Semantic Differential Format Research Articles

Abstract 13728: Generation of a Patient-Reported Outcome Measure of Quality of Life in Heart Valve Disease

Introduction: Heart valve disease (HVD) is common globally, yet there is no questionnaire measuring quality of life (QOL) across the lifespan of HVD. This limits assessment of changes in QOL in response to intervention in HVD. Research Question: What are all features of QOL in lived HVD, and how may these be best selected between to create a well-performing questionnaire? Goal: We aimed to generate a patient-reported outcome measure of QOL in common and significant types of HVD: aortic stenosis, mitral regurgitation, mitral valve disease in rheumatic heart disease, and valve repair/replacement. Methods: Participants were recruited from echocardiographic databases in two tertiary surgical centres in three phases. Phase One described QOL in interviews; Phase Two pilot-tested the questionnaire; and Phase Three selected between items using item distributions, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and item response theory (IRT) to create the final questionnaire, called the Valve Quality of life (VALVQ). Results: In Phase One, 34 people with HVD, three family members, and five clinical experts were interviewed. Key features of QOL were physical capacity relative to ‘normal’, symptom interpretation causing reduced activity, and fatigue. In Phase Two, we showed in 62 participants that the resulting questionnaire - and its semantic differential item format - was functional. In Phase Three, 290 participants returned questionnaires. Items were removed for poor distributions, then EFA identified ‘physical capacity’ and ‘disease perception’ as key factors. A two-parameter Graded Response Model was used to generate the final 12-item VALVQ, which is shown in the attached table. Conclusion: Through application of sequential analyses across three phases, we generated the final 12-item VALVQ. It has two factors - physical capacity and disease perception - and can be deployed for future research on QOL in HVD, whether before or after intervention and across multiple forms of HVD.

Psychobiosocial experiences in sport: Development and initial validation of a semantic differential scale

ObjectivesTo develop and validate the Psychobiosocial Experience Semantic Differential scale in sport (PESD-Sport), a new measure to assess discrete emotions and performance-related experiences in sport as conceptualized within the individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF; Hanin, 2000, 2007, 2010) framework. MethodIn Study 1, we developed a preliminary 53-item version of the scale using a semantic differential format in the construction of the items pertaining to 12 psychobiosocial modalities. We chose this format to attain a clear representation of psychobiosocial states between opposites along perceived performance functionality (i.e., functional, dysfunctional). The preliminary scale was then administered in a sample of 280 athletes. In Study 2, a 30-item scale derived from Study 1 was cross validated in a second independent sample of 302 athletes. ResultsFindings from Study 1 provided preliminary evidence of factorial and construct validity for a 10-modality, 30-item model (3 items for each modality). Findings from Study 2 supported the factor structure of a model containing 30 items loading into 10 modalities (i.e., unpleasant/pleasant emotions, confidence, anxiety, assertiveness, cognitive, bodily-somatic, motor-behavioral, operational, communicative, and social support). Convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity of the PESD-Sport was also demonstrated. ConclusionBased on a substantive theoretical framework, this new measure of discrete emotions and performance-related experiences can advance the knowledge on the relationship between psychobiosocial states and performance. The scale could also inform applied interventions aimed at improving psychobiosocial experiences for performance enhancement.

The impact of psychotherapy sessions: Internal structure of the Dutch Session Evaluation Questionnaire (SEQ)

