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Chiesi F, Bruno F. Mean differences and individual changes in nursing students' attitudes toward statistics: The role of math background and personality traits. Nurse Educ Pract 2021; 52:103043. [PMID: 33862348 DOI: 10.1016/j.nepr.2021.103043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Nursing students have compulsory statistics courses in their degree program, but they usually have negative attitudes toward statistics that may hinder their learning. The present study aims: (i) to investigate nurse students' attitudes toward statistics and the relationships with mathematical background and personality traits; (ii) to stress individual changes in attitude that occur during the course; and (iii) to explore if mathematical background and personality traits influence these changes. We adopted a one-group pre-post survey study. Fifty nursing students were enrolled in an introductory statistics course at the Sapienza University of Rome in Italy during the 2018-2019 academic year. Participants were surveyed at the beginning and end of the course administering a multidimensional measure of attitude toward statistics. Multiple regression analyses were run to establish the relative impact of mathematical background and Big Five personality factors on attitude components, as well as the changes in these attitude components. Results confirmed the predictive role of mathematic competence on some attitude dimensions and showed that also personality traits influenced attitudes toward statistics. However, the observed changes in attitudes during the course were minimally influenced by these factors. Findings suggest that course pedagogy can enhance students' attitudes regardless their mathematical background and personality.
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Abstract
Abstract. Video gaming behavior may offer information about the players and the widespread diffusion of this form of entertainment produces a staggering amount of data about gaming behaviors. The aim of the current study was to investigate the possibility to use the information about the way the player acts and reacts in a competitive video game to assess personality traits inside the HEXACO space. Deep learning was used to train deep neural networks that classified a sample of players ( N = 41) with different personality traits by how they play in a Massive Online Battle Arena (MOBA) video game. Results suggested that the likelihood of correctly identifying the player’s trait level was above chance for five out of the six personality dimensions, but there is a medium to high margin of error in the classification. These findings provide interesting suggestions to set the premises for future studies to test the feasibility of this alternative assessment tool.
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Chiesi F, Bonacchi A, Lau C, Tosti AE, Marra F, Saklofske DH. Measuring self-control across gender, age, language, and clinical status: A validation study of the Italian version of the Brief Self- Control Scale (BSCS). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237729. [PMID: 32822379 PMCID: PMC7446922 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aims to develop and validate an Italian version of the Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS). A large sample of Italian-speaking participants (N = 1139) completed the BSCS and measures of personality and individual dispositions. A clinical sample (N = 217) was administered the Italian version and an English-speaking sample (N = 274) completed the original version to test measurement invariance. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the best fit was observed for a shortened two-factor model (i.e., impulse control and self-discipline). Metric invariance across languages and partial strong invariance across genders, ages, and clinical status were demonstrated. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability for the total scale were adequate, and validity was established based on its correlations with related constructs and confirming that males and young individuals are more likely to have lower self-control. Results support the use of the shortened BSCS version to assess self-control in Italian-speaking individuals.
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Lau C, Chiesi F, Hofmann J, Saklofske DH, Ruch W. Development and Linguistic Cue Analysis of the State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory-Short Form. J Pers Assess 2020; 103:547-557. [PMID: 32628865 DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2020.1779733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The present study derived a short form of the State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory-Trait Version (STCI-T30) using an item response theory framework. Latent trait test-retest correlations and reliability across the latent continuum in the STCI-T30 remained high. Moreover, the STCI-T30 showed external validity with criterion variables (e.g., playfulness) and a short writing task completed by these participants was rated by unacquainted judges to infer the author's cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad-mood. Results suggested significant self-other and inter-judge agreement of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad-mood and linguistic cues analysis suggested cheerfulness and bad-mood manifested through writing in tone, social processes, and affect.
