Psychometric Reasons Research Articles

Psychometric Synthesis of the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) Versions

Problem Statement Among individuals aged 12 years or older, 14.3% (40.0 million) reporting the use of an illicit drug in the previous year. Given the prevalence of drug abuse, it is increasingly important to determine effective screening practices, treatment procedures, and best practices among various subpopulations to identify drug use-related consequences. The DAST is one of the most commonly used and accurate drug screening tests. Method This psychometric synthesis of four versions of the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10, DAST-20, DAST-28, DAST-A) provided aggregated evidence from 346 articles over 40 years of published literature for score reliability, structure, diagnostic, and convergent validity, and descriptive statistics, all with the goal of informing counseling and medical practice and research. Results Results indicated adequate internal consistency (α = 0.81–0.84 across all four versions) and mostly medium to large effect size convergent correlations with comparison measures. Aggregated diagnostic validity data indicate optimal cutoff scores of 7 for DAST-10, 8 for DAST-20, 10 for DAST-28, and 6 for DAST-A. Discussion The DAST-10 appears the best choice for practical and psychometric reasons. Additional studies of the various DAST versions are needed to expand use across participant demographics. Public Statement of Relevance Drug use continues to be a societal problem and mental health practitioners need effective screening practices, treatment procedures, and best practices among various subpopulations to identify drug use-related consequences. This study synthesized 40 years of research on the four versions of the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST-10, DAST-20, DAST-28, DAST-A) and found acceptable levels of score reliability and validity for screening purposes.

Brief Report: Does the Number of Response Options Matter for the BFI-2? Conceptual Replication and Extension.

We evaluated how the number of response options affects the psychometric properties of the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2). Using two large samples collected from a market research company (Ns = 893 and 1,213), we tested how different response options of the BFI-2 influenced scale score distributions, internal consistency estimates, convergent validity correlations, and criterion validity correlations. Results suggest that score distributions were impacted by the number of response options such that ceiling and floor effects were more common when using two or three response options than when using more options. Estimates of Cronbach's alpha were generally lower with fewer scale points as compared with more scale points, but these effects disappeared when ordinal alpha was used. There were no systematic effects of response options on convergent validity and criterion validity correlations. Given these results, there seems to be few psychometric reasons for deciding whether to administer personality items with five, six, or seven scale points.

A comparison of the CAPS-5 and PCL-5 to assess PTSD in military and veteran treatment-seeking samples

ABSTRACT Background: This study was an examination of the puzzling finding that people assessed for symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) consistently score higher on the self-report PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) than the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5). Both scales purportedly assess PTSD severity with the same number of items, scaling, and scoring range, but differences in scores between measures make outcomes difficult to decipher. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine several possible psychometric reasons for the discrepancy in scores between interview and self-report. Method: Data were combined from four clinical trials to examine the baseline and posttreatment assessments of treatment-seeking active duty military personnel and veterans. Results: As in previous studies, total scores were higher on the PCL-5 compared to the CAPS-5 at baseline and posttreatment. At baseline, PCL-5 scores were higher on all 20 items, with small to large differences in effect size. At posttreatment, only three items were not significantly different. Distributions of item responses and wording of scale anchors and items were examined as possible explanations of the difference between measures. Participants were more likely to use the full range of responses on the PCL-5 compared to interviewers. Conclusions: Suggestions for improving the congruence between these two scales are discussed. Administration of interviews by trained assessors can be resource intensive, so it is important that those assessing PTSD severity are afforded confidence in the equivalence of their assessment of PTSD regardless of the assessment method used.

A cultural syndicate of society and NGOs challenges to deter child labour manipulation in Addis Ababa.

