Unique Variance Research Articles

A direct comparison of two measures of ordinal knowledge among 8-year-olds

Children’s knowledge of the ordinal relations among number symbols is related to their mathematical learning. Ordinal knowledge has been measured using judgment (i.e., decide whether a sequence of three digits is in order) and ordering tasks (i.e., order three digits from smallest to largest). However, the question remains whether performance on these two ordinal tasks tap into similar cognitive processes. Canadian children (N = 87; Age M = 8.7 years, Grade 3) completed symbolic number tasks (i.e., number comparison, ordering, and order judgment) and measures of arithmetic fluency (i.e., addition and subtraction) and working memory (i.e., digit span backward). For both ordinal tasks, there was a reverse distance effect for ordered sequences such that children responded faster to adjacent than to non-adjacent sequences (e.g., 2 3 4 vs. 4 7 9) and a canonical distance effect for unordered sequences such that children responded faster to non-adjacent than to adjacent sequences (e.g., 4 2 3 vs. 4 9 7). Working memory and number comparison each predicted unique variance in the ordinal measures (ordering, order judgment, and a latent ordinal factor based on the two measures). Furthermore, ordinal skills superseded the role of number comparison as the key predictor of arithmetic, controlling for children’s gender and working memory skills. In summary, although both ordering and order judgment tasks index ordinal knowledge, a latent factor that excludes task-specific error may be a better index than either task separately.

Self-Stigma of Stuttering: Implications for Communicative Participation and Mental Health.

The purpose of this study was to determine if self-stigma-related variables predicted communicative participation and mental health in adults who stutter. A progressive model of self-stigma was theorized and tested. Adults who stutter (N = 344) completed a survey that included measures of communicative participation, global mental health, and a variety of self-stigma-related variables including perceived enacted stigma, stigma awareness, anticipated stigma, felt stigma, stereotype agreement, and stigma application, in addition to demographic and speech-related variables. Hierarchical regression was performed to test whether self-stigma-related variables progressively explained significant variance in both communicative participation and global mental health.c Results: After controlling for demographic and speech-related variables, stigma-related variables were found to be significant predictors of both communicative participation and global mental health among adults who stutter. Most self-stigma-related variables entered later in the model predicted additional unique variance in the outcome variables than the self-stigma-related variables entered in previous steps, thus supporting the trickle-down and progressive nature of the self-stigma model theorized. Accounting for self-stigma in the assessment and treatment of individuals who stutter may identify and ultimately reduce environmental and personal barriers to communicative functioning and well-being in people who stutter. The self-stigma terminology and model described in this study will help practitioners, researchers, and the public better understand the process of self-stigma and how it may be associated with adverse outcomes experienced by people who stutter.

Eye movements are stable predictors of word reading ability in young readers

During the first years of formal instruction in reading, there are developmental changes to the characteristics of children’s eye movements that correspond to their progress. Generally, these changes are driven by improved text processing and a shift from reliance on sub-lexical to lexical processes. Currently, however, little is known about to what extent early eye movements during reading in ecological contexts account for variations in later word reading ability. In this paper we investigate this association in 164 children in first grade and 206 children in second grade. We recorded their eye movements during normal text passage reading in an unrestricted eye tracking set-up. We analyzed to what extent they account for variation in word reading ability 1 year post-recording, and make comparisons to concurrent predictions. Regression analysis revealed that eye movements accounted for approximately 60% of the variance in concurrent word reading ability and approximately 48% 1 year later. Mean fixation duration explained unique variance in reading ability and largely drives the correlation. Proportion of regressions was not a significant longitudinal predictor among the youngest readers. The difference between the concurrent and longitudinal predictions was greatest in the younger children, which was in line with our expectation. Findings are discussed in relation to current models of word reading. Our results suggest that eye movements are stable predictors of word reading ability. Ultimately, knowledge of what can be gleaned from early readers’ natural eye movements about later word reading ability could help inform assessments of reading development in the educational setting, where the presence of digital assessment tools is growing.