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Lau C, Chiesi F, Saklofske DH, Yan G, Li C. How essential is the essential resilience scale? Differential item functioning of Chinese and English versions and criterion validity. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Chiesi F, Lau C, Saklofske DH. A revised short version of the compassionate love scale for humanity (CLS-H-SF): evidence from item response theory analyses and validity testing. BMC Psychol 2020; 8:20. [PMID: 32087755 PMCID: PMC7036195 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-020-0386-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Compassionate love is defined as awareness and understanding of one’s suffering, connecting with the distress, and being emotionally and cognitively moved to alleviate suffering. The Compassionate Love Scale for Humanity (CLS-H) was developed to measure compassion towards strangers who need help and/or are vulnerable. The present study aimed to develop an abbreviated version of the CLS-H using item response theory to provide a precise and non-redundant compassion measure for use in research and practice. Methods Undergraduate students (N = 790; 65.8% females) completed the CLS-H and other measures intended to establish external validity. Items for the short version were selected based on high amounts of information and taking into account the content coverage of the construct. Results The shortened scale consisted of 9 items and performed well in measuring a large spectrum of the underlying construct with acceptable reliability. In terms of validity, the previously observed pattern of correlations was confirmed demonstrating positive associations between compassionate love and measures of self-esteem, positive affect, and life satisfaction, as well as negative associations with negative affect and anxiety. Conclusions Using IRT, we obtained a brief, precise, and valid tool for assessing compassionate love.
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Ripamonti CI, Chiesi F, Di Pede P, Guglielmo M, Toffolatti L, Gangeri L, Allocca E. The validation of the Italian version of the COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity (COST). Support Care Cancer 2020; 28:4477-4485. [DOI: 10.1007/s00520-019-05286-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Lau C, Chiesi F, Hofmann J, Ruch W, Saklofske DH. The Italian Version of the State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory Trait Form: Psychometric Validation and Evaluation of Measurement Invariance. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/0734282919875639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory–Trait Version (STCI-T60) measures the temperamental basis of sense of humor involving theoretically derived personality dispositions of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood. The reliability and validity of the newly developed STCI-T60 Italian version were assessed in a sample of Italian speakers ( N = 683). Proper fit for a three-dimensional factor structure observed in previous studies was replicated and each factor demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The associations between the STCI subscales and major personality dimensions, optimism, resilience, stress, and general well-being were further examined and results were in the expected directions (e.g., cheerfulness and bad mood being positively and negatively associated with well-being variables, respectively). Cross-cultural invariance examination was conducted to provide more validity data for the Italian STCI. Metric invariance was found between Italian and Canadian English speakers ( N = 632), but scalar invariance was not shown.
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Pigliautile M, Chiesi F, Primi C, Inglese S, Mari D, Simoni D, Mossello E, Mecocci P. Validation study of the Italian version of Communication Activities of the Daily Living (CADL 2) as an ecologic cognitive assessment measure in older subjects. Neurol Sci 2019; 40:2081-2088. [PMID: 31140014 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-019-03937-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Communication can be affected by age related cognitive decline and mental deterioration. The second edition of the Communication Activities of the Daily Living (CADL 2) appears as an interesting ecological assessment tool of cognitive functions in old age. OBJECTIVE The aim of this work is to (1) develop an Italian version of CADL 2, (2) to test its psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity, and (3) to measure CADL 2 discriminative capacity between cognitively healthy and cognitively impaired older subjects. METHOD One hundred and eleven subjects were enrolled (36 M; 75 F, age 80, 80.85 ± 7 years, education 9.3 ± 4.7 years). The CADL 2 was administered together with a standard neuropsychological battery. RESULTS The CADL 2 showed good reliability and correlates with all the cognitive evaluation tests. The CADL 2's area under the curve was equal to 0.80, index of good diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSIONS The CADL 2 is an appropriate assessment tool for communication skills in aging.
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Lau C, Chiesi F, Saklofske DH, Yan G. What is the temperamental basis of humour like in China? A cross-national examination and validation of the standard version of the state-trait cheerfulness inventory. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 55:264-272. [PMID: 31025316 DOI: 10.1002/ijop.12582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory-trait version (STCI-T60) consists of three dimensions of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood integrated to measure the temperamental basis of the sense of humour. The present study replicated the three-dimensional factor structure of the STCI in China using 60 items consistent with other standard trait versions (e.g., English, Chilean-Spanish). Closer examination of associations between traits suggested bad mood showed curvilinear associations with both cheerfulness and seriousness, such that cheerfulness and bad mood were negatively associated for those low and average in trait bad mood but not for those with high trait bad mood. Seriousness was positively associated with bad mood at high levels of trait bad mood, but not at average or low levels of bad mood. Associations between the STCI traits and major personality dimensions, humour styles, and well-being were further examined. Cheerfulness and seriousness showed positive associations with satisfaction with life and emotional well-being (EWB) while bad mood showed a curvilinear association with EWB. Using multi-group confirmatory factor analyses, partial metric invariance was found between English and Chinese versions of the STCI-T60, but structural invariance was not observed. Implications based on the empirical literature in dialecticism and cross-cultural assessment were thoroughly discussed.