The Session Evaluation Questionnaire (SEQ), intended to measure the impact of psychotherapy sessions, is a self-rating instrument consisting of 21 bipolar adjective scales in semantic differential format. The SEQ may be conceived as a bridge between psychotherapy process and outcome. Since its introduction in 1980, the original American SEQ has been translated in different languages. However, the reliability and validity of the SEQ have only been assessed for the American SEQ so far. The present study attempted to replicate the dimensional structure of the American SEQ for the Dutch version. SEQ data were collected in a heterogeneous convenience sample of 96 patients, producing 2074 SEQ ratings, with each patient completing at least four SEQ forms over the course of her/his treatment. Exploratory factor analyses (principal component analyses with varimax rotation) were used to establish the dimensional structure of the Dutch SEQ. In the American and English studies, factor analyses were only performed on each of the SEQ parts (session evaluation and post-session mood) separately. No factor analyses were run with all 21 items included in the analyses. Different from the English and American studies, the internal structure of the Dutch SEQ was not only established for the separate parts, but was also determined by treating the SEQ as a single 21 item rating scale. Replicating the American and English data analyses, the Depth dimension could convincingly be replicated in the Dutch sample. Moreover, the Smoothness and Positivity dimensions could be recovered in the Dutch sample to a large extent. Different from the American SEQ, the Arousal dimension did not appear as a distinct dimension at all. Factor analyses of all 21 items yielded no more than two interpretable dimensions, encompassing about half of the SEQ items. The basic psychological concepts in which the American SEQ is rooted-evaluation and mood- also appear in the Dutch SEQ version. However, the results of the current study do not justify a simple transfer of the four American SEQ dimensions to the Dutch SEQ version.

Likert-based vs. semantic differential-based scorings of positive psychological constructs: A psychometric comparison of two versions of a scale measuring resilience

In measuring positive psychological constructs, Likert-based response formats may introduce an acquiescence bias. To reduce this, items usually are transformed into negations of the concept. Such transformations may introduce errors, as negations of positive constructs may appear contra-intuitive. A semantic differential response format may be an alternative to negations for reducing the acquiescence bias. A drawback with this format is the increased cognitive demand, hence introducing new errors in scores. Using a scale measuring resilience as an example of a positive psychological construct, this study compared a Likert and a Semantic differential response format with respect to psychometric properties. Both formats were completed by 334 university students. Apart from slightly reduced variance and internal consistency, the factor structure in the semantic differential version fitted the data better, indicating better properties in terms of uni-dimensional loading items. Systematic error variance related to negative and positive differentials was minor (3.9%). In conclusion, in measuring positive psychological constructs, a semantic differential format may effectively reduce acquiescence bias without lowering psychometric quality.

Learning Styles of Hospitality Students and Faculty Members

This study was to identify hospitality students' and faculty members' learning styles using the Learning Style Inventory – Semantic Differential (LSI-SD) format. Data were collected from 550 students and 38 instructional staff in a hospitality and tourism management program at a university in Hong Kong. Results of this study indicated that both students and faculty members preferred the abstract conceptualization and active experimentation style of learning. There were similarities when results from this study were compared to other studies. The LSI-SD appeared to work well with this Asian population, with satisfactory levels of reliabilities. Recommendations on instructional strategies were made.

The Elder Image Scale: A Method for Indexing History and Emotion in Family Caregiving

Although caregiving has been studied extensively, most studies have focused on the activities performed by caregivers, problems encountered and caregivers' reactions. Less attention has been paid to measuring historical and interpersonal factors that may shape the situation and affect outcomes, but are not necessarily embedded in the role itself. The objective of this article is to report on the development and testing of the Elder Image Scale (EIS) which indexes the personal identity of the elder, the mental image the caregiver has of the elder derived from past associations, present observations, and the reconciliation of the past with present impressions. This scale was based on the Family Caregiving Dynamics Model and the personal image of the elder is predicted to be shaped by certain structural factors and to impact both the perceptions of caregivers and the outcomes of caregiving. This article reports on four separate investigations; six-hundred-and-fifty-six caregivers participated. The EIS is in the semantic differential format. Internal consistency ranged from .92 to .98 over four studies. Stability after two weeks was .93 for both subscales. All correlations with criteria were in the direction predicted and most were significant. Known group comparisons showed all group differences were statistically significant as predicted. The EIS is internally consistent, stable and evidences construct validity. In addition, measuring this concept appears to have great relevance for explaining both perceptions of caregivers and outcomes of caregiving.