The propensity to trust in (automated) technology mediates the links between technology self-efficacy and fear and acceptance of artificial intelligence

The present study investigated the extent to which the concepts of the individual tendency to trust in (automated) technology, technology self-efficacy, accepting/fearing artificial intelligence and trust in AI overlap. This research question is of relevance because trust in automation literature is rich, whereas only a few studies exist in the context of studying attitudes towards AI (and their relationship with trust in AI).To close this gap in the literature, 289 participants completed three questionnaires related to the propensity to trust in automated technology, technology self-efficacy, and attitudes towards artificial intelligence (ATAI). Notably, the ATAI scale includes a single item assessing trust in AI.Results revealed robust positive correlations between the propensity to trust in (automated) technology, technology self-efficacy and ATAI's acceptance scale (including a positive association on single item level regarding trusting AI). Regarding the ATAI's fear scale, negative correlations with trust in automated technology and technology self-efficacy were observed. Mediation models are also reported in this study.Our work shows that the construct of trust in automated technology and attitudes towards AI (including the AI trust item) overlap small to moderate (in terms of effect sizes). This means that some of the existing research insights in the domain of the propensity to trust in automation might be transferred to the psychological foundation of attitudes and the interaction with artificial intelligence. However, it is also clear that considerable non-shared (unique) variance exists between the constructs, making it necessary to further understand how positive and negative attitudes towards AI are formed.

A 'Total Unique Variation Analysis' for Brain-Machine Interfaces.

When designing a fully implantable brain-machine interface (BMI), the primary aim is to detect as much neural information as possible with as few channels as possible. In this paper, we present a total unique variance analysis (TUVA) for evaluating the signal unique to each channel that cannot be predicted by linear combination of signals on other channels. TUVA is a statistical method for determining the total unique variance in multidimensional data, ordering channels from most to least informative, to aid in the design of maximally-efficacious BMIs. We demonstrate how this method can be applied to the design of BMIs by comparing TUVA values computed for simulated lead-field maps for high-channel-count electrocorticography (ECoG) with values computed for recordings in the interictal period in the context of surgery planning for epileptic resection.Clinical Relevance- This paper introduces a new statistical method for comparison of neural interface designs, focused on quantifying recording efficiency by minimizing channel crosstalk, which may help improve the risk-benefit profile of invasive neural recording.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Muscular Strength Do Not Predict Social Cognitive Capacity in Older Age.

Social cognitive function often declines in older age but the mechanisms underlying these declines are not completely clear. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and muscular strength are positively associated with broader cognitive function in older adults, yet surprisingly, no study has examined whether a similar relationship exists between CRF or muscular strength and social cognition in older age. We assessed whether higher CRF and muscular strength were associated with enhanced social cognitive function in a sample of fifty older adults (Mage = 70.08, standard deviation = 3.93). Participants completed a gold-standard cardiopulmonary exercise test to assess CRF, an isometric handgrip strength test to index muscular strength, and validated measures of social cognition to index emotion perception and theory of mind (ToM). The results showed that CRF and muscular strength did not explain any unique variance in older adults' social cognitive performance. Bayesian analyses confirmed that the evidence for the null hypothesis was moderate for all tested relationships, except for the relationship between CRF and cognitive ToM where the evidence for the null was anecdotal. This study has provided the first evidence to suggest that CRF and muscular strength-two important modifiable lifestyle factors-are not associated with social cognition in healthy older adults. However, replication studies are now needed to cross-validate these findings and to clarify whether any moderating variables may be important for understanding the relationship between fitness and social cognition in older age.

