On the sins of short-form development

Taking a closer look at mindful eating: incremental validity and importance of subfacets

PURPOSE

Mindful eating (ME) seems a promising approach to clarify the underlying mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions for eating and weight-related issues. The current study aimed to investigate the incremental validity of this eating-specific approach beyond a generic conception of mindfulness and explore preliminary indication which subfacets of the multidimensional construct ME might be of particular importance in order to study them more precisely and tailor mindfulness-based interventions for eating and weight-related issues more properly.

METHODS

Self-report data (N = 292) were collected online. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to explore the incremental validity of ME beyond generic mindfulness, predicting maladaptive eating (emotional and uncontrolled eating) and consumption of energy-dense food. Multiple regressions were used to examine the impact of the seven different ME subfacets on the very same outcomes.

RESULTS

Findings demonstrated the incremental validity of ME on all outcomes. Generic mindfulness no longer predicted emotional eating, uncontrolled eating, or the consumption of energy-dense food when entering ME. The subfacet 'non-reactive stance' predicted all three outcomes significantly. For emotional and uncontrolled eating, the subfacets 'accepting and non-attached attitude toward one's own eating experience', 'eating in response to awareness of fullness', and the 'awareness of eating triggers and motives' additionally showed a significant influence.

CONCLUSION

ME seems a valuable approach in clarifying how mindfulness might impact eating and weight-related issues. Beyond that, it might be beneficial for upcoming interventions to strengthen specific ME subfacets, depending on the focused outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, descriptive cross-sectional study.

Factor Structure and Internal Consistency on a Reduced Version of the Revised Test of Need for Cognitive Closure

The need for cognitive closure is a construct postulated by Kruglanski that explains the motivational aspects which influence decision-making and its impact on the social environment. Initially, it was assessed through a unidimensional scale, later criticized for its poor satisfactory reliability and validity. Regarding these criticisms, Pierro and Kruglanski developed a new 14-item scale to measure two dimensions, which were not previously evaluated: urgency tendency and permanence tendency. Although the Revised Test of Need for Cognitive Closure is more economical in terms of assessment time, it would be optimal to develop a reduced test that can assess faster while maintaining validity and reliability. The present research aims to reduce the Revised Test of Need for Cognitive Closure scale to the Argentinian context. To this end, we worked on a non-experimental design, assessing this scale within a sample of 690 Argentinian university students (Women = 81.16%, Men = 18.84%), and proceeded to perform reliability, as well as confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity, and factorial invariance analysis. The results indicate a bi-factorial structure of a Need for Cognitive Closure instrument with eight items and two dimensions: urgency tendency (α = 0.76) and permanence tendency (α = 0.64), suggesting good reliability in both of them. In addition, well convergent validity was checked with other validated instruments, and finally, the factor loadings were shown to be invariant. In conclusion, it was demonstrated the reliability and validity of reducing the Revised Test of Need for Cognitive Closure in our social environment.

Psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy of the short form of the geriatric anxiety scale (GAS-10)

BACKGROUND

Anxious symptoms have a negative impact on different aspects of the elderly's quality of life, ranging from the adoption of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours to an increased functional impairment and a greater physical disability. Different brief assessment instruments have been developed as efficacy measures of geriatric anxiety in order to overcome psychometric weaknesses of its long form. Among these, the 10-item Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-10) showed strong psychometric properties in community-dwelling samples. However, its diagnostic accuracy is still unexplored, as well as its discriminative power in clinical samples.

METHODS

In the present study, we explored the psychometric performance of the GAS-10 in the elderly through Item Response Theory in a sample of 1200 Italian community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly adults (53.8% males, mean age = 65.21 ± 9.19 years). Concurrent validity, as well as diagnostic accuracy, was examined in a non-clinical sample (N = 229; 46.72% males) and clinical sample composed of 35 elderly outpatients (74.28% females) with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

RESULTS

The GAS-10 displayed good internal construct validity, with unidimensional structure and no local dependency, good accuracy, and no signs of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) or measurement bias due to gender, but negligible due to the age. Differences in concurrent validity and diagnostic accuracy among the long form version of the GAS and the GAS-10 were not found significant. The GAS-10 may be more useful than the longer versions in many clinical and research applications, when time constraints or fatigue are issues.

CONCLUSION

Using the ROC curve, the GAS-10 showed good discriminant validity in categorizing outpatients with GAD disorder, and high anxiety symptoms as measured by the GAS-SF cut-off. The stable cut-off point provided could enhance the clinical usefulness of the GAS-10, which seems to be a promising valid and reliable tool for maximize diagnostic accuracy of geriatric anxiety symptoms.

Brief Version of Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire in Brazil

The use of extensive questionnaires has the limitation of filling time bias, related to the ability to focus and accurately respond to many items, justifying the necessity for a brief version. This study aimed to build a brief version of the Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire in Brazil (B-CaffEQ-BR) composed of 21 items divided into seven factors, with as adequate consistency and reproducibility as the full version. Quantitative procedures using statistical modeling were applied using the CaffEQ-BR (full version) database keeping the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) (based on the full version) <0.5 and Cronbach's α and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) ≥0.7. The expert panel (n = 3), in a blind design, evaluated the semantic structuring within the options indicated by previous statistical modeling until the agreement of the expert panel. The participants (n = 62), Brazilian adults who were regular caffeine consumers (175.8 ± 94.4 mg/day), of whom 62.9% were women, 33.1 ± 9.7 years, 24.5 ± 3.8 kg/m², and 62.9% of whom self-identified as white, were asked to respond twice to the online questionnaire in 48-72 h. The first sample (n = 40) tested interobserver reproducibility with the double application of B-CaffEQ-BR. Another sample (n = 22) answered the CaffEQ-BR (full version) and B-CaffEQ-BR, and the last sample (n = 18) performed the reverse process. The B-CaffEQ-BR presented excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α ≥ 0.729) and overall reproducibility (ICC ≥ 0.915) for the entire questionnaire and its seven factors. The B-CaffEQ-BR can be a valuable tool in caffeine research with the Brazilian adult population.