This study aimed to investigate the existing trends of child labour abuse in Addis Ababa, as well as to examine the sociocultural barriers that impede nongovernmental organizations. This study involves two domestic NGOs (FHIDO and SCFDS) working on child issues. The study used a qualitative approach with 25 participants in in-depth interviews, one focus-group discussion, and six key informants to collect or acquire a full grasp of the issue and to address the study's stated objectives. The finding of this study revealed some psychometric reasons for the children to be engaged in hazardous work activities, including their family background (dynamics), poverty, and self-actualisation arising from contributions to the well-being of the family. Concerning gender-selective norms as a problem, the chosen two organizations are facing a significant task in putting an end to child labour exploitation in the region owing to social gender preference. The cultural and social expectations of men and women make the issue ubiquitous in their communities. Based on the findings of this study, the Winrock International (2008) approach of CIRCLE experience with an awareness-raising plan is recommended.

Human-wildlife conflict interest: the psychometric reasons for the death of 28 hippos in the Gibe Sheleko National park (2019), Southwestern Ethiopia

This study examines a hot issue that has received a lot of attention in 2019, Ethiopia, which is the death of over 28 hippos in Gibe-Sheleko National Park (GSNP) in southern Ethiopia, which has gone undiscovered until now. A psychometric explanation for the extinction of hippos was developed using a qualitative research approach that included in-depth interviews (28), focus groups (3), and key informant participants (3) who were carefully selected. Concerning the cause of the hippos' death we found three psychometric reasons: (1) the government-owned farm and the park’s irresponsible management system are the primary causes of hippos’ deaths, (2) crop, cattle, and property damage by the hippos, and (3) personal defense from the animals’ attack. We found that the Ministry of Environment and Forests should support park administrative governments in upgrading habitat to boost food and water availability and prevent animal migration from park forests to habitations. Furthermore, we discovered that national and international media outlets performed their investigations into the interaction between the Gibe Woreda people and the animals following the deaths of over 28 hippos in the region. We understand that this had occurred for a political plot to get public attention and media publicity.

Do Executive Attentional Processes Uniquely or Commonly Explain Psychometric g and Correlations in the Positive Manifold? A Structural Equation Modeling and Network-Analysis Approach to Investigate the Process Overlap Theory.

One of the best-established findings in intelligence research is the pattern of positive correlations among various intelligence tests. Although this so-called positive manifold became the conceptual foundation of many theoretical accounts of intelligence, the very nature of it has remained unclear. Only recently, Process Overlap Theory (POT) proposed that the positive manifold originated from overlapping domain-general, executive processes. To test this assumption, the functional relationship between different aspects of executive attention and the positive manifold was investigated by re-analyzing an existing dataset (N = 228). Psychometric reasoning, speed, and memory performance were assessed by a short form of the Berlin Intelligence Structure test. Two aspects of executive attention (sustained and selective attention) and speed of decision making were measured by a continuous performance test, a flanker task, and a Hick task, respectively. Traditional structural equation modeling, representing the positive manifold by a g factor, as well as network analyses, investigating the differential effects of the two aspects of executive attention and speed of decision making on the specific correlations of the positive manifold, suggested that selective attention, sustained attention, and speed of decision making explained the common but not the unique portions of the positive manifold. Thus, we failed to provide evidence for POT’s assumption that the positive manifold is the result of overlapping domain-general processes. This does not mean that domain-general processes other than those investigated here will not be able to show the pattern of results predicted by POT.

The German Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction in Physical Education Scale: Adaption and Multilevel Validation in a Sample of Sixth-Grade Girls.

(1) Background: Self-determination theory (SDT) claims that need supportive behavior is related to the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs: autonomy, relatedness and competence. The student–teacher relationship is of special interest to understand mechanisms of physical activity behavior change in physical education (PE). (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 481 girls answered a German version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction (BPNS) in PE Scale. Contrary to previous studies, the psychometric properties of this scale were examined by multilevel confirmatory factor analysis. (3) Results: A model with three latent factors on both levels showed acceptable fit and all items showed significant factor loadings. Although one item was excluded due to psychometric reasons, the scale showed good internal consistencies; α = 0.85 at the individual level and α = 0.84 at the class level. Subscales’ internal consistency at the individual levels was good, while at class level, the scores differed from poor to good. Small significant correlations of BPNS with moderate to vigorous physical activity support criterion validity. (4) Conclusion: The 11-item scale is a valid measurement tool to assess BPNS in PE and further application in the school setting would broaden the insights into the psychological impacts of SDT in PE.