Measuring individual differences in implicit self-concept: initial validation of the self-apperception test

Implicit self-concept as a prominent form of implicit social cognition ( Greenwald and Banaji, 1995) has been eluding psychometric quantification, in the absence of indirect measurement procedures that are sensitive to implicit self-representations. The capacity of a new Self-Apperception Test (SAT; Aidman, 1997) to measure implicit self-attitudes is examined. The instrument employs Fedotova's ( Fedotova, 1987) version of Liggett's ( Liggett, 1959) projective facial images in a visual semantic differential format. In four studies, the SAT showed acceptable levels of internal consistency and retest stability, and promising validity characteristics. Its Implicit Self-Liking Index (ISL), despite weak correlations with Coopersmith's ( Coopersmith, 1981) and Rosenberg's ( Rosenberg, 1965) self-esteem scales, significantly correlated with Tafarodi and Swann's ( Tafarodi and Swann, 1995) self-liking scale, a theoretically constructed measure of self-worth (a subdimension of global esteem). The ISL and its twin index of Implicit Self-Confidence, correlated with theoretically derived markers of implicit self-esteem _ initial letter preferences ( Nuttin, 1987) and self-positivity projection ( Greenwald and Banaji, 1995) _ while neither of the questionnaires did. Results confirmed a distinct ontological status of the implicit measures and indicated directions for their further validation. 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning styles of hospitality students: Nature or nurture?

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to answer the question “does the hospitality management major attract students of a particular learning style or does the major change students” learning styles?” The answer was “both”. The Learning Style Inventory – Semantic Differential format was used to assess entering and graduating hospitality students” learning styles. Data were collected from 384 entering students and 116 graduating seniors at a hospitality program in a US university over a 7-year period. When students entered the program, 39% of them were “convergers”. Of those who graduated, 55% of them were “convergers”. Implications on curriculum design and instructional strategies were discussed.

Measuring the Effects of Career Interviews on Young People: A Preliminary Study

A preliminary investigation was made of a measure to evaluate the effects of career interviews on young people. Using the Session Evaluation Questionnaire as a model, a set of bipolar adjective scales presented in semantic differential format were tested on 58 15- and 16-yr.-olds who were low achieving students in their final year of statutory education. Results supported earlier findings where two postinterview evaluation factors, termed depth and smoothness, and two postinterview affective state factors, termed positivity and arousal, were identified. In general, the reliabilities of some measures are adequate although further development is required.

Cancer detection: how effective is public education?

The American Cancer Society has been educating the public about cancer detection methods since 1922. Originally, only two warning signs were published; however, for more than 40 years, there have been seven cancer warning signs. In an attempt to evaluate the public knowledge of cancer detection and prevention, this pilot study examined the attitudes, knowledge and behaviors of 172 laypersons. The instrument used consisted of four sections and was designed by the investigator and the graduate nursing research class. The first section contained 30 questions about the individual, health practices, and risk status in a forced-choice format. Ability to identify the seven cancer warning signals was the second section. Attitudes toward Cancer Detection methods were evaluated in a semantic differential format as the third section. The list section contained 24 Likert-formatted statements of beliefs about the importance of cancer detection. Before data analysis, a Cronbach's alpha was obtained on each scale and ranged from 0.8031 to 0.8897. Eighty nine (52%) of the respondents were women and 83 (48%) were men. The sample was 85% white, 11% African-American, and 4% other ethnic groups. Ninety-four percent of the population had some form of health insurance. Gender was not significantly related to scores on the Attitudes toward Cancer Detection or the Beliefs about Cancer Scale. Race was significantly related to scores on the Attitudes toward Cancer Detection Scale. Nineteen percent of the sample could not identify any of the cancer warning signs. The median number of warning signs correctly identified as warning signals was three. Thirty-two items were incorrectly listed as warning signs. Survival of cancer is linked with early detection. The inability to influence changes in knowledge and practices over the past 50 years is examined. Implications for nurses and teaching related to cancer warning signs are explored.