Social inclusion of students with special educational needs assessed by the Inclusion of Other in the Self scale

How does the participation of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream education affect their social inclusion? We introduce a single-item pictorial measure, the Inclusion of Other in the Self (IOS), to compare the social inclusion of SEN students attending mainstream regular schools to social inclusion of SEN students attending special schools. We collected responses from 138 parents of SEN students aged 4–20, to obtain data on the loneliness, friendships and social inclusion of SEN students. The parents of SEN students attending regular schools did not perceive their children to be less included than parents of SEN students attending special schools. School context decreased SEN students’ perceived loneliness independent of the school type. And while most SEN students’ friendships were formed at school, SEN students attending regular schools had more friends, and these were more likely to live in the same neighborhood. Overall, the social inclusion of SEN students across school types was not affected by the school type, only by the school’s inclusive characteristics.

Psychometric Properties of the Exercise Orientation Questionnaire: A Confirmatory Study on Chinese University Students

The Exercise Orientation Questionnaire (EOQ) is a method for evaluating individuals' exercise attitudes and behaviors associated with exercise motivation. A lack of exercise motivation can affect physical activity attitudes, behavior, and action among university students. Physical inactivity may lead to health risks. The purpose of this study was to assess the measurement of psychological properties in the EOQ and to determine the reliability and validity of the EOQ when applied to Chinese university students. A total of 368 university students (male 48.8%) aged between 17 and 23 years (M = 19.60, SD = 1.18) participated in the current study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were used to verify the factorial validity of the EOQ. The internal consistency coefficient (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega) was used to determine reliability. Multiple regression analysis was used to test concurrent validity. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to determine the participants' level of physical activity. The range of the subscale coefficient was 0.80–0.89, and the total scale was 0.95, which indicated that the reliability of the EOQ was excellent. The research showed that the initial CFA model of the EOQ had poorly fitting indices. The corrected model after seven residual correlations achieved the setting standard, but the correlation coefficient between some factors exceeded the standard threshold, which indicated that the CFA fitting model was not ideal. ESEM is a combination of exploratory and verifiable analytical techniques. Using ESEM and abbreviated version CFA to analyze the data indicated that the model fitted well [ESEM: TLI = 0.97 > 0.90, CFI = 0.96 > 0.90, SRMR = 0.02 < 0.08, and RMSEA = 0.045 < 0.08 (90% CI 0.033–0.055); CFA: TLI = 0.92 > 0.90, CFI = 0.91 > 0.90, SRMR = 0.08, and RMSEA = 0.06 < 0.08 (90% CI 0.055–0.067)]. The results of multiple regression analysis suggested that the ESEM model was effective in distinguishing the differences between individuals with different levels of physical activity (PAL) and body mass index (BMI). Overall, the Chinese abbreviated version of the EOQ (EOQ-CA) was fond to be a reliable tool for monitoring the exercise attitudes and behaviors of Chinese University students.

Using the Very Short Form of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire for Spanish-Speaking Populations in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Psychometric Analysis of Dichotomized Variables

While the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Very Short Form of the Children’s Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ-VSF) have been assessed in the US and Europe in samples composed of middle- and high-income parents with high levels of education, no studies have tested the instrument in low-income Spanish-speaking populations living in low- and middle-income countries. To fill this gap, our cross-sectional study assessed the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the CBQ-VSF version in a sample of 315 low-income and low-educated parents with preschool children living in the Caribbean Region of Colombia. While our findings revealed problems that were similar to those identified in previous assessments of the CBQ-VSF Spanish version, they also showed unique problems related to the sociodemographic characteristics of our sample, containing many individuals with a low income and low educational level. Most of the participants gave extreme responses, resulting in a notable kurtosis and skewness of the data. This article describes how we addressed these problems by dichotomizing the variables into binary categories. Additionally, it demonstrates that merely translating the CBQ-VSF is insufficient to be able to capture many of the underlying latent constructs associated with low-income and low-educated Latino/Hispanic populations.

Translation and Validation of Fear of Pain-9 Items into Simplified Chinese Version for Mainland China

Purpose

This study aimed to obtain a translation and validation of the Fear of Pain Questionnaire 9 Items (FOP-9) into simplified Chinese.

Methods

The questionnaire was translated following the forward-backward method. The final version was filled out by (n = 300) patients. Cronbach’s coefficient was calculated to test the internal consistency of simplified Chinese version of FOP-9 (sc-FOP-9), and 50 painless patients completed the sc-FOP-9 questionnaire within a 2-weeks interval to evaluate test–retest reliability. To verify the construct validity, exploratory factor analysis was used to explore the factor structure, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the goodness fit of models.

Results

Satisfactory psychometric qualities were obtained (Cronbach’s α of the total score was 0.873 and intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.975). Three first-order models were tested and all show a good model fit and the 3-factor structure may be better due to its higher factor loading.

Conclusion

The sc-FOP-9 is a reliable and valid instrument to evaluate the fear of pain among Chinese patients with or without pain. Fear of pain may have an important effect on perioperative pain and chronic pain, and this tool is a good complement to the measurement in mainland China.