Assessment of perceived mental health-related stigma: The Stigma-9 Questionnaire (STIG-9)

Mental health-related stigma is common and inhibits help-seeking. It triggers fears of devaluation and can add to the burden of a mental disorder. To counter the consequences of mental health-related stigma, its sound assessment is crucial. Therefore, we developed a new measure, the Stigma-9 Questionnaire (STIG-9), and evaluated its psychometric properties and applicability in patients with mental disorders. Item development was based on the modified labelling theory, psychometric reasoning, and discussion with focus groups including patients and clinicians. Data from 919 consecutive patients from an outpatient clinic for mental disorders (69% female, mean age 41 (SD = 14) years) was used to psychometrically evaluate the measure. The STIG-9 consists of nine items assessing cognitive, behavioural and affective aspects of perceived mental health-related stigma. Higher scores indicate stronger expectations of negative societal beliefs, feelings, and behaviours towards ‘mentally ill’ people. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a single factor structure. The scale showed high internal consistency. Male gender, social impairment and higher levels of psychopathology corresponded with higher STIG-9 scores. The STIG-9 is a new, theory-grounded, patient-oriented and psychometrically promising self-report measure of perceived mental health-related stigma. It is brief, comprehensive, and appears to be well accepted by patients with mental disorders.

Revisiting 'The effect of assessments and examinations on the learning of medical students'.

Revisiting 'The effect of assessments and examinations on the learning of medical students'.

A genetic algorithm-based learning approach to understand customer satisfaction with OTA websites

In an extremely competitive marketplace, it is increasingly important for online travel agencies (OTAs) to understand customer satisfaction of different segments. The survey method has been widely used to gain such understanding. However, few previous studies on the tourism and hospitality business have proposed intelligent solutions to analyze such survey data to understand customer preferences on different criteria for different segments, and to determine how customers obtain overall satisfaction across different criteria. In this study, we follow a design-science research paradigm to develop a genetic algorithm-based learning approach to understand customer satisfaction and their psychometric reasons. We further validate this approach through an empirical study for evaluating OTA websites. The results show that different customer segments have different opinions on the importance of various evaluation criteria. The results also reveal that customers tend to judge OTA websites in terms of certain important criteria, instead of by the weighted average of every factor concerned. The proposed approach and the findings of this study can provide constructive suggestions to practitioners and researchers for developing customized marketing campaigns and improving the services of OTA websites.

A BIVARIATE PROBABILITY MODEL TO IDENTIFY “HONESTY” VERSUS “CHEATING” IN ECONOMIC SURVEYS: XENOPHOBIA IS ILLUSTRATED

Making successful policies for manufacturing or glo balized business sectors require “honest” answers b y the respondents in the surveys. When some respondents cheat in their answers to the questions in a survey for a variety of reasons, the survey results become useless. Currently, there is no appropriate probability model to address this phenomenon “cheat ing” in a survey. An efficient methodology is needed to estimate the proportion of “cheaters” in a survey and assess the statistical significance of the estimate. Such a methodology does not exist now in the literature. This article fulfils the need. In a pioneering manner, this article has formulated a bi variate probability model to explain the “cheating” in surveys. Several statistical properties of this new model are identified and explained. For illustrati on of the new probability model, the responses from 259 l ess and 217 more educated Germans about xenophobia are considered. The xenophobia is a stumbling block to a successful business operation in this globalized economy. Two psychometric reasons: “Insecurity level” and “social pressure” behind the xenophobia are captured with the help of the probab ility model and they are explained. The model of th is article helps to predict “honesty” versus “cheating ” levels in a survey. A statistical testing procedu re is prepared to check whether an estimated “social pres sure” level is significant.