Beyond employer brand content: The role of employer brand process attributes in understanding employees' reactions toward their employer

AbstractEmployees play a central role in organizational functioning and representation. HR managers thus strive to create an attractive employer image that stimulates employees' attachment and ambassadorship. However, presently, there is limited research about how employees perceive and react toward their organization's employer brand. More importantly, the studies available have focused on content attributes only (i.e., instrumental and symbolic image dimensions). This has resulted in limited (content‐based) understanding of the construct and failure to incorporate its branding‐related aspects (process attributes) which represent the crux of employer branding theory. Thus, using the HRM system strength theory and employer branding literature, this article examines three process characteristics (i.e., employer brand distinctiveness, consistency, and consensus) vis‐à‐vis instrumental and symbolic content attributes to understand employee reactions (i.e., employer attractiveness, organizational identification, and employee ambassadorship). Data were collected at two times through Prolific Academic with 254 UK and US employees. Results suggest that employer brand process attributes are valuable sources to enhance employees' identification with their organization. Moreover, distinctiveness and consistency seem especially instrumental in enhancing employees' attractiveness perceptions and display of positive ambassadorship. In addition, the process attributes explain significant incremental and unique variance beyond content attributes in employee reactions.

The happy personality revisited: Re-examining associations between Big Five personality traits and subjective well-being using meta-analytic structural equation modeling.

Using meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM), we examined the link between Big Five personality traits and subjective well-being (SWB), operationalized as three separate components and as a latent factor indicated by life satisfaction (LS), positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA). PA and NA were assessed based on frequency of a broad range of affective experiences, rather than intensity of high arousal affective experiences, thus excluding studies using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. 35 samples were included, encompassing 22,135 participants from 14 countries, in which all eight variables were assessed. Correlations among personality traits were moderate, on average, and the latent SWB factor had strong loadings from all three components. Personality traits together explained substantial variance in LS, PA, and NA, and in the latent SWB factor, with unique predictive effects on the latent factor from each personality trait except openness. Associations between personality traits and SWB components were fully accounted for by a latent SWB factor, with one exception: A specific association was found between neuroticism and unique variance in NA. The present findings provide new insights concerning the notion of a 'happy personality' in showing that Big Five personality traits have unique associations with an underlying sense of SWB.

Childhood fantasy play relates to adult socio‐emotional competence

AbstractChildhood fantasy play and creation of imaginary companions are thought to confer socio‐emotional benefits in children, but little is known about how they relate to socio‐emotional competence in adulthood. A total of 341 adults (81 males) aged 18 and above (M = 31.47, SD = 12.62) completed an online survey examining their fantasy play as a child, their childhood imaginary companion status, and their adult socio‐emotional competence. Adults who reported higher levels of childhood fantasy play were found to be significantly more prosocial, empathetic, and emotionally intelligent than their counterparts after controlling for demographic factors. Recall of a childhood imaginary companion, however, was significantly related only to higher scores for perspective‐taking and did not explain unique variance in any adult competence measure. Findings suggest that engagement in fantasy play during childhood may be a precursor to later socio‐emotional competence, while benefits previously associated with imaginary companions specifically may not extend into adulthood.

Individual Adaptability to Work: Scale Validation on the Romanian Population

Abstract This study aimed to validate the I-ADAPT scale to assess the individual adaptability to work within the Romanian population. Both a pilot study and a main study were conducted on a total sample of 966 Romanians. Following the application of standard scale validation procedures, the results of our study indicated that the I-ADAPT measure of work adaptability has good psychometric properties on the Romanian population. Our findings provide evidence that I-ADAPT continues to explain the unique variance in adaptability to work even if work patterns in the Covid-19 pandemic context moved more and more from a traditional to a virtual work environment. ROa I-ADAPT measure has excellent properties concerning convergent, discriminant, and criterion-related validity. One main finding was that the “Physical” dimension of adaptability to work had no empirical support in the Romanian population. Moreover, our results indicate that the “interpersonal adaptability” and the “cultural adaptability” dimensions cannot be empirically separated in the Romanian population. To our knowledge, this is the first validated instrument that can be used to assess the individual adaptability of Romanians in the context of work. Our study is relevant for decision-makers in Romania and such actors in other EU-member countries where Romanians represent the largest group of working-age EU citizens.