Psychometric Properties of the Independent 36-Item PID5BF+M for ICD-11 in the Czech-Speaking Community Sample

Background: Empirical soundness and international robustness of the PID5BF+M, a shortened version of the PID-5 developed for simultaneous evaluation of maladaptive personality traits in the DSM-5 AMPD and ICD-11 models for personality disorders, was recently confirmed in 16 samples from different countries. Because the modified PID5BF+ scale (36 items) was extracted from the complete 220-item PID-5, an independent evaluation of psychometric properties of a stand-alone PID5BF+M is still missing. Objectives: The present study evaluated the validity and reliability of the 36-item PID5BF+M in comparison with the extracted version from the original PID-5. It also assessed associations between the Borderline Pattern qualifier and trait domain qualifiers. Methods: Two non-clinical samples meeting the inclusion criteria were employed in the study. Sample 1 (n = 614) completed the 220-item PID-5; Sample 2 (n = 1,040) completed the independent 36-item PID5BF+M. Participants were from all 14 regions of the Czech Republic. The Borderline Pattern qualifier was evaluated using a shortened IPDEQ screener. Results: The proposed latent structure of the independent PID5BF+M was confirmed, with an exception of the Disinhibition domain. The results confirmed good internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the measure, as well as some support for the measurement invariance of the independent PID5BF+M in comparison with the extracted version from the original PID-5. Significant associations between the Negative affectivity, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism qualifiers and the IPDEQ items for the emotionally unstable personality disorder of both impulsive and borderline types confirmed good predictive validity of the PID5BF+M in pursuing borderline psychopathology within the ICD-11 model. Conclusions: The independent PID5BF+M was found to be a valid and reliable tool for evaluation of the ICD-11 trait model. However, the Disinhibition domain deserves further investigation in clinical samples as well as in international community samples.

The Sensory Gating Inventory-Brief

The Sensory Gating Inventory (SGI) is a 36-item measure used to assess an individual's subjective ability to modulate, filter, over-include, discriminate, attend to, and tolerate sensory stimuli. Due to its theoretical and empirical link with sensory processing deficits, this measure has been used extensively in studies of psychosis and other psychopathology. The current work fills a need within the field for a briefer measure of sensory gating aberrations that maintains the original measure's utility. For this purpose, large samples (total n = 1552) were recruited from 2 independent sites for item reduction/selection and brief measure validation, respectively. These samples reflected subgroups of individuals with a psychosis-spectrum disorder, at high risk for a psychosis-spectrum disorder, nonpsychiatric controls, and nonpsychosis psychiatric controls. Factor analyses and item-response models were used to create the SGI-Brief (SGI-B; 10 Likert-rated items), a unidimensional self-report measure that retains the original SGI's transdiagnostic (ie, present across disorders) utility and content breadth. Findings show that the SGI-B has excellent psychometric properties (alpha = 0.92) and demonstrates external validity through strong associations with measures of psychotic symptomatology, theoretically linked measures of personality (eg, perceptual dysregulation), and modest associations with laboratory-based sensory processing tasks in the auditory and visual domains on par with the original version. Accordingly, the SGI-B will be a valuable tool for dimensional and transdiagnostic examination of sensory gating abnormalities within clinical science research, while reducing administrator and participant burden.

Psychometric properties of an English short version of the Trier Inventory for chronic Stress

Background

Although a variety of instruments are available that capture stress experience, the assessment of chronic stress has been hindered by the lack of economical screening instruments. Recently, an English-language version of the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS-EN) consisting of 57 items according to a systemic-requirement-resource model of health in nine subdomains of the chronic stress experience has been introduced.

Methods

We constructed a new 9-item short version of the TICS covering all nine subdomains and evaluated it in two samples (total N = 685). We then used confirmatory factor analysis to check factorial validity.

Results

This version showed a highly satisfactory model fit, was invariant across participant gender, demonstrated a very high correlation with the original TICS (r = .94), and showed a moderate correlation (r = .58) with a measure of perceived stress in the past month.

Conclusions

Therefore, this theoretically driven instrument can be recommended as a short version of the TICS in English language.

Is neuroticism relevant for old cancer survivors? A controlled, population-based study (the Norwegian HUNT-3 survey)

Purpose

Personality traits, particularly neuroticism, have an impact on people’s health and lifestyle. Due to lack of previous studies, we examined old cancer survivors (OCSs) versus cancer-free age-matched controls aged ≥ 70 years, regarding prevalence of high neuroticism, health problems in those with high and low neuroticism, and sociodemographic and clinical variables that were significantly associated with high neuroticism.

Methods

We merged data from a Norwegian population–based health study (the HUNT-3) and from the Cancer Registry of Norway identifying OCSs. Three cancer-free controls were drawn at random for each OCS. Neuroticism was self-rated on a brief version of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Between-group statistical comparisons were made between OCS and controls, and among their subgroups with high and low neuroticism. Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate independent variables significantly associated with high neuroticism.

Results

Twenty-nine percent of OCSs reported high neuroticism while controls reported 30%. OCSs showed significantly lower rate of good life satisfaction than controls. All other between-group comparisons were nonsignificant. Being OCSs was not significantly related to high neuroticism in the regression analyses. Sociodemographic, general health, and lifestyle issues, lack of energy, and low life satisfaction remained significantly associated with high neuroticism in the multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

The prevalence of high neuroticism was similar in OCSs and controls. High neuroticism was associated with negative health and lifestyle issues in both groups.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-020-05870-7.

The CN-12: A Brief, Multidimensional Connection With Nature Instrument

In recent decades, there has been increasing interest in (re)connecting people with nature to foster sustainability outcomes. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a relationship between connection with nature and pro-environmental behaviors. Connection with nature has often been conceptualized as a unidimensional construct, and although recent evidence suggests that it is multidimensional, there is ongoing debate regarding the dimensions that make up connection with nature. Existing multidimensional connection with nature instruments capture similar dimensions, yet they are lengthy and may not have practical application in real-world contexts. This research sought to clarify the dimensions of connection with nature and to develop and validate an abbreviated yet multidimensional connection with nature instrument—the CN-12. Analyses of two large datasets revealed three dimensions of connection with nature—identity, experience, and philosophy. Results suggested that the CN-12 and its three dimensions are positively correlated with: (1) environmental and altruistic values; (2) time spent in nature; and (3) a range of pro-environmental behaviors. Results also suggested that the CN-12 and its three dimensions are stable over time and are positively correlated with two existing multidimensional connection with nature instruments, the Nature Relatedness (NR) Scale and Environmental Identity (EID) Scale. The utility of the CN-12 for exploring human connections with nature and the role of fostering connection with nature to increase engagement in pro-environmental behaviors are discussed.