The influence of temporal resolution power and working memory capacity on psychometric intelligence

According to the temporal resolution power (TRP) hypothesis, higher TRP as reflected by better performance on psychophysical timing tasks accounts for faster speed of information processing and increased efficiency of information processing leading to better performance on tests of psychometric intelligence. An alternative explanation of individual differences in psychometric intelligence highlights individual differences in working memory (WM) capacity which has been found to be closely associated with psychometric intelligence. A latent variable approach was applied on the data of 200 participants ranging in age from 18 to 30 years and spanning a large range of levels of psychometric intelligence. Functional relationships were examined among TRP, WM capacity, as well as reasoning and speed of processing as two important aspects of psychometric intelligence. As predicted by the TRP hypothesis, the relation between TRP and psychometric intelligence was mediated by WM capacity supporting the view that higher TRP leads to better coordinated mental operations which, in turn, result in higher psychometric intelligence. The results are discussed against the background that WM capacity and psychometric reasoning are hardly dissociable from each other and that the specific factors limiting WM capacity and accounting for the mediation effect need to be identified in future research.

Investing in Practical Intelligence: Ageing and Cognitive Efficiency among Executives

This paper has two objectives. (1) To review in part empirical evidence obtained in a recent study on practical intelligence in bank managers (Colonia-Willner, 1998). (2) To discuss the implications of these findings for the study of practical intelligence, expertise, and compensatory abilities. The first goal of the initial study was to determine whether managerial practical intelligence is preserved in older bank managers whereas differences in psychometric measures of reasoning are associated with age. The second was to verify whether practical intelligence measures better predict managerial job performance than traditional psychometric tests. Two hundred bank managers (43 experts and 157 nonexperts) participated in the initial study. Increased age appeared to be associated with lower performance in the Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices (Raven’s) and the Verbal Reasoning subtest of the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT), but less so with the Tacit Knowledge Inventory for Managers (TKIM). Although scoring lower on psychometric reasoning measures, the best performing older managers, on average, exhibited high levels of tacit knowledge, an instantiation of practical knowledge acquired in situations where information is not openly expressed. TKIM predicted managerial skill; DAT and Raven’s did not. These findings suggest: (1) that stabilisation of some aspects of intelligence may occur in old age; and (2) that domain-specific knowledge may contribute to compensation for age-related losses in functioning.

The effect of a 'don't know' option on test scores: number-right and formula scoring compared.

In multiple-choice tests using a 'don't-know' option the number of correct minus incorrect answers was used as the test score (formula scoring) in order to reduce the measurement error resulting from random guessing. In the literature diverging results are reported when comparing formula scoring and number-right scoring, the scoring method without the don't-know option. To investigate which method was most appropriate, both scoring methods were used in true-false tests (block tests) taken at the end of a second- and third-year educational module (block). The students were asked to answer each item initially by choosing from the response options true, false or don't know, and secondly to replace all don't-know answers by a true-false answer. Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Medical students. The correct scores for the don't-know answered items were found to be 4.5% and 5.9%, respectively, higher than expected with pure random guesswork. This represents a source of bias with formula scoring, because students who were less willing to guess obtained lower scores. The average difference in the correct minus incorrect score for the two scoring methods (2.5%, P < 0.001, and 3.4%, P < 0. 001, respectively) indicates the size of the bias (compare: the standard deviation of the score equals 11%). Test reliability was higher with formula scoring (0.72 vs. 0.66 and 0.74 vs. 0.66), but the difference decreased when the test was restricted to items which were close to the core content of the block (0.81 vs. 0.77, resp. 0. 75 vs. 0.70). In deciding what scoring method to use, less bias (number-right scoring) has to be weighed against higher reliability (formula scoring). Apart from these psychometric reasons educational factors must be considered.

Practical intelligence at work: relationship between aging and cognitive efficiency among managers in a bank environment.