Comparison of the Big Five and the HEXACO Models of Personality in the Prediction of Emotional Wellbeing: an Experience Sampling Study

AbstractAlthough the associations between personality traits and subjective wellbeing (SWB) are well established, personality still remains important in the research on SWB. The big five/five factor model of personality is the most frequently used by SWB researchers. However, there is a possibility that an alternative six-factor personality model (HEXACO), which broadens personality structure with a sixth factor (honesty-humility), might also be useful when wellbeing is of interest. In the current study (N = 669) we try to assess which of the two personality models constitutes a better taxonomic framework for SWB research. To measure wellbeing as both a momentary and more stable phenomenon, an experience sampling procedure was used. Personality was assessed with the HEXACO-60 and the TIPI personality questionnaires. The current study findings showed some predictive advantages of the big five/five factor model over the HEXACO in predicting both momentary and stable wellbeing. However, both personality models added the unique variance to the prediction of SWB. Based on the results of the study, the recommendations for researchers investigating general personality traits in the context of subjective wellbeing are provided.

School and Intrapersonal Predictors and Stability of Rural Special Education Teacher Burnout

Special education teacher attrition is a significant and chronic problem that has worsened since the pandemic. A longitudinal survey of burnout was conducted with rural special education teachers ( N = 48) over four timepoints through the school year just prior to COVID-19. Both school and intrapersonal predictors of burnout obtained at the beginning of the school year were used to predict burnout at the end of the school year. Findings revealed that burnout is highly stable over the course of the school year. Furthermore, the strongest predictors of burnout at the end of the school year were baseline scores of burnout. Only one school factor—excessive work demands—and several teacher intrapersonal variables—coping, social support, and mindfulness skills—predicted at least one indicator of burnout. In a regression analysis, the baseline scores of each of the different domains of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment) accounted for the most variance in burnout reported at the end of the school year, except for passive avoidance. Passive avoidance accounted for unique variance with depersonalization. These findings suggest that burnout is stable and help identify teacher intrapersonal or school factors that might be useful targets for prevention or intervention research related to burnout.

Assessing blood oxygen level-dependent signal variability as a biomarker of brain injury in sport-related concussion.

Mild traumatic brain injury is a complex neurological disorder of significant concern among athletes who play contact sports. Athletes who sustain sport-related concussion typically undergo physical examination and neurocognitive evaluation to determine injury severity and return-to-play status. However, traumatic disruption to neurometabolic processes can occur with minimal detectable anatomic pathology or neurocognitive alteration, increasing the risk that athletes may be cleared for return-to-play during a vulnerable period and receive a repetitive injury. This underscores the need for sensitive functional neuroimaging methods to detect altered cerebral physiology in concussed athletes. The present study compared the efficacy of Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing composite scores and whole-brain measures of blood oxygen level-dependent signal variability for classifying concussion status and predicting concussion symptomatology in healthy, concussed and repetitively concussed athletes, assessing blood oxygen level-dependent signal variability as a potential diagnostic tool for characterizing functional alterations to cerebral physiology and assisting in the detection of sport-related concussion. We observed significant differences in regional blood oxygen level-dependent signal variability measures for concussed athletes but did not observe significant differences in Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing scores of concussed athletes. We further demonstrate that incorporating measures of functional brain alteration alongside Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing scores enhances the sensitivity and specificity of supervised random forest machine learning methods when classifying and predicting concussion status and post-concussion symptoms, suggesting that alterations to cerebrovascular status characterize unique variance that may aid in the detection of sport-related concussion and repetitive mild traumatic brain injury. These results indicate that altered blood oxygen level-dependent variability holds promise as a novel neurobiological marker for detecting alterations in cerebral perfusion and neuronal functioning in sport-related concussion, motivating future research to establish and validate clinical assessment protocols that can incorporate advanced neuroimaging methods to characterize altered cerebral physiology following mild traumatic brain injury.