Development and Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of a Brief Wisdom Development Scale

This study was to develop an 18-item Brief Wisdom Development Scale, based on the original 66-item Wisdom Development Scale, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the proposed scale using a sample of older adults. This longitudinal study recruited 153 community-dwelling adults (mean = 72.55 years old; SD = 8.47) from older adult service centres. Using a repeated measures design, the study obtained four waves of data from the participants over 12 months. The Brief Wisdom Development Scale (BWDS) was developed based on the Stepwise Confirmatory Factor Analytical approach (SCOFA), with further verification of its factorial validity using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results suggest that the BWDS comprising 18 items with a six-factor structure is comparable with its full version and possesses good psychometric properties in internal consistency, concurrent validity, and factorial validity. The BWDS provides an efficient, reliable, and valid construct to measure wisdom. The implications for research development are discussed here.

Evaluating the Factor Structure of Each Facet of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire

Objective

Nearly all studies treat the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire as five independent scales (one measuring each of the five facets), yet almost no methodological work has examined the psychometric structure of the facets independently. We address this gap using factor analytic methods.

Methods

Exploratory and confirmatory factor models were fit to item response data from a sample of 522 adults recruited online. Findings were replicated in a sample of 454 adults receiving aftercare for substance use disorder.

Results

Parallel analysis suggested multiple factors for all five facets, in both samples. Exploratory factor models suggested the presence of method factors on the acting with awareness (items using the term "distraction") and describing facets (items that were reverse-scored). Confirmatory factor models fit poorly for all facets, in both samples. In follow-up analyses, model fit improved substantially on the acting with awareness and describing facets when method factors were included in a bifactor model. Model fit was also better for the facets of FFMQ short forms than for the full-length facets. The short-form facets and original facets correlated similarly with external criteria in both samples.

Conclusions

None of the FFMQ facets fit a unidimensional factor model; yet, follow-up analyses suggested each can be considered substantively unidimensional. Initial tests suggest the facets' multidimensionality did not materially impact their relation to other psychological constructs, suggesting multidimensionality can be ignored for some purposes. The use of short-form facets or latent variable models (e.g., bifactor specifications) are both viable solutions for addressing multidimensionality when desired.

A revised short version of the compassionate love scale for humanity (CLS-H-SF): evidence from item response theory analyses and validity testing

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.

Development and evaluation of the psychometric properties of a brief parenting scale (PS-7) for the parents of adolescents

This study aimed to develop a seven-item brief parenting scale (PS-7) based on the original parenting scale (PS) and various other shortened versions and with a better factor structure for the parents of adolescents. The scale was tested with a sample of 3,777 parents (2,205 mothers and 1,572 fathers). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the dimensionality of the different versions of the PS. Only the PS-7 with a two-factor structure, i.e., laxness (three items) and overreactivity (four items), showed a good model fit based on a representative sample of parents of junior secondary school students. Overall, the results suggest that PS-7 is comparable to the original PS and possesses good psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency, factorial validity, construct validity, criterion validity and discriminant validity. The abbreviated parenting scale also provides a reliable and cost-effective method for assessing parental practices for treatment and assessing treatment outcomes.

Psychometric properties of the Adelaide Diagnostic Learning Inventory-Brief (ADLIB)

Objective

There has been increased attention in recent years to mental health, quality of life, stress and academic performance among university students, and the possible influence of learning styles. Brief reliable questionnaires are useful in large-scale multivariate research designs, such as the largely survey-based research on well-being and academic performance of university students. The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a briefer version of the 39-item Adelaide Diagnostic Learning Inventory.

Results

In two survey samples—medical and physiotherapy students—a 21-item version Adelaide Diagnostic Learning Inventory-Brief (ADLIB) was shown to have the same component structure as the parent instrument, and the component structure of the brief instrument was found to generalise across students of medicine and physiotherapy. Subscale reliability estimations were in the order of magnitude of the parent instrument. Subscale inter-correlations, inter-component congruence coefficients, and correlations between ADLIB subscale scores and several external measures provide support support for the construct and criterion validity of the instrument.

Item Response Theory Analysis of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and its Short Forms

Objectives

The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) is a self-report measure of mindfulness with forms of several different lengths, including the FFMQ-39, FFMQ-24, and FFMQ-15. We use item response theory analysis to directly compare the functioning of these three forms.

Methods

Data were drawn from a non-clinical Amazon Mechanical Turk study (N = 522) and studies of aftercare treatment of individuals with substance use disorders (combined N = 454). The item and test functioning of the three FFMQ forms were studied and compared.

Results

All 39 items were strongly related to the facet latent variables, and the items discriminated over a similar range of the latent mindfulness constructs. Items provided more information in the low to medium range of latent mindfulness than in the high range. Scores in three of the five FFMQ-39 facets were unreliable when measuring individuals in the high range of latent mindfulness, resulting from ceiling effects in item responses. Reliability in the high range of mindfulness was further reduced in the FFMQ-24 and FFMQ-15, such that short forms may be ill-suited for applications that require reliable measurement in the high range.

Conclusions

Results suggest the existing FFMQ item pool cannot be reduced without negatively affecting either overall reliability or the span of mindfulness over which reliability is assessed. Conditional test reliability curves and item functioning parameters can aid investigators in tailoring their choice of FFMQ form to the reliability they hope to achieve and to the range of latent mindfulness over which they must reliably measure.

Measuring Anxiety in Older Adults: Development, Diagnostic Accuracy, and Preliminary Validation of a Short-Form of the German Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-G-SF)

Anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among older adults, and are associated with considerable distress, functional impairment, and burden. Also, there is growing need for brief instruments to measure anxiety symptoms in primary care and geriatric medical settings. Therefore, the current study focuses on the development and psychometric evaluation of a short-form of the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS-G), a well-established anxiety instrument for use with older adults. Study 1 draws on the original data from the GAS-G validation study (N = 242) to develop the short-form (GAS-G-SF) and determines whether the results replicate with the short-form. Study 2 extends the validation of the GAS-G-SF to a clinical sample (N = 156; 62 patients with heart disease, 94 patients with Parkinson's disease). Overall, the GAS-G-SF showed promising psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency and validity. Also, the GAS-G-SF showed good discriminatory power based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in both studies. These results support the utility of the GAS-G-SF as a brief assessment measure for anxiety.