A study was conducted to determine which better predicts performance among bank managers: tacit practical knowledge as assessed by the Tacit Knowledge Inventory for Managers (TKIM) or 2 psychometric measures of reasoning, the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (Raven's) and the Verbal Reasoning subtest of the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT). Two hundred bank managers (43 experts and 157 nonexperts), ages 24-59 years old, participated. Increased age was associated with lower performance in Raven's and the DAT but less so in the TKIM; best performing older managers on average had high levels of tacit knowledge, although they scored lower on psychometric reasoning measures; TKIM predicted managerial skill; DAT and Raven's did not. These results suggest that stabilization of some aspects of intelligence may occur in old age. Implications of the findings for the study of practical intelligence, expertise, and compensatory abilities are discussed.

Reliability of P50 auditory event‐related potential indices of sensory gating

We examined the reliability of three traditional P50 auditory event-related potential indices under paired-click conditions: (a) the conditioning response (C), (b) the testing response (T), and (c) the testing to conditioning suppression ratio (T/C). Three alternative indices, (a) the (C - T) difference, (b) the (C - T)/(C + T) adjusted difference, and (c) the (T - T') residualized difference, where T' is the regression of T on C, were also studied. The N100 wave was used as a generalizability check. Although C and T amplitudes were reliably measured by traditional means, the T/C suppression ratio was not. For psychometric reasons that are described, the reliability of the suppression ratio is undermined principally by the correlation between C and T. The C - T difference score is a promising alternative to the unreliable T/C suppression ratio. Theoretical consequences of changed metrics are discussed.

In search of explanations: A rejoinder to Borkenau

The main points raised by Borkenau against our challenge of the 'intuitive psychometrics' view of personality judgements are discussed, in particular his example of the link between school grades and intelligence. It is argued that the semantic similarity interpretation advanced in our paper is more adequate and more parsimonious than explanations in terms of psychometric reasoning.

Ten psychometric reasons why similar tests produce dissimilar results

Significantly different results frequently exist between two or more tests that purport to measure the same skill when the same child is tested on both instruments. The reasons for these discrepancies may be related to the examinee, examiner, examinee-examiner interactions, environment, or psychometric characteristics of the tests employed. Since the more human-related reasons for test performance instability receive considerable treatment in assessment training and in the literature, this article cites 10 major psychometric reasons why similar tests may produce disparate scores when a single child is tested.

Conceptual and lexical determinants of nonentrenched thinking

Two experiments investigating information-processing consequences of entrenched and nonentrenched concepts are reported. An attempt is made to distinguish between these two kinds of concepts by using two variables—the naturalness of the occurrence described by a concept and the familiarity of the name used to refer to that occurrence. In each experiment a given conceptual system was expressed in four alternative forms by crossing concept familiarity (naturalness) with lexical familiarity. The experiments used a concept-selection task in which subjects were required to characterize an event based on a preliminary piece of information and a final, confirmatory piece of information. The results indicated that the locus of nonentrenchment lies in using a familiar name to identify an unfamiliar occurrence or in using an unfamiliar name to identify a familiar occurrence. An information-processing model of task performance provided a very good account of the latency data and scores from the concept-selection task correlated with scores from a set of psychometric reasoning tests. The distinction between entrenched and nonentrenched concepts can be interpreted in terms of interference theory, and it also has implications for the way we think about induction and human intelligence.

Desirable and undesirable masculine and feminine traits in relation to students' dieting tendencies and body image dissatisfaction

Previous research showing greater femininity among overweight persons used measures of masculinity and femininity which have been criticized for conceptual and psychometric reasons. The present study used the Spence-Helmreich measures to examine the interrelationships among socially desirable and socially undesirable instrumental (“masculine”) and expressive (“feminine”) traits, body weight, and other attributes of cognitive concern about dieting and weight-related appearance. While body weight was unrelated to these measures of psychological masculinity and femininity, sex differences were found in the relationship of masculinity and femininity to dieting tendencies. dissatisfaction with physical appearance, and achievement motivation in these samples of college undergraduates.