Multiple Regression Weights Research Articles

English language teacher educators’ knowledge and skills on early grade reading instruction

This study investigated English language teacher educators' knowledge and skills on early grade reading instruction. It employed a quantitative design, particularly the descriptive comparative one, utilizing cluster random sampling method to include all (N = 43) English language teacher educators from three teacher education colleges (15 from Arba Minch, 11 from Hosana and 17 from Hawassa) in Ethiopia. The study used test and years of teaching experience as instruments to collect data. It employed descriptive statistics and One sample t-test to identify level of knowledge and skills English language teacher educators had on early grade reading, Multiple regression and Beta weights to determine the combined and relative contributions of domains of the early grade reading for English language teacher educators' knowledge and skills while Spearman's rho Correlation to examine the relationship between English language teacher educators' years of teaching experience and their knowledge and skills test score. Findings revealed that majority of English language teacher educators were at low level of knowledge and skills; they scored the skills test better than the knowledge one. Moreover, English language teacher educators in the current study had significantly low’ level of early grade reading knowledge and skills compared to participants' early grade reading knowledge and skills in the hypothesized population, indicating that there are substantial differences on early grade reading knowledge and skills between the two groups. Although early grade reading domains together significantly contributed to English language teacher educators' level of content knowledge and skills, phonemic was the most while morphology was the least contributor. However, English language teacher educators' years of teaching experience did not show any significant correlation with their early grade reading knowledge and skills. The study concluded that English language teacher educators might not fully equip the preservice English language teachers with the content knowledge and skills to teach the early grade reading.

Students' approaches to developing scientific communication skills.

Science communication is a core skill for undergraduate science students to acquire in preparation for their future careers, but studies show that this skill is underdeveloped in science graduates. The aim of this study was to discover the resources and approaches undergraduate students use to effectively develop their science communication skills and how the use of these methods relates to academic performance on a communication task. Undergraduate students undertaking a second-year biomedical science course (n = 490) were asked which approaches and resources they used to aid the development of their science communication skills, and the frequency of their responses was correlated against their laboratory report mark, using multiple regression and relative weights analysis. Students' (n = 453) use of Communication Learning in Practice for Scientists (CLIPS; an open-access interactive website on science communication), resources provided by the university, interactions with university teaching staff, and engagement with the scientific literature significantly predicted the laboratory report mark. Students enrolled in a blended format or in remote online learning only, and in different programs, performed comparably in the written report and used similar approaches and resources, other than remote students reporting more use of other online resources and students in blended learning engaging more with university resources. Together, these findings provide insight into which strategies are most helpful for undergraduate students to engage with to improve their scientific communication skills. The findings highlight that the provision of well-designed interactive communication resources, guided assessment resources, and opportunities to engage with teaching staff can assist in the development of science communication skills.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study identifies the approaches and resources that undergraduate science students use to develop their science communication skills. It reveals which of these approaches and resources predict improved academic performance in a written science communication assessment task. The findings point to the importance of explicit guidance, and engagement with teaching staff, in advancing the development of science communication skills.

Convergent validity and inter-rater reliability of a lower-limb multimodal physical function assessment in community-dwelling older adults.

Introduction: Lower-limb physical function declines with age and contributes to a greater difficulty in performing activities of daily living. Existing assessments of lower-limb function assess one dimension of movement in isolation or are not time-efficient, which discourages their use in community and clinical settings. We aimed to address these limitations by assessing the inter-rater reliability and convergent validity of a new multimodal functional lower-limb assessment (FLA). Methods: FLA consists of five major functional movement tasks (rising from a chair, walking gait, stair ascending/descending, obstacle avoidance, and descending to a chair) performed consecutively. A total of 48 community-dwelling older adults (32 female participants; age: 71 ± 6years) completed the FLA as well as timed up-and-go, 30-s sit-to-stand, and 6-min walk tests. Results: Slower FLA time was correlated with a slower timed up-and-go test (ρ = 0.70), less sit-to-stand repetitions (ρ = -0.65), and a shorter distance in the 6-min walk test (ρ = -0.69; all, p < 0.001). Assessments by two raters were not different (12.28 ± 3.86s versus 12.29 ± 3.83s, p = 0.98; inter-rater reliability ρ = 0.993, p < 0.001) and were statistically equivalent (via equivalence testing). Multiple regression and relative weights analyses demonstrated that FLA times were most predicted by the timed up-and-go performance [adjusted R 2 = 0.75; p < 0.001; raw weight 0.42 (95% CI: 0.27, 0.53)]. Discussion: Our findings document the high inter-rater reliability and moderate-strong convergent validity of the FLA. These findings warrant further investigation into the predictive validity of the FLA for its use as an assessment of lower-limb physical function among community-dwelling older adults.