Beyond Separate Emergence: A Systems View of Team Learning Climate

In this paper, we consider how the four key team emergent states for team learning identified by Bell et al. (2012), namely psychological safety, goal orientation, cohesion, and efficacy, operate as a system that produces the team's learning climate (TLC). Using the language of systems dynamics, we conceptualize TLC as a stock that rises and falls as a joint function of the psychological safety, goal orientation, cohesion, and efficacy that exists in the team. The systems approach highlights aspects of TLC management that are traditionally overlooked, such as the simultaneous influence of and feedback between the four team emergent states and the inertia that TLC can have as a result. The management of TLC becomes an issue of controlling the system rather than each state as an independent force, especially because changing one part of the system will also affect other parts in sometimes unintended and undesirable ways. Thus the value is to offer a systems view on the leadership function of team monitoring with regards to team emergent states, which we term team state monitoring. This view offers promising avenues for future research as well as practical wisdom. It can help leaders remember that TLC represents an equilibrium that needs balance, in addition to pointing to the various ways in which they can influence such equilibrium.

Development of a Short Form of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Adolescents for Children and Adolescents

The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) assesses several dimensions of mindfulness. The objective of this study was to develop a short version of the FFMQ for children and adolescents. The main sample consisted of 829 participants (51% boys; 10-18 years old). From this initial sample, 789 participants (49% boys) completed the FFMQ at a 6-month follow-up. A second independent sample (N = 418, 50% boys; 12-16 years old) was used to confirm the factor structure. Confirmatory factor analyses with the full version supported a structure composed of 5 correlated factors (1 per facet) plus 2 correlated method factors representing the method effect (positive and negative) of the items. From this model, the FFMQ-A-SF was derived, consisting of 25 items (5 per facet). The measure displayed adequate internal consistency, and invariance was confirmed over time and across different age groups. The analysis of the relationship between mindfulness facets and temperament and psychological problems provided additional evidence for the construct validity of the questionnaire. It is concluded that the FFMQ-A-SF presents acceptable validity and reliability in children and adolescents. However, the positive versus negative wording of the items could affect the responses of younger participants.

Cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of the Caring Efficacy scale in a sample of Italian nurses

Caring is the essence of nursing practice. Caring Efficacy scale was developed with the purpose of measuring nurses' perceived self-efficacy in orienting and maintaining caring relationships with patients. Since any instruments measuring caring self-efficacy have not been developed in Italy, the study aimed at culturally adapting and validating Caring Efficacy scale in a sample of Italian nurses. A total of 300 registered nurses were asked to fill a self-reported questionnaire; translation-back-translation procedure was carried out to maintain semantic, idiomatic and conceptual equivalence of the original scale. Then, factor analysis was performed in order to test appropriateness of the factor structure. Convergent and discriminant validity was also tested. A two-factor structure with 17 items was found. Results show that Cronbach's Alpha value was 0.84 for Confidence to Care, and 0.75 for Doubts and Concerns. Correlation analysis for convergent and discriminant validity showed that Confidence to Care was positively correlated with sense of coherence and no significant correlation with Doubts and Concerns was found. Caring efficacy scale can be used by nurse managers as a way of assessing nurses' self-efficacy and their caring orientation, thus improving quality of patient care.

Assessing the Temperamental Basis of the Sense of Humor: Adaptation of the English Language Version of the State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory Long and Standard Form

The State-Trait Model of Cheerfulness assesses the temperamental basis of the sense of humor with the traits and respective states of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood. Cheerfulness is a dominant factor in current measures of the sense of humor and explains both, the disposition to engaging in smiling and laughter, as well as humor behaviors, and trait seriousness and bad mood are antagonistic to the elicitation of amusement (albeit for different reasons). Several studies have shown the validity and reliability of the STCI questionnaire in German and other language versions (i.e., Spanish). In this study, the English language version with 106 items (STCI-T <106>) was translated, checked for its item and scale characteristics, and tested with a confirmatory factor analysis approach (N = 1101) to investigate the factorial validity of the STCI-T <106> scale. Results show good psychometric characteristics, good internal consistencies, and a fit to the postulated underlying structure of the STCI-T. Then, the standard form with 60 items (STCI-T <60>) was developed and the psychometric characteristics initially tested. In an independent sample (N = 169), the characteristics of the standard form were compared to the parent form and German equivalent. It showed good psychometric characteristics, internal consistencies, as well as a good self- and peer-report congruence. To conclude, the STCI-T <106> is the measure of choice for the assessment of the temperamental basis of the sense of humor and the separate facets of the traits, while the standard form (60 items) allows of an economic assessment of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood, free of context-saturated items and humor preferences.

Application of the short form of quality of life instrument version 2 in a large population of Tehran

Background: Quality of life (QoL) is now considered as a key indicator in health studies. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate QoL in the general population of Tehran (capital of Iran) using SF-12v2 questionnaire and determine some factors associated with it.

Methods: This was part of a large population-based cross sectional study conducted in Tehran, Iran, in 2011. Participants were selected from all districts of Tehran using multistage cluster random sampling method. Data were collected using the Iranian version of the SF12v2 questionnaire. Linear regression model was used to assess the independent effect of surveyed variables of the study population on their QoL. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Overall, 30 809 individuals over the age of 20 from 22 urban districts were included in this study and evaluated by SF-12v2 questionnaire. The mean age of the study population was 44.5±15.9, and most of them were female (19 967 (64.8%)). The total mean score of SF-12v2 was 60.4 and the lowest and highest mean scores were observed in GH (46.9±26.5) and MH subscales (64.1±24.7), respectively. It was also observed that District 3 of Tehran had the highest mean score (65.2±18.7) in the total QoL and District 12 had the lowest mean score (56.6±18.7), respectively. The results of multiple linear regression model showed that sex, age, education, household size, presence of chronic disease in family, having insurance, smoking, and marital status were significantly related to most subscales and two summary components of QoL.