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Chiesi F, Morsanyi K, Donati MA, Primi C. Applying Item Response Theory to Develop a Shortened Version of the Need for Cognition Scale. Adv Cogn Psychol 2018; 14:75-86. [PMID: 32337000 PMCID: PMC7171511 DOI: 10.5709/acp-0240-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The 18-item Need for Cognition Scale (NFC-18) is the most commonly used tool to measure the need for cognition. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of developing an abbreviated version of the scale, applying the item response theory (IRTirt). Item response theory analyses suggested the exclusion of eight items that did not perform well in measuring the latent trait. The resulting 10-item scale (NFC-10), which included highly discriminative items, covered the same range of the measured trait as the original scale and showed high measurement precision along various levels of the trait. Additionally, since IRT analyses can only confirm the accuracy of the short scale in measuring the underlying construct, we sought to replicate the nomological net of the NFC-18 using the shortened version of the scale. The results showed that the NFC-10 reflects an adequate operationalization of the construct, in line with the longer version. In particular, as expected, the NFC-10 showed moderate relations with various measures of cognitive skills and self-report measures of cognitive styles, confidence, and anxiety. These findings confirm that we have obtained a much shorter version of the NFC that maintains excellent reliability and validity
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Chiesi F, Bonacchi A, Primi C, Toccafondi A, Miccinesi G. Are Three Items Sufficient to Measure Sense of Coherence? EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. The present study aimed at evaluating if the three-item sense of coherence (SOC) scale developed by Lundberg and Nystrom Peck (1995) can be effectively used for research purpose in both nonclinical and clinical samples. To provide evidence that it represents adequately the measured construct we tested its validity in a nonclinical (N = 658) and clinical sample (N = 764 patients with cancer). Results obtained in the nonclinical sample attested a positive relation of SOC – as measured by the three-item SOC scale – with Antonovsky’s 13-item and 29-item SOC scales (convergent validity), and with dispositional optimism, sense of mastery, anxiety, and depression symptoms (concurrent validity). Results obtained in the clinical sample confirmed the criterion validity of the scale attesting the positive role of SOC – as measured by the three-item SOC scale – on the person’s capacity to respond to illness and treatment. The current study provides evidence that the three-item SOC scale is a valid, low-loading, and time-saving instrument for research purposes on large sample.
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Ripamonti CI, Buonaccorso L, Maruelli A, Bandieri E, Boldini S, Pessi MA, Chiesi F, Miccinesi G. Hope Herth Index (HHI): A Validation Study in Italian Patients with Solid and Hematological Malignancies on Active Cancer Treatment. TUMORI JOURNAL 2018; 98:385-92. [DOI: 10.1177/030089161209800317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Aims and background Although hope is a widely used term, the experience of hope in patients with chronic or even life-threatening diseases is often disregarded due to the scarcity of carefully designed and validated assessment tools. The aim of this study was to validate the Hope Herth Index (HHI) questionnaire in the Italian population of patients with solid or hematological malignancies during active cancer treatment. Methods After the translation procedures, the psychometric properties of the Italian version of HHI were evaluated in 266 patients with non-advanced cancer cared for in four different settings. Summative scores ranged from 12–48, with a higher score denoting greater hope. Confirmative factorial analysis was performed to assess dimensionality. The test-retest reliability was assessed by means of the Lin concordance coefficient (two weeks' interval, 80 patients). Concurrent validity was assessed through the following questionnaires: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp), Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), and System Belief Inventory (SBI-15R). Results A total of 266 patients were enrolled. Confirmative factor analysis did not confirm the original three-factor solution, whereas a one-factor solution did perform well. Cronbach's alpha was 0.84 and the test-retest reliability was 0.64 (95% CI 0.51; 0.76). Large convergence was found with spiritual well-being as measured by the FACIT-Sp (0.69) and with anxiety-depression as measured by the HADS (inverse correlation: –0.51). Physical symptoms and religiousness were only slightly correlated, as expected. Conclusions The Italian version of HHI is a valid and reliable assessment tool – useful to initiate conversation with someone who is troubled but finds it difficult to talk – in patients with either solid or hematological malignancies on active cancer treatment during the non-advanced stages of the disease.
