HB scale achieved an overall Cronbach’s alpha of 0.86 and factor loading between 0.30 and 0.79, and 2) results of the causal relationship model estimation demonstrated a significant positive direct influence of MHL on HB that MHL could predict HM by 67.00%. Conclusion: Both concise measurement scales exhibited good quality, making them viable options for use by healthcare professionals or educators in screening and assessing students’ abilities in aiding individuals at risk of depression. Keywords: Validity; Mental health literacy; Helping behavior; Depression; Students in health science

Validity and Reliability Study of the Indonesian Student Satisfaction with Cultural Simulation Experiences Scale (SCSES) among Nursing Students

Virtual Reality is a technology that can simulate a virtual environment like a real one and make it seem like if users can interact in it. The development of learning to use Virtual Reality has begun to be used as a medium for learning skills to increase students' clinical knowledge and reasoning in nursing practice, so that students can show reasonable learning satisfaction in the learning process. Student satisfaction is needed to determine the effectiveness of using VR in nursing practice. Satisfaction with using virtual reality for student learning experiences can be evaluated using the SCSES (Student Satisfaction with Cultural Simulation Experience Scale), but there is no Indonesian language version for this instrument. This study aimed to translate and adapt the SCSES (Student Satisfaction with Cultural Simulation Experience Scale) instrument in the Indonesia context for nursing students. Methods: The SCSES translation uses the cross-sectional method and in the translation process refers to the five stages of international standard guidelines for translation. Results: The reliability and validity test of the SCSES instrument was tested on 92 Padjadjaran University nursing students. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was carried out to measure construct validity. It was found that all items of the Indonesian version of the SCSES instrument were declared valid with the value of all factor loading items &gt; 0.50 and the Cronbach's α test was performed to measure the consistency of measurements (α = 0.964). Conclusions: The Indonesian version of SCSES has good item validity and reliability as a measure of satisfaction in cultural simulation experiences. .

Measuring semantic memory using associative and dissociative retrieval tasks.

Recent theoretical advances highlighted the need for novel means of assessing semantic cognition. Here, we introduce the associative-dissociative retrieval task (ADT), positing a novel way to test inhibitory control over semantic memory retrieval by contrasting the efficacy of associative (automatic) and dissociative (controlled) retrieval on a standard set of verbal stimuli. All ADT measures achieved excellent reliability, homogeneity, and short-term temporal stability. Moreover, in-depth stimulus level analyses showed that the associative retrieval is easier for words evoking few but strong associates, yet such propensity hampers the inhibition. Finally, we provided critical support for the construct validity of the ADT measures, demonstrating reliable correlations with domain-specific measures of semantic memory functioning (semantic fluency and associative combination) but negligible correlations with domain-general capacities (processing speed and working memory). Together, we show that ADT provides simple yet potent and psychometrically sound measures of semantic memory retrieval and offers noteworthy advantages over the currently available assessment methods.

Translation and validation into Spanish of the oral health self-efficacy scale in Chilean older adults

BackgroundPopulation ageing poses a challenge to improving the well-being of older adults, particularly in terms of oral health. Promoting self-efficacy in oral health behaviours is crucial for maintaining this population’s health and quality of life. The Oral Health Self-Efficacy Scale (OHSES) has been widely used to assess dental self-efficacy and is considered comprehensive and reliable. However, there is a need to validate OHSES for Spanish-speaking older adults. This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the translated questionnaire for use in the older Chilean population.MethodsA sample of 188 older adults, aged 60 years and above residing independently in the community, were recruited by accessing databases from the National Senior Citizen Service and various community organisations within the region of La Araucanía. The participants underwent comprehensive oral examinations and oral health interviews, focusing on variables such as OHSES, Oral health-related quality of life (OHIP-14Sp), assessment of remaining teeth, knowledge and attitudes toward oral health, and sociodemographic characteristics. The validity of the translated questionnaire was assessed through translation and cross-cultural adaptation, cognitive debriefing, and face and content validation. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated through measures of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), content validity (Content validity index), construct validity (factor analysis and Pearson correlation analysis), and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation).ResultsThe Spanish version of OHSES demonstrated adequate face and content validity. The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a two-factor scale with 7 items for a better fit. The scale demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.821) and acceptable test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.411). Correlations were found between the OHSES score, the number of remaining teeth, knowledge and attitudes towards oral health, and the OHIP-14Sp (p < 0.01).ConclusionsThis study confirms the validity of the Spanish version of the Oral Health Self-Efficacy Scale for older adults in Chile. The scale is expected to be helpful in assessing self-efficacy in dental interventions and collecting data for international comparisons. This research opens new dimensions in patient-reported assessment of oral health.

Minority Affirmations and the Boundaries of the Nation: Evidence From Québec

Cultural criteria, like language skills and values, are salient features of nationalism discourse, reflecting imagined boundaries that separate ingroup from outgroup member when thinking about the nation. Despite their salience, the relationship between cultural membership criteria and other civic (attainable) or ethnic (ascriptive) national boundaries, along with their implications for intergroup relations, is contested. Using surveys from N = 6448 majority group members in the Canadian province of Québec, we argue cultural boundaries are empirically distinct from civic and ethnic ones. Cultural and civic criteria are both prominent prerequisites for membership into the Québécois national community, but cultural criteria show markedly divergent relationships with outgroup attitudes. The results underline the importance of conceptualizing cultural boundaries as a distinct set of national membership criteria and question the construct validity of blended ethnocultural boundary measures or approaches that aggregate civic and cultural criteria together as equally “attainable” markers of national membership.