COLLEGE STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD ELDERLY PERSONS

College students’ attitudes toward elderly persons were ascertained using a convenience sample of 420. Instrumentation consisted of a 20‐item semantic differential scale developed by Sanders, Montgomery, Pittman, and Balkwell (1984). Using the semantic differential format, the respondents evaluated elderly persons in three target age groups, separated by gender. The research questions in this study were as follows: (a) What are college students’ attitudes toward a target population of male and female elderly categorized as the young old (65‐74), the old old (75‐99), and centenarians (100+)? (b)Are there differences in attitudes based on gender, size of home community, or experience with older persons? Repeated measures analysis of variance were conducted to assess whether there were differences in attitudes toward the three age categories of elderly targets. Results indicated that significant gender differences existed. Male respondents viewed female elderly targets in all age groups significantly more ne...

Elder Abuse: Its Meaning to Middle-Aged and Older Adults-Part I:

Two instruments that measure the public's perceptions of the meaning and types of elder abuse were developed and tested with 104 respondents. The taxonomy and definition of elder abuse developed by elder mistreatment experts (Hudson, 1988, 1991) and Straus's Conflict Tactic Scales (1979) provide the theoretical foundations of the instruments. The Elder Abuse Vignette Scale (EAVS) includes behavioral examples in a semantic differential scale format. The Elements of Elder Abuse Scale (EEAS), using a Likert format, presents statements on each of the essential characteristics of the theoretical definition and taxonomy categories. Instrument development is described and results offered that indicate the scales provide sensitive and valid measurements of respondents' perceptions of the meaning and types of elder abuse.

Assessment of the Full Content of Physique Stereotypes with a Free-Response Format

A major limitation of physique stereotyping research is that American subjects have used a restricted set of traits provided by the experimenter to evaluate endomorphs, mesomorphs, and ectomorphs. A free-response procedure was used in Study 1 to identify the full domain of traits associated with each physique. Although many of the traits identified were similar to those used in previous research, a number of new trait dimensions were uncovered. In Study 2, the large number of traits generated with the free-response format was reduced by combining synonyms. This new set of traits was placed in semantic differential format and given to a new sample of subjects to evaluate. The results paralleled those of the first study with the exception that ectomorphs were seen more favorably. This discrepancy, as well as the fact that raters listed trait antonyms within each of the three major physiques in Study 1, suggests the possibility of unique subtypes within the global stereotypes. Examples of these subtypes are proposed.

An Experimental Study of Children's Sensitivity to Mood in Music

This experiment tested children aged five and nine years in their abilities to perceive in music. The non-verbal response instrument used schematic faces arranged in a semantic differential format within each of Wedin's (1972) three musical mood dimensions. Twelve brief but complete classical music selections were used. Three public school elementary music educators acted as the criterion group. Involved in this study were 81 five-year-olds and 92 nine-year-olds. In addition to the age factor in the ability to perceive mood in music, other variables were examined, including gender, handedness, home musical environment, and socio-economic status. Age and handedness did not show significant single effects. Girls performed significantly better than boys at both age levels. Socio-economic status was revealed as a significant effect among the nine-year-olds. The presence of a home musical environment did show a significant effect.

An instrument for measuring five aspects of children's attitudes towards microcomputers

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to develop an instrument which would identify and measure independent dimensions of children's attitudes towards microcomputers. The sample consisted of 501 sixth and seventh grade Tasmanian children. The instrument produced by Williams, Coulombe, and Lievrouw (1983) was used as a starting point. Exploratory factor analytic procedures were used to arrive at a final instrument consisting of 17 adjective pairs in semantic differential format. Composite scores are calculated for five dimensions: ‘functioning’, ‘difficulty’, ‘involvement’,‘appeal’ and ‘novelty’. Recommendations are given for the use of these dimensions in studies of differences.