The importance of executive functioning for social skills in college students: a relative weights analysis

Objective: Executive Functioning (EF) is a construct that is considered central to cognitive development and has recently garnered attention for its potential role in social functioning. This study investigated the relationship between EF and social skill using both multiple regression and relative weights analyses. Participants: A sample of undergraduate college students in the U.S. (N = 257; N female = 145; M age = 19.51) participated for course credit. Methods: Participants completed an online survey. Data were analyzed using multiple regression and relative weights analysis to better understand the unique contribution of EF skills to specific social skills. Results: For some dimensions of EF, ability positively correlated with adaptive social outcome, whereas for some other dimensions, lower ability correlated with positive social outcomes. Conclusions: EF may play a role in the general social functioning of college students, though the relationship appears complex and domain-specific. Statement of relevance Social interaction is one of the most important things that humans do on a day-to-day basis, impacting both mental and physical wellness. College is a particularly important period where social interaction becomes increasingly important as well as complex. While there is no currently agreed upon cognitive basis of social interaction, the executive function (EF) system is believed to play a central role. The current study provides further evidence of the role of the EF system across different social skills in addition to highlighting the complexity of these relationships.

Feedback environment: A meta‐analysis

AbstractFeedback environment reflects the perceptions of the contextual, day‐to‐day feedback process within supervisor–subordinate relationships. Here, we present a comprehensive meta‐analysis of the feedback environment literature. On the basis of K = 112 independent samples, representing N = 31,089 workers, results suggest that feedback environment is positively related to feedback orientation (rc = .42), leader–member exchange (rc = .81), supervisor‐rated performance (rc = .29), and negatively related to burnout (rc = −.51). Moreover, we present multiple regression and relative weights analyses to consider the unique and incremental predictive power of feedback environment above and beyond two related constructs: leader–member exchange and feedback orientation. The results suggest that the feedback environment explains unique variance in several correlates and is a particularly important predictor of (lower) burnout.

Coronavirus stigmatization and psychological distress among Asians in the United States

ABSTRACT Objectives Coronavirus stigmatization may be disproportionately impacting ethnoracial minority groups in the US. We test three hypotheses: [H1] Asians in the US are more likely to report experiencing coronavirus stigmatization than non-Hispanic Whites; [H2] Coronavirus stigmatization is associated with psychological distress; [H3] Magnitude of association between coronavirus stigmatization and psychological distress is more pronounced among US-born Asians, compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Design We analyzed cross-sectional survey data from the 10–31 March 2020 wave of the Understanding America Survey, a nationally representative survey of adults in the US. Psychological distress was assessed with the PHQ-4. Measures of association were estimated using multiple logistic regression and survey sampling weights. Predicted probabilities were calculated using marginal standardization ( n = 6707). Results [H1] The adjusted predicted probability of experiencing any coronavirus stigma among foreign-born Asians (11.2%, 95% CI: 5.5–17.0%; E-value = 4.52), US-born Asians (10.9%, 95% CI: 5.8–16.0%; E-value = 4.23), Blacks (8.0%, 95% CI: 5.3–10.7%; E-value = 2.92), and Hispanic Whites (7.3%, 95% CI: 4.6–9.9%; E-value = 2.58) was significantly greater than non-Hispanic Whites (4.5%, 95% CI: 3.7–5.4%). [H2] Individuals reporting any coronavirus stigma experience were significantly more likely to exhibit psychological distress (19.9%, 95% CI: 14.6–25.2% vs 10.6%, 9.6–11.6%; E-value = 3.16). [H3] The overall magnitude of association between experience of any coronavirus stigma and psychological distress was not significantly between US-born Asians and non-Hispanic Whites, though we found gender to mask this effect. US-born Asian females who experienced coronavirus stigmatization were more likely to exhibit psychological distress than non-Hispanic white females who experienced coronavirus stigmatization (relative risk (RR): 10.21, 95% CI: 2.69–38.74 vs 1.24, 95% CI: 0.76–2.01; p < 0.01). Conclusion Comprehensive measures around care seeking, public awareness, and disaggregated data collection are needed to address ethnoracial coronavirus stigmatization and its impact on psychological health and well-being.