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the surveyed population of Tehran had a relatively moderate QoL, but it changed from district to district. It was also observed that age and education of the study population were important variables in relation to QoL.

Methodological factors as a potential source of discordance between self-report and behavioral measures of impulsivity and related constructs

There is a consistent but poorly understood finding that self-report and behavioral measures of impulsivity are weakly correlated or uncorrelated. There are many possible explanations for this observation, including differences in how these instruments are administered and scored. The present study examined the utility of alternative scoring algorithms for self-report measures that aim to identify participants' peak impulsivity (or self-control), informed by estimates of item difficulty from Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses. College students were administered self-report questionnaires (Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale [ZSS], Barratt Impulsiveness Scale [BIS-11], behavioral measures related to risk-taking and impulsivity (Balloon Analog Risk Task [BART], Experiential Discounting Task [EDT]), and the substance use module of a clinical interview (past-six-month alcohol and marijuana use). IRT analyses were conducted on self-report measures to estimate item difficulty. Scoring algorithms ranked items by difficulty and scored items based on consecutive items endorsed or denied. A maximal scoring algorithm increased the concordance between the BIS-11 and BART (r = 0.08 vs. -0.07), but there was no evidence of increased incremental validity for substance-use. Findings suggest that methodological factors may help explain the poor concordance of self-report and behavioral measures of impulsivity, but the magnitude of these correlations remained quite small. Further, alternative scoring algorithms were correlated with substance use but did not explain any variance that was distinct from typical algorithms. Future directions are discussed for elucidating the discrepancy between self-report and behavioral measures of impulsivity-related constructs, such as using large self-report item pools to develop computer adaptive tests.

Measurement versus prediction in the construction of patient-reported outcome questionnaires: can we have our cake and eat it?

BACKGROUND

Two important goals when using questionnaires are (a) measurement: the questionnaire is constructed to assign numerical values that accurately represent the test taker's attribute, and (b) prediction: the questionnaire is constructed to give an accurate forecast of an external criterion. Construction methods aimed at measurement prescribe that items should be reliable. In practice, this leads to questionnaires with high inter-item correlations. By contrast, construction methods aimed at prediction typically prescribe that items have a high correlation with the criterion and low inter-item correlations. The latter approach has often been said to produce a paradox concerning the relation between reliability and validity [1-3], because it is often assumed that good measurement is a prerequisite of good prediction.

OBJECTIVE

To answer four questions: (1) Why are measurement-based methods suboptimal for questionnaires that are used for prediction? (2) How should one construct a questionnaire that is used for prediction? (3) Do questionnaire-construction methods that optimize measurement and prediction lead to the selection of different items in the questionnaire? (4) Is it possible to construct a questionnaire that can be used for both measurement and prediction?

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE

An empirical data set consisting of scores of 242 respondents on questionnaire items measuring mental health is used to select items by means of two methods: a method that optimizes the predictive value of the scale (i.e., forecast a clinical diagnosis), and a method that optimizes the reliability of the scale. We show that for the two scales different sets of items are selected and that a scale constructed to meet the one goal does not show optimal performance with reference to the other goal.

DISCUSSION

The answers are as follows: (1) Because measurement-based methods tend to maximize inter-item correlations by which predictive validity reduces. (2) Through selecting items that correlate highly with the criterion and lowly with the remaining items. (3) Yes, these methods may lead to different item selections. (4) For a single questionnaire: Yes, but it is problematic because reliability cannot be estimated accurately. For a test battery: Yes, but it is very costly. Implications for the construction of patient-reported outcome questionnaires are discussed.

Development and initial psychometric validation of the Brief-Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire (B-CaffEQ)

Caffeine is the most widely available and consumed psychoactive substance in the United States. Extant work indicates that across substances, use expectancies play a marked role in the development and maintenance of consumption patterns. Despite a burgeoning line of etiological and intervention-oriented research focused on expectancies (e.g., alcohol), there is a limited literature regarding caffeine use effect expectancies, specifically. To facilitate this work, the Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire (CaffEQ) was developed and psychometrically validated; however, the length of the CaffEQ (i.e., 47 items) may hinder widespread adoption of this tool. As such, the current study provides an initial psychometric validation of a brief, 20-item version-the Brief-Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire (B-CaffEQ)-in a multiethnic sample of undergraduate students (N = 975). Results showed that the B-CaffEQ replicated the 7-factor structure of the original CaffEQ using both constrained (confirmatory factor analysis) and less constrained (exploratory structural equation modeling) structural models and evidenced good internal consistency across subscales. The B-CaffEQ also demonstrated concurrent validity with caffeine use frequency indices, replicated and extended convergent validity between caffeine expectancy subscales and related behavioral and psychological constructs, and demonstrated discriminant validity with other related, but notably distinct, stimulant use metrics (e.g., cocaine, Ritalin). Lastly, the B-CaffEQ appears to provide an invariant measure of expectancies across types of caffeine users. These findings indicate that the B-CaffEQ is a reliable assessment of caffeine use effect expectancies, with acceptable-to-good psychometric properties-comparable in length to other substance use expectancies measures-that may be more readily incorporated into research and clinical settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Chop and Change: A Commentary and Demonstration of Classical vs. Modern Measurement Models for Interpreting Latent-Stability of Occupational-Future Time Perspective

This commentary article was initially motivated by an empirical paper published in the journal of Work, Aging, and Retirement that reported support for stability (non-decreasing) future time perspectives (FTP) over two repeated-measurements. That is, empirical evidence supporting the temporal stability of an adapted measure (occupational-FTP [O-FTP]) serves as guiding framework for demonstrating limitations of classical test theory (CTT) and modern psychometrics' (IRT) enabling extension for stronger substantive inferences from response data. The focal authors' quantitative attention to study design and statistical analysis is commendable. In this commentary, I aim to complement their efforts from a measurement perspective. This is accomplished through four sections. In the first section, I summarize some well-known limitations to CTT measurement models for assessing change. Then, I briefly introduce item response theory (IRT) as an alternative test theory. In the second section, Chop, I review the empirical evidence for FTP and O-FTP's latent-factor structure. Then, I bring evidence from modern psychometric methods to bear on O-FTP, specifically, a model-comparisons approach was adopted for comparing relative fit of 1-factor, 2-factor, and bifactor solutions in cross-sectional data (N = 511). Findings supported retention of the bifactor solution. In the third section, Change, I extend the bifactor model to two-wave FTP data over approximately 2 years (N = 620) as an instructive application for assessing temporal stability. The fourth section concludes with a brief discussion of substantive implications and meaningful interpretation of (O)-FTP scores over time.