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Donati MA, Chiesi F, Iozzi A, Manfredi A, Fagni F, Primi C. Gambling-Related Distortions and Problem Gambling in Adolescents: A Model to Explain Mechanisms and Develop Interventions. Front Psychol 2018; 8:2243. [PMID: 29354081 PMCID: PMC5760557 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a number of gambling preventive initiatives have been realized with adolescents, many of them have been developed in absence of a clear and explicitly described theoretical model. The present work was aimed to analyze the adequacy of a model to explain gambling behavior referring to gambling-related cognitive distortions (Study 1), and to verify the effectiveness of a preventive intervention developed on the basis of this model (Study 2). Following dual-process theories on cognitive functioning, in Study 1 we tested a model in which mindware gap, i.e., susceptibility to the gambler's fallacy, and contaminated mindware, i.e., superstitious thinking, were the antecedents of gambling-related cognitive distortions that, in turn, affect gambling frequency and problem gambling. Participants were 306 male adolescents (Mage = 17.2 years). A path analysis indicated that cognitive distortions have a mediating role in the relationship that links probabilistic reasoning fallacy and superstitious thinking with problem gambling. Following these findings, in Study 2 we developed a school-based intervention aimed to reduce gambling-related cognitive distortions acting on the above cited mindware problems. A pre- and post-test design - with a 6 months follow-up - was performed with 34 male adolescents (Mage = 16.8), randomly assigned to two groups (Training and No Training), and their baseline equivalence was verified. A Mixed 2 × 2 ANOVA attested a significant Time X Group interaction, indicating a significant reduction of the cognitive distortions from pre-test to post-test only in the Training group. The follow-up attested to the stability of the training effects and the reduction of gambling frequency over time. These findings suggest that prevention strategies should address mindware problems, which can be considered as predictors of gambling-related cognitive distortions.
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Chiesi F, Primi C, Pigliautile M, Baroni M, Ercolani S, Boccardi V, Ruggiero C, Mecocci P. Is the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale a Fair Screening Tool? A Differential Item Functioning Analysis Across Gender and Age. Psychol Rep 2017; 121:1167-1182. [PMID: 29298589 DOI: 10.1177/0033294117745561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) is widely employed to assess depression in old people, but it is unclear if there are biases in the total score depending on respondents' gender and age. In the current study, we investigated the measurement equivalence of the GDS-15 to provide evidence that the test is a fair screening tool when administered to young-old, old-old, and oldest-old men and women. Item Response Theory-based Differential Item Functioning analyses were applied on a large sample of Italian old people. One item exhibited Differential Item Functioning when comparing men and women, and one item showed Differential Item Functioning across different age-groups. Nonetheless, the magnitude of Differential Item Functioning was small and did not produce any differential test functioning. The gender and age measurement equivalence of the GDS-15 confirms that the test can be used for clinical and research screening purposes.
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Primi C, Donati MA, Chiesi F, Morsanyi K. Are there gender differences in cognitive reflection? Invariance and differences related to mathematics. THINKING & REASONING 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/13546783.2017.1387606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Chiesi F, Bonacchi A, Primi C, Miccinesi G. Assessing unmet needs in patients with cancer: An investigation of differential item functioning of the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire across gender, age and phase of the disease. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179765. [PMID: 28742867 PMCID: PMC5526559 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The Needs Evaluation Questionnaire (NEQ) is a self-administered instrument used in oncology clinical practice and research.
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Donati MA, Chiesi F, Izzo VA, Primi C. Gender Invariance of the Gambling Behavior Scale for Adolescents (GBS-A): An Analysis of Differential Item Functioning Using Item Response Theory. Front Psychol 2017; 8:940. [PMID: 28634462 PMCID: PMC5459912 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As there is a lack of evidence attesting the equivalent item functioning across genders for the most employed instruments used to measure pathological gambling in adolescence, the present study was aimed to test the gender invariance of the Gambling Behavior Scale for Adolescents (GBS-A), a new measurement tool to assess the severity of Gambling Disorder (GD) in adolescents. The equivalence of the items across genders was assessed by analyzing Differential Item Functioning within an Item Response Theory framework. The GBS-A was administered to 1,723 adolescents, and the graded response model was employed. The results attested the measurement equivalence of the GBS-A when administered to male and female adolescent gamblers. Overall, findings provided evidence that the GBS-A is an effective measurement tool of the severity of GD in male and female adolescents and that the scale was unbiased and able to relieve truly gender differences. As such, the GBS-A can be profitably used in educational interventions and clinical treatments with young people.