A relative weights comparison of trauma-related shame and guilt as predictors of DSM-5 posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity among US veterans and military members.

Veterans and military service members have increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and consequent problems with health, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life. In this population and others, shame and guilt have emerged as contributors to PTSD, but there is a considerable need for research that precisely demonstrates how shame and guilt are associated with PTSD.This study examined whether a) trauma-related shame predicts PTSD severity beyond the effects of trauma-related guilt and b) shame accounts for a greater proportion of variance in PTSD symptoms than guilt. We collected cross-sectional self-report data on measures of PTSD symptom severity based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria, trauma-related shame, and trauma-related guilt via online survey. Participants included 61 US veterans and active duty service members. Hierarchical multiple regression and relative weights analysis were used to test hypotheses. In step 1 of regression analysis, guilt was significantly associated with PTSD.However, when shame was added to the model, the effect of guilt became non-significant, and only shame significant predicted PTSD.Results from relative weights analysis indicated that both shame and guilt predicted PTSD, jointly accounting for 46% of the variance in PTSD. Compared to guilt, trauma-related shame accounted for significantly more explained variance in PTSD. This study provided evidence that among US veterans and service members, trauma-related shame and guilt differ in their association with PTSD and that trauma-related shame, in particular, is associated with the severity of PTSD. Trauma-related shame and guilt explained almost half of the observed variance in PTSD symptom severity among this sample of US military veterans and service members. Trauma-related shame and guilt each made a unique contribution to PTSD severity after accounting for the similarity between these two emotions; however, shame was particularly associated with increased PTSD severity. These results highlight the importance of assessing and addressing trauma-related shame and guilt in PTSD treatment among military populations. We suggest that emotion- and compassion-focused techniques may be particularly relevant for addressing trauma-related shame and guilt. Limitations of the study Cross-sectional data does not allow for determination of causal relationships. Although sufficiently powered, the sample size is small. The present sample self-selected to participate in a study about stress and emotions.

Relative importance of the determinants of serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D in patients with chronic kidney disease

IntroductionThe cause of vitamin D deficiency in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is probably multi-factorial; however, the relative importance of each potential determinant is uncertain. AimsTo determine factors associated with serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) and their relative importance in a cohort of pre-dialysis CKD patients. Materials and methodsIncident patients admitted to a CKD outpatient clinic were included. Those who were receiving vitamin D supplements or anticonvulsants were excluded. In addition to demographic and clinical data, information about outdoor physical activity, season of blood collection, prescription of statins, anti-angiotensin drugs and xanthine-oxidase inhibitors were included as potential determinants. Johnson's relative weights analysis was used to estimate the relative importance of each potential determinant and the results were expressed as percentage contribution to multiple R. ResultsThe study group consisted of 397 patients, 30 of whom were excluded. The mean serum level of 25OHD was 13.7±7.4ng/ml, and 81% of patients had serum levels lower than 20ng/ml. By multiple linear regression and relative weights analyses, the best determinants of low serum 25OHD levels and their relative importance were: higher proteinuria (28.5%), old age (21.4%), low physical activity (19.4%), female gender (19.3%) and low serum bicarbonate levels (11.4%). ConclusionsProteinuria and age are the determinants with the highest relative importance for predicting 25OHD levels in CKD patients.