Development of Short-Form Versions of the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised (SOAPP-R): A Proof-of-Principle Study

Background

The Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised (SOAPP-R) is a 24-item questionnaire designed to assess risk of aberrant medication-related behaviors in chronic pain patients. The introduction of short forms of the SOAPP-R may save time and increase utilization by practitioners.

Objective

To develop and evaluate candidate SOAPP-R short forms.

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

Pain centers.

Subjects

Four hundred and twenty-eight patients with chronic noncancer pain.

Methods

Subjects had previously been administered the full-length version of the SOAPP-R and been categorized as positive or negative for aberrant medication-related behaviors via the Aberrant Drug Behavior Index (ADBI). Short forms of the SOAPP-R were developed using lasso logistic regression. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) of all forms were calculated with respect to the ADBI using the complete data set, training-test analysis, and 10-fold cross-validation. The coefficient alpha of each form was also calculated. An external set of 12 pain practitioners reviewed the forms for content.

Results

In the complete data set analysis, a form of 12 items exhibited sensitivity, specificity, and AUC greater than or equal to those of the full-length SOAPP-R (which were 0.74, 0.67, and 0.76, respectively). The short form had a coefficient alpha of 0.76. In the training-test analysis and 10-fold cross-validation, it exhibited an AUC value within 0.01 of that of the full-length SOAPP-R. The majority of external practitioners reported a preference for this short form.

Conclusions

The 12-item version of the SOAPP-R has potential as a short risk screener and should be tested prospectively.

Identification of Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Second Year of Life at Day-Care Centres by Day-Care Staff: Step One in the Development of a Short Observation List

Early symptoms of ASD develop through the second year of life, making a stable ASD diagnosis possible at 24 months of age. However, in general, children with ASD have their diagnosis at an older age. This retrospective study, including 30 children with ASD and 30 control children aged 3-6 years, explored the possibility of developing a short observation list to be used in day care settings for children 12-24 months of age. From 73 symptoms selected from published screeners and observation tools, we were able to construct a list of six symptoms that retrospectively differentiated children with ASD from typically developing children at 12-24 months of age when recalled by day-care personnel.

Validation of a Swedish version of the short UPPS-P impulsive behavior scale among young adults

The UPPS-P model of impulsivity proposes that impulsivity comprises five distinct facets-negative urgency, positive urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale has been used to measure these facets. The purpose of the current study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Swedish version of the 20-item UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (SUPPS-P). The sample comprised 343 Swedish young adults (Mage = 24.21, SD = 2.01; 27% men, 2% other or undisclosed gender identity) who answered a questionnaire including the SUPPS-P; Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and questions regarding their alcohol consumption and substance use. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a 5-factor, inter-correlated model, where each subscale of the SUPPS-P constitutes one latent variable. The convergent validity was established by replicating previously found correlations between the different impulsivity facets and depression, anxiety, frequency of alcohol consumption, and substance use. The internal consistency was acceptable for all the SUPPS-P subscales (Cronbach's α = 0.65-0.78, McDonald's ω = 0.65-0.79), except lack of perseverance (Cronbach's α = 0.60, McDonald's ω = 0.61). Thus, while the Swedish version of the SUPPS-P is suitable for assessing impulsivity in Swedish young adult samples, further research is needed to improve the psychometric properties of the lack of perseverance subscale.

Initial validation of brief measures of suicide risk factors: Common data elements used by the Military Suicide Research Consortium

The Military Suicide Research Consortium (MSRC) developed a 57-item questionnaire assessing suicide risk factors, referred to as the Common Data Elements (CDEs), in order to facilitate data sharing and improve collaboration across independent studies. All studies funded by MSRC are required to include the CDEs in their assessment protocol. The CDEs include shortened measures of the following: current and past suicide risk, lethality and intent of past suicide attempts, hopelessness, thwarted belongingness, anxiety sensitivity, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, traumatic brain injury, insomnia, and alcohol abuse. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CDE items drawn from empirically validated measures. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the overall structure of the CDE items, and confirmatory factor analyses were used to evaluate the distinct properties of each scale. Internal consistencies of the CDE scales and correlations with full measures were also examined. Merged data from 3,140 participants (81.0% military service members, 75.6% male) across 19 MSRC-funded studies were used in analyses. Results indicated that all measures exhibited adequate internal consistency, and all CDE shortened measures were significantly correlated with the corresponding full measures with moderate to strong effect sizes. Factor analyses indicated that the shortened CDE measures performed well in comparison with the full measures. Overall, our findings suggest that the CDEs are not only brief but also provide psychometrically valid scores when assessing suicide risk and related factors that may be used in future research. (PsycINFO Database Record

Coping with weight stigma: development and validation of a Brief Coping Responses Inventory

People who are overweight or obese are frequently stigmatized because of their weight, but there has been limited exploration of how people cope with these experiences. The Coping Responses Inventory (CRI) assesses a wide range of coping strategies in response to weight stigma; however, its length (99 items) may have prevented it from being widely used. The aim of the current research (four studies; total N = 1,391) was to develop and validate a Brief CRI. This 10‐item measure consists of two subscales that assess core coping responses to weight stigma: reappraisal and disengagement coping. Reappraisal coping is an adaptive form of coping that is associated with greater well‐being, whereas disengagement coping reflects a maladaptive form of coping that is associated with poorer well‐being. The Brief CRI provides a quick and effective way to assess coping with weight stigma, and its use has the potential to advance an understanding of the consequences of weight stigma.