Development and validation of a reasons for electronic cigarette use questionnaire.

People use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) for many reasons, but currently there are no comprehensive assessments of the motivations for tobacco vaping. The aim of the present study is to develop and test the initial construct validity of a new measure to assess reasons for e-cigarette use. We developed a 56-item measure based on the e-cigarette literature. This measure, along with demographic and tobacco use questions, was administered to adults who self-identified as past or present e-cigarette users on the Prolific crowdsourcing platform. The sample (n = 965) was randomly assigned into two analytic groups for exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 484) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 481). The sample ranged from 19 to 77 (M = 36.6; SD = 11.5) years old, and 42.2% identified as women, 74.6% as White, 7.2% as African American, 4.7% as Asian/Pacific Islander, and 5.1% Hispanic/Latino. After removing highly correlated items and nonloading items on the EFA, the 56-item scale was reduced to 47 items across eight factors. The eight subscales assessing various motivation domains of e-cigarette use included social influence, alternative to cigarettes, pleasurable effects, harm reduction, dependence, cessation, weight/appetite, and smell/flavor domains. Cronbach's α coefficients and preliminary analyses of differential motivation based on sex, age, and daily smoker status are presented. This study demonstrates the construct validity for the first comprehensive measure tested to assess reasons for e-cigarette use. This measure has potential to become a valuable assessment for researchers examining factors contributing to tobacco vaping among a variety of populations and settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Revalidating a measurement instrument of spatial thinking ability for junior and high school students

Spatial thinking is a set of cognitive abilities that enable people to organize, reason about, and mentally manipulate both real and imagined spaces. One of the available measurement instruments is the Spatial Thinking Ability Test (STAT). Given the critical need for spatial thinking ability measurement for junior and high school students, and the popularity of STAT to measure spatial thinking ability, revalidation of STAT is necessary as STAT was developed primarily for university students and validation of the original STAT was based on the classical test theory from which the findings are notoriously sample dependent. We used Rasch modeling to revalidate STAT as it allows parameters to be mutually independent and measures to be interval. The sample included 1340 junior and high school students. Item fit statistics, Item Characteristics Curves, unidimensionality test, and the Wright map provided evidence for the construct validity of STAT measures. The reliability of the instrument was moderate. Wald test for item measure invariance of individual items showed that among sixteen items seven items were variant in measures. The Anderson LR test indicates that the Rasch difficulty measures of STAT were not adequate for invariance. There was no DIF between two subsamples based on gender, suggesting fairness of the instrument in terms of gender. The above results suggest that STAT possesses certain degrees of validity, reliability, and fairness, although there is still room for further improvement.

Measuring Anxiety Symptoms – Psychometric Properties of the Dutch Version of the Lehrer–Woolfolk Anxiety Scale Questionnaire

Abstract: Introduction: The Lehrer–Woolfolk Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (LWASQ) is a self-report questionnaire based on the tripartite model of Lang (1971) for measuring treatment progress. However, so far little is known about its psychometric qualities. Two studies were conducted to get more clarity on the factor structure and reliability of the LWASQ. Method: Factor structure and internal consistency of the LWASQ were assessed using a sample of 2,117 patients with anxiety disorders. Test–retest reliability was measured with a three-week interval, using a sample of 49 people in a general population. We aimed to measure construct validity with a third sample of patients with anxiety disorders, but were not able to due to a small sample size. Results: Factor analysis confirmed the three known factors of the LWASQ, i.e., somatic complaints, cognitive problems, and behavioral complaints. Both internal consistency for all three subscales ( r = .852–.927) and test–retest reliability were found to be good ( r = .88). Conclusion: Psychometric properties of the LWASQ are promising, but further validation is needed to draw more definitive conclusions regarding its usefulness in a clinical population.

Construct Validity and Measurement Invariance of the eHEALS in a Diverse US High School Sample

Abstract: Although the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) is a widely used measure of eHealth literacy (eHL), it has not been validated in a diverse sample of US adolescents. This study assessed the construct validity and item and measurement invariance of the eHEALS using both Rasch analyses and classical test theory (CTT). Data were collected from adolescents at a US Northeastern high school ( N = 355, 64.9% were 16–18-years old, 54.8% male, 76.4% from a racially minoritized group, and 50.5% Latinx). Adolescents completed a survey that included demographic variables (i.e., age in years, gender, and ethnicity) and the eHEALS. Using Rasch and CTT methodologies, the dimensionality of the eHEALS and item and measurement invariance across gender, age, and ethnicity were assessed. The unidimensional structure of the eHEALS as well as item and measurement invariance across gender, age, and ethnicity were supported. Rasch analyses also suggested that responses to eHEALS items can be summed to determine eHL abilities, although there was a ceiling effect. The eHEALS is a unidimensional measure of eHL that may provide information in health education settings about adolescents’ eHL skills. It performs similarly across male and female as well as older and younger adolescents. However, given the ceiling effect and changes in adolescents’ Internet use since its development, future studies should revise the eHEALS to better capture adolescents’ eHL abilities. Future studies should also examine item and measurement invariance by age (in years), race, family income, and longitudinally to determine the usefulness of the measure across groups and time.