Importancia relativa de los factores determinantes de los niveles séricos de 25-hidroxi-colecalciferol en la enfermedad renal crónica

IntroductionThe cause of vitamin D deficiency in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is probably multi-factorial; however, the relative importance of each potential determinant is uncertain. AimsTo determine factors associated with serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) and their relative importance in a cohort of pre-dialysis CKD patients. Material and methodsIncident patients admitted to a CKD outpatient clinic were included. Those who were receiving vitamin D supplements or anticonvulsants were excluded. In addition to demographic and clinical data, information about outdoor physical activity, season of blood collection, prescription of statins, anti-angiotensin drugs and xanthine-oxidase inhibitors were included as potential determinants. Johnson's relative weights analysis was used to estimate the relative importance of each potential determinant and the results were expressed as percentage contribution to multiple R. ResultsThe study group consisted of 397 patients, 30 of whom were excluded. The mean serum level of 25OHD was 13.7±7.4ng/ml, and 81% of patients had serum levels lower than 20ng/ml. By multiple linear regression and relative weights analyses, the best determinants of low serum 25OHD levels and their relative importance were: higher proteinuria (28.5%), old age (21.4%), low physical activity (19.4%), female gender (19.3%) and low serum bicarbonate levels (11.4%). ConclusionsProteinuria and age are the determinants with the highest relative importance for predicting 25OHD levels in CKD patients.

Investigating the nomological network of multitasking ability in a field sample

This study explores the correlates of multitasking ability, as measured by a commercially developed test that has been used for high stakes personnel selection contexts with more traditional predictors (i.e., personality and cognitive ability) in an organizational sample. Multitasking ability exhibited differential relationships with the cognitive and non-cognitive variables. That is, multitasking ability was found to be strongly positively related to cognitive ability, and negatively related to conscientiousness. Based on a multiple regression and relative weights analysis, cognitive ability proved to be the only significant unique predictor of multitasking ability. Results and implications for the use of multitasking ability assessments in a selection context are discussed.

Does Regression Produce Representative Estimates of Causal Effects?

With an unrepresentative sample, the estimate of a causal effect may fail to characterize how effects operate in the population of interest. What is less well understood is that conventional estimation practices for observational studies may produce the same problem even with a representative sample. Causal effects estimated via multiple regression differentially weight each unit's contribution. The “effective sample” that regression uses to generate the estimate may bear little resemblance to the population of interest, and the results may be nonrepresentative in a manner similar to what quasi‐experimental methods or experiments with convenience samples produce. There is no general external validity basis for preferring multiple regression on representative samples over quasi‐experimental or experimental methods. We show how to estimate the “multiple regression weights” that allow one to study the effective sample. We discuss alternative approaches that, under certain conditions, recover representative average causal effects. The requisite conditions cannot always be met.

A confidence interval for ordinal multiple regression weights.

A confidence interval for ordinal multiple regression weights.

A confidence interval for ordinal multiple regression weights.

A confidence interval for ordinal multiple regression weights.

Understanding Mammography Intention and Utilization among Women in an Inner City Public Hospital Clinic

Background.Most research on mammography utilization has been conducted among middle-class women. There is a need for research to identify factors affecting mammography utilization among low-income women to develop effective interventions for this underserved subgroup.Methods.An expanded theory of reasoned action guided this research among low-income inner-city women who use a public hospital. Qualitative interviews were conducted to develop a questionnaire with items relevant to this population. The questionnaire included 5 affect measures, 13 behavioral beliefs, 5 sources of influence, and 6 facilitator/constraint measures. The survey was mailed to 584 women ages 50 to 69 identified through the hospital database.Results.After those ineligible and undeliverable were excluded, responses were obtained from 361 women (84% adjusted response rate). Sixty-six percent had a mammogram within the previous year and 58% were very sure that they would get a mammogram in the next year. Affect, attitude, subjective norm, and facilitator scores were computed. All four constructs had significant correlations (r= 0.38 to 0.41) with intention to get a mammogram in the next year and all had significant multiple regression weights (R= 0.54). All but three items making up the model components were significantly correlated with screening intention.Conclusions.The data from applying a behavioral model indicate that intervention efforts to increase mammography utilization among low-income women should target all four model components. A clinic-based intervention could use multiple methods to deliver messages developed to target each of the model component items found to be associated with mammography intention.