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Chiesi F, Donati MA, Panno A, Giacomantonio M, Primi C. What About the Different Shortened Versions of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale? Psychol Rep 2017; 120:966-990. [PMID: 28558549 DOI: 10.1177/0033294117711132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Given the mixed conclusions on the psychometric properties of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the variety of subsets of items identified as abbreviated forms, the current study aimed to (a) further investigate the performance of single items and different combinations of items of the MAAS from within an Item Response Theory framework, (b) to expand upon existing knowledge about the coverage of the construct of the scale and its shortened versions. A sample of 914 participants (67.6% women; mean age 23.28, SD = 4.77) completed the MAAS. To fulfill the second aim of the study, of the total sample, two subsamples (N = 156 and N = 158, respectively) were administered a battery of self-report questionnaires. Analyses attested that four items of the MAAS have weak psychometric properties and that the reliability of the scale remains unchanged when these items are excluded. The relationships with several constructs (consciousness, present-time attitude, emotional intelligence, alexithymia, emotion regulation strategies, behavioral inhibition and activation, affect, anxiety, and depression) provided evidence that the scale adequately reflects the operationalization of the construct, although some facets of the construct are only partially covered. The current findings confirm that the MAAS might be slightly shortened without reducing its reliability and validity, but drastically abbreviated forms, such as the proposed five-item version, fail to maintain adequate psychometric properties.
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Panno A, Donati MA, Milioni M, Chiesi F, Primi C. Why Women Take Fewer Risk Than Men Do: The Mediating Role of State Anxiety. SEX ROLES 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-017-0781-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Primi C, Morsanyi K, Donati MA, Galli S, Chiesi F. Measuring Probabilistic Reasoning: The Construction of a New Scale Applying Item Response Theory. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Chiesi F, Primi C, Pigliautile M, Ercolani S, Della Staffa MC, Longo A, Boccardi V, Mecocci P. The local reliability of the 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale: An item response theory (IRT) study. J Psychosom Res 2017; 96:84-88. [PMID: 28545797 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2017.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) is a self-report screening instrument widely used. The current study aimed at providing evidence of the measurement precision of the GDS-15 applying Item Response Theory (IRT). The relative contribution of each item and the reliability of the whole scale in measuring the trait level around the cutoffs were investigated employing data collected from a sample consisting of 1344 old people (M=76.44years, SD=5.13; 58.7% women) involved in a large gerontological research project. The unidimensional two-parameter (2PL) logistic model was employed to item estimate location and slope parameters as well as the Test Information Function (TIF). Nine out of fifteen items were located around the cutoffs and the slopes showed that the majority of the items had substantial discrimination ability. The TIF peaked in correspondence of the cutoffs attesting the good local reliability of the scale. These findings support to the utility of the GDS-15 in detecting depression among older people.
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Caviola S, Primi C, Chiesi F, Mammarella IC. Psychometric properties of the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS) in Italian primary school children. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Morsanyi K, Chiesi F, Primi C, Szűcs D. The illusion of replacement in research into the development of thinking biases: the case of the conjunction fallacy. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2016.1256294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Bonacchi A, Miccinesi G, Galli S, Primi C, Chiesi F, Lippi D, Muraca M, Toccafondi A. Use of the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire with cancer outpatients. Support Care Cancer 2016; 24:3507-15. [PMID: 27005464 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-016-3176-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The Needs Evaluation Questionnaire (NEQ) is a self-administered instrument with 23 dichotomous items that is used both in oncology clinical practice and in research. It was originally developed for use in setting of hospitalization. The aim of the present study was to assess the factor structure of the NEQ in an outpatient oncology sample and to compare the unmet needs of inpatients and outpatients in the Italian context. METHODS In 6 Italian oncology departments, 783 patients completed the NEQ. Patients included in the study had different primary tumor sites and were in different phases of the disease and care process. There were 195 inpatients and 588 outpatients total. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that, with outpatients, the NEQ retained the distribution of the items in five main areas previously described with inpatients. Cancer outpatients expressed high percentages of unmet needs primarily concerning "material needs" and "needs for psycho-emotional support." Our survey also suggested that, in addition to the 23 original items, four new items could be tested for specific use with outpatients. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight the importance of establishing routine assessment of unmet needs also in clinical oncology settings different from wards-such as day hospitals, ambulatory rehabilitation, or follow-up ambulatory care-where, at least in the Italian context, the rate of unmet needs is currently considerably high. The NEQ could be an effective tool for this assessment.
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