Disintegration predicts problem alcohol and drug use, quality of life, and experience in close relationships over the Big Five and HEXACO personality traits

The Disintegration trait (i.e., proneness to psychotic-like experiences and behaviors) was recently proposed as the basic personality trait that supplements the space of individual differences framed by well-known Big Five and HEXACO models. In this research, we provided additional evidence of the unique contribution of Disintegration in predicting the individual differences in some outcomes whose relations with this trait are mainly unexplored. In the first study (N = 300), we employed a 20-item measure of Disintegration (DELTA-20), a short form of the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10), alcohol and drug use disorders identification tests (AUDIT, DUDIT), and Flanagan's Quality of Life Scale (QoLS). The results showed that Disintegration predicts higher levels of problem alcohol and drug use, and lower quality of life, over and above the Big Five traits, thus increasing the proportion of explained variance by 3% and 1%, respectively. In the second study (N = 537), we used a 10-item measure of Disintegration (DELTA-10), a 60-item form of HEXACO, and a Serbian version of the Modified and Revised Experiences in Close Relationship scale (SM-ECR-R). The results showed that Disintegration predicts higher levels of avoidance and anxiety in close relationships over and above HEXACO traits, with an incremental contribution in the explained variance of 2% and 11%, respectively. In sum, our findings suggested that the Disintegration trait, assessed by either the shorter or longer measure, accounts for unique variance in individual, wellbeing-related outcomes, and dyadic functioning-related outcomes. The limitations and future directions are discussed.

Do Language-Related Cognitive Capacities Help Predict Adjustment in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder?

The goal of this paper was to examine the role that language-related cognitive capacities (LRCC) might play in explaining adjustment of 7 to 12 year-old children (Mage = 9.24; SDage = 0.91) with and without ADHD. The sample was comprised of 178 children with ADHD and 86 typically-developing children (77.3% male; 81.4% White; 9.5% Black; 1.9% Hispanic; 0.8% Asian; 5.7% multiracial; 0.8% did not report race/ethnicity). Using simultaneous regression, we examined whether LRCC accounted for unique variance in achievement, attention problems, oppositional problems, conduct problems, and internalizing, over and above what standard covariates and ADHD diagnostic status could explain. Finally, we examined LRCC as a mediator of the relation between ADHD diagnostic status and these adjustment measures. Results indicated that LRCC significantly predicted 6 of 7 and partially mediated 5 of 7 measures, suggesting that language-related constructs warrant greater attention in diagnosis and treatment of ADHD.

Cognitive flexibility explains unique variance in reading comprehension for elementary students

The goal was to determine the extent to which cognitive flexibility measured by category switching predicted unique variance in reading comprehension for elementary students after accounting for vocabulary and oral reading fluency. One hundred and one second through fifth grade students completed curriculum-based measures of reading comprehension and oral reading fluency, as well as vocabulary and cognitive flexibility (category switching) measures. As predicted, hierarchical linear regression showed that vocabulary and oral reading fluency were associated with reading comprehension, though only the association with oral reading fluency was significant. Importantly, cognitive flexibility (category switching) predicted unique variance after accounting for the other variables, demonstrating the relevance of category switching flexibility for reading comprehension. Exploratory analyses revealed that the unique role of cognitive flexibility was evident for older elementary students, but not for younger elementary students. These findings support the active view of reading, especially the importance of cognitive flexibility in supporting reading comprehension.

The relationship between quality of the present level of academic achievement and functional performance statement and student learning

AbstractThe present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) is an essential component of the individualised educational program (IEP) process because it identifies student strengths and areas for growth. However, there is minimal research that examines components of an IEP and student outcomes. The current study examined the relationship between PLAAFP quality and student achievement, and between training and ongoing professional development and quality of the PLAAFP. The data were obtained from 211 special education teachers in one state. Results suggested that ongoing professional development predicted the quality of the PLAAFP statement, accounted for a large amount of the variance (r2 = 0.14) in the PLAAFP quality score, and was a stronger predictor than participating in a single training. Additionally, PLAAFP quality predicted winter achievement scores beyond the school district, fall achievement scores and teacher variables, and accounted for significant and moderate amount of unique variance for reading (r2 = 0.05) and math (r2 = 0.07). Implications for research and practice are included.