A Comparison of Factor Weighting Methods in Job Evaluation: Implications for Compensation Systems

Job evaluation has received a great deal of attention recently, in part because of its potential role in the gender-related pay equity issue. Investigators have been particularly interested in such psychometric characteristics of job evaluation instruments and plans such as reliability, gender bias, construct validity, and predictive accuracy. One aspect of job evaluation methodology that could directly affect compensation systems is the weighting of factors in scoring jobs. However, very little information exists in the compensation literature about the differential effects of alternative weighting methods or the psychometric parameters that may contribute to such differences.The present article reviews past psychometric research related to weighting, and presents evidence of the salary effects of four different weighting methods examined in an applied job evaluation setting. The study sample consisted of 52 jobs in a municipal government. The four weighting methods were: (1) an unweighted raw score composite, (2) equal unit weights, (3) committee-judgmental weights, and (4) multiple regression weights. Results indicated high agreement among the 4 methods in terms of ordinal rankings of the pay rates for the 52 jobs. However, when jobs were classified into pay grades using the alternative weighting models, distinct differences occurred. Particularly relevant was a finding that the weighting models differed in their relative impact on male and female dominated jobs. The article discusses generalizability issues and recommendations to practitioners concerning weighting methodology in job evaluation projects.

An Error of Interpretation in Cloutier and Goldschmid's "Individual Differences in the Development of Formal Reasoning"

BEREITER, CARL. An Error of Interpretation in Cloutier and Goldschmid's Individual Differences in the Development of Formal Reasoning. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1978, 49, 251-252. Cloutier and Goldschmid erroneously report negative associations between formal reasoning performance and children's self-confidence and discipline. In fact the correlations reported in their paper are positive. The error arose from interpreting multiple regression weights instead of correlations. It is suggested that multiple regression coefficients need to be treated with caution and usually require further analysis before their meaning is clear.

Parameter Sensitivity In Multivariate Methods.

Multivariate analyses are descriptive models of data. Interpreting the parameters of such models requires knowing how much the fit of the model to the data is impaired by changes in the parameters. The relation of parameter change to loss of goodness of fit can be called parameter sensitivity. Formulas are presented for assessing the sensitivity of multiple regression weights and principal component weights.

Regression and Factor Analysis

SUMMARY A basic model of factor analysis is employed in the estimation of multiple correlation coefficients and partial regression weights. Estimators are derived for situations in which some or all of the independent variates are subject to errors in measurement. The effect of the errors is indicated and the problem of bias in the estimators is considered. In one special case it is shown how a best subset of the independent variates of any size can readily be found for data under analysis.

Cross-Validation of the Orleans-Hanna Algebra Prognosis Test and the Orleans-Hanna Geometry Prognosis Test

THE procedure of cross-validation is a necessary step in establishing the predictive power of a prognostic instrument in which weights are applied to the separate parts making up the total score. The technique involves the determination of the dbestd weights with an initial sample and the subsequent verification of these weights with a second sample from the same population. A total score on the Orleans-Hanna Algebra Prognosis Test and on the Orleans-Hanna Geometry Prognosis Test, is a composite of (a) four student-reported past course-grades, (b) student-predicted course-grade in algebra or geometry, and (c) number right of the Prognosis Test work-sample items. For both of the Orleans-Hanna tests, an a priori weight of two was assigned to each of the five course-grade variables and a weight of one was assigned to the test score representing the number of work-sample items answered correctly. Validation studies (Orleans and Hanna, 1968 a, b) were undertaken during the norming of the tests to determine the multiple regression weights for predicting each of the four criteria of success: mid-year and final course grades, and mid-year and endof-year achievement test scores. The multiple correlations were then compared to the zero-order correlations obtained with the a priori

Personality Correlates of Innovative Buying Behavior: A Reply

multiple group discriminant analysis the reverse is true: the criterion score is not entered into the data matrix, but category membership is [7, p. 89]. It is true that the coefficients of the two group discriminant function can be determined by means of multiple regression. That is, one could use an artificial criterion variable (composed of zeroes and ones) and compute the multiple regression weights of the predictors on the artificial criterion. The weights resulting from this would be proportional to those in a two-group discriminant function computed from the same data, because the two techniques are statistically identical in structure. It would not be appropriate, however, to handle the multiple-group case with multiple regression, since the criterion cannot be represented as a single variable.