Assessing Dispositions Toward Ridicule and Laughter in the Workplace: Adapting and Validating the PhoPhiKat-9 Questionnaire

The current paper addresses the measurement of three dispositions toward ridicule and laughter; i.e., gelotophobia (the fear of being laughed at), gelotophilia (the joy of being laughed at), and katagelasticism (the joy of laughing at others). These traits explain inter-individual differences in responses to humor, laughter, and social situations related to humorous encounters. First, an ultra-short form of the PhoPhiKat-45 (Ruch and Proyer, 2009) was adapted in two independent samples (Construction Sample N = 157; Replication Sample N = 1,774). Second, we tested the validity of the PhoPhiKat-9 in two further independent samples. Results showed that the psychometric properties of the ultra-short form were acceptable and the proposed factor structure could be replicated. In Validation Sample 1 (N = 246), we investigated the relation of the three traits to responses in a ridicule and teasing scenario questionnaire. The results replicated findings from earlier studies by showing that gelotophobes assigned the same emotions to friendly teasing and malicious ridicule (predominantly low joy, high fear, and shame). Gelotophilia was mainly predicted by relating joy to both, teasing and ridicule scenarios, while katagelasticism was predicted by assigning joy and contempt to ridicule scenarios. In Validation Sample 2 (N = 1,248), we investigated whether the fear of being laughed at is a vulnerability at the workplace: If friendly teasing and laughter of co-workers, superiors, or customers are misperceived as being malicious, individuals may feel less satisfied and more stressed. The results from a representative sample of Swiss employees showed that individuals with a fear of being laughed at are generally less satisfied with life and work and experience more work stress. Moreover, gelotophilia went along with positive evaluations of one's life and work, while katagelasticism was negatively related to work satisfaction and positively related to work stress. In order to establish good work practices and build procedures against workplace bullying, one needs to consider that individual differences impact on a person's perception of being bullied and assessing the three dispositions may give important insights into team processes.

Development and psychometric validation of the 'Parent Perspective University of Rhode Island Change Assessment-Short' (PURICA-S) Questionnaire for the application in parents of children with overweight and obesity

INTRODUCTION

High prevalence rates of childhood obesity urgently call for improved effectiveness of intervention programmes for affected children and their families. One promising attempt can be seen in tailoring interventions according to the motivational stages of parents as 'agents of change' for their children. Evidence from other behavioural contexts (eg, addiction) clearly shows the superiority of motivational-stage dependent tailored (behavioural) interventions. For the time-efficient assessment of motivational stages of change, this study aims to develop and psychometrically validate a 'Parent Perspective Version' of the existing University of Rhode Island Change Assessment-Short, an instrument assessing the motivational stages based on the theoretical fundamentals of the Transtheoretical Model of Psychotherapy.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

In a multistep Delphi procedure, involving experts from the study context, the original items of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment-Short Questionnaire will be transformed from the 'self-perspective' ('I am having a problem') to the parent perspective ('my child is having a problem'). Following item adaptation, the new version of the questionnaire will be psychometrically validated in a cohort of N=300 parents with overweight or obese children. Parents will be recruited within a multicentre and multisite approach involving private paediatric practices, specialised outpatient clinics as well as inpatient and rehabilitation sites. Analyses will include confirmatory factor analyses, internal consistencies (reliability) as well as convergent and criterion validity. Convergent validity will be analysed using subscales of the HAKEMP-90 Questionnaire, an instrument which has been shown to differentiate between 'state' and 'action' orientation of individuals.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study has been granted ethics committee approval by the University of Tuebingen (number 644/2014BO2). The results of this study will be released to the participating study centres and will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

VfD_PURICA-S_15_003607.

The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths as an Outcome Measure in Community Mental Health: Factor Analysis and a Validation of the Short Form

The goal of the study was to create a short-form measure based on the child and adolescent needs and strengths assessment tool. The measure was designed to be short and easy to use, relevant to youth treated in community-based mental health settings, useful for both treatment planning and program evaluation, and psychometrically valid. Factor analyses of the chosen items revealed two mental health factors and four functioning factors. The mental health factors included internalization and externalization, and the functioning factors included family, social, caregiver, and educational functioning. In support of validity, internalization and externalization subscales distinguished between clients diagnosed with internalizing and externalizing disorders and correlated with caregiver and self-report scores on the Youth Outcome Questionnaire.

The Whiteley Index-6: An Examination of Measurement Invariance Among Self-Identifying Black, Latino, and White Respondents in Primary Care

Brief measures that are comparable across disparate groups are particularly likely to be useful in primary care settings. Prior research has supported a six-item short form of the Whiteley Index (WI), a commonly used measure of health anxiety, among English-speaking respondents. This study examined the measurement invariance of the WI-6 among Black ( n = 183), Latino ( n = 173), and White ( n = 177) respondents seeking treatment at a U.S. community health center. Results supported a bifactor model of the WI-6 among the composite sample ( N = 533), suggesting the presence of a general factor and two domain-specific factors. Results supported the incremental validity of one of the domain-specific factors in accounting for unique variance in somatic symptom severity scores beyond the general factor. Multiple-groups confirmatory factor analysis supported the configural, metric, ands scalar invariance of the bifactor WI-6 model across the three groups of respondents. Results provide support for the measurement invariance of the WI-6 among Black, Latino, and White respondents. The potential use of the WI-6 in primary care, and broader, settings is discussed.

Development and Examination of the Five-Factor Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory–Short Form

The Five-Factor Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (FFOCI) is an assessment of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) that is based on the conceptual framework of the five-factor model (FFM) of personality. The FFOCI has 12 subscales that assess