Restaurant managers' learning styles and their implications

This study identified the learning styles of unit and district level restaurant managers by using the Semantic Differential format of Kolb's Learning Style Inventory. Data were collected from 118 unit level managers and 45 district level managers. Learning styles of participating managers were determined by using the scoring procedures of the Learning Style Inventory. Seventy-eight percent of the unit level managers and 76% of the district level managers had a convergent learning style. No significant difference was found between learning styles of unit level and district level managers. Implications for the industry management development programs were suggested.

An investigation of the semantic meaning assigned to concepts affiliated with sts education and of STS instructional practices among a sample of exemplary science teachers

AbstractThe semantic meaning assigned to concepts associated with science‐technology‐society (STS) education, the percentage of science course time allotted to STS instruction, the categories of STS issues infused into sciences courses, and the instructional procedures used to do so, were examined among a sample of 65 exemplary secondary‐level science teachers. The teachers were volunteers from the 87 science teachers from a Midwestern state locally nominated for the Presidential Awards Program. Data were collected using the Science Teaching Issue Opinionnaire (STIO) and a questionnaire, both developed and validated by the investigator. The STIO used a semantic differential format; it was composed of 23 STS education affiliated concepts (e.g., science; technology; students' need to understand the interrelationships among science, technology, and society; my ability to teach …), each followed by 13 seven‐point bipolar adjective scales (alpha reliability = 0.97). The instruments were distributed and returned by mail. The exemplary science teachers were found to hold positive opinions of (1) science, (2) technology, (3) their understanding of science, and (4) their ability to teach science. The teachers expressed slightly positive opinions of (1) students' understanding of STS, (2) students' need to understand STS, (3) their own understanding of STS interrelationships, and (4) their ability to teach STS. The teachers suggested that 15% of secondary science course instructional time be dedicated to STS, but did not appear to dedicate near that amount of time to STS. “Pollution” headed a brief and rather predictable list of STS issues infused into science courses. On average a teacher infused 2.5 STS issues into a science course. The discussion, lecture, and a combination of these dominated the list of 35 instructional procedures which are not unique to or necessarily appropriate for STS instruction.

The effect of perceived wealth and poverty on adolescents' character judgments.

American adolescents between the ages of 11 and 16 were shown a photograph and a brief biographical sketch of a stranger in their own age group. The stranger was described as poor, wealthy, or neutral (no economic cues provided). Subjects were asked to rate the stranger on 20 characterological traits arranged in a semantic differential format. Strangers depicted as poor received significantly lower overall ratings than did neutral or wealthy strangers. Wealthy strangers were perceived to be more intelligent, to make better grades, to make friends more easily, and to embody other positive traits to a greater degree than neutral or poor strangers. Contrary to findings in other studies, however, poor individuals were not perceived to be lazy or to mishandle money. No interactions were found between affluence-based character judgments and the sex or age of subjects.

Corporate philosophy and characteristics of the organizational climate

Relationship between the stated corporate philosophy and characteristics of the organiza-tional climate of the corporation was examined based on the 5 manufacturing corporations in Aichi Prefecture. Clmate data were collected by using a Semantic Differential format from three different hierarchical levels: subordinate, leader, and superior levels in each corporation. Factor analyses on the climate data produced two orthogonal factors, effectiveness in goal achievement and warmth of the organizational environment. Results of the analysis indicated that in general, especially among less progressive corporations, the effectiveness dimension tended to be rated high at lower levels, while the warmth dimension high at high hierarchical levels. This indicated a lack of communication and insufficient penetration of corporate philosophy across hierachical levels. But, it was found that in some progressive corporations, both dimensions were rated high by all constituent groups. Implications of the findings were disscussed regarding consistency involving a stated philosophy, implementing managerial practices, and an organizational climate perceived by the people in the organization.

Are Semantic Response Scales Equivalent?

Three frequently used response formats -- Likert, semantic-differential and single anchor (Stapel) -- are compared via analysis of covariance structures. The cumulative results based on four data sets provided evidence inconsistent with previous research suggesting that these formats are interchangeable. Consistently across studies, the semantic-differential format is most preferred while in most cases the Stapel format is least preferred.