Development and Validation of the Parental Expectations Scale (PES) in Parents From Romania

Abstract: Social cognitive models of parenting consider the role of unrealistic parental expectations (UE) regarding children’s abilities and behaviors as antecedents to the occurrence of child abuse. However, existing self-report measures of UE yield inconsistent results, often failing to differentiate aggressive and non-aggressive parents, raising questions about their validity and utility in understanding maladaptive parenting. To address these concerns, we developed and tested a new measure of parental UE in two samples of parents. The first sample ( N = 179) was used to test the initial structure of the scale, while the second sample ( N = 249) was used to replicate the structure and examine the concurrent validity, criterion validity, and internal consistency of the new measure. The final scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency, criterion, and concurrent validity. More unrealistic expectations predicted unique variance in parental negative behavior after controlling for other related variables. The current study provides preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the Parental Expectations Scale (PES), discussing its utility in the clinical assessment of parents at risk for child abuse and in tailoring parenting interventions.

Assessing the Accuracy of Students’ Metacognitive Awareness of Psychology Concepts

The present study explored the accuracy of participants’ (N = 317) metacognitive awareness (self-reported difficulty and confidence) of psychology concepts and the moderating effects of their psychology background (academic major, number of psychology courses completed, and overall psychology course grades). Participants first rated the difficulty of and their confidence in their knowledge of concepts from seven different subareas of psychology. They then completed a multiple-choice assessment testing their knowledge of the concepts they had previously rated. The results showed that both participants’ metacognitive awareness and experience in psychology predicted their accuracy on the assessment. A more extensive background in psychology was associated with a stronger relationship between metacognitive awareness and accuracy. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that metacognitive awareness contributed unique variance in predicting accuracy after accounting for students' psychology background. A parallel mediation analysis investigated the relationship between psychology background and metacognitive awareness on accuracy. This analysis revealed that confidence mediated the relationship between participants’ psychology background and their performance on the assessment. The results of the present study demonstrate that participants’ metacognitive awareness of psychology concepts increases with increasing psychological knowledge and experience. These findings suggest that psychology instructors should adjust their instructional and assessment strategies according to their students’ experience and knowledge levels and that more experienced psychology students should rely more on their metacognitive judgments to self-regulate their learning.

Experiences of racial microaggression among immigrant and Canadian-born young adults: Effects of double stigma on mental health and service use.

Significant disparities in utilization of mental health services exist among immigrant and Canadian-born populations. These gaps may be associated with a 'double stigma' - stigma related to being from a racialized background exacerbated by mental health stigma. Immigrant young adults may be particularly susceptible to this phenomenon, given developmental and social transitions from adolescence to adulthood. To investigate the joint effects of racial microaggression and mental health stigma on mental health and service use among first-generation immigrant and Canadian-born university students. We conducted an online cross-sectional study among first-generation immigrant and Canadian-born university students (N = 1,280, Mage = 19.10, SD = 1.50). Despite no differences in anxiety or depression symptoms, first-generation (foreign-born) immigrants were less likely to have received therapy and to have taken medication for mental health issues compared to Canadian-born participants. First-generation immigrants also reported experiencing higher levels of racial microaggression and stigma toward service use. Results suggest the presence of a double stigma, mental health stigma and racial microaggression, each explained significant additional variance in symptoms of anxiety and depression and medication use. No effects of double stigma for therapy use were found - while higher mental health stigma predicted lower use of therapy, racial microaggression did not predict unique variance in therapy use. Our findings highlight the joint effects of racial microaggression and stigma toward mental health and service as barriers to help-seeking among immigrant young adults. Mental health intervention and outreach programmes should target overt and covert forms of racial discrimination while incorporating culturally sensitive anti-stigma approaches to help reduce disparities in mental health service use among immigrants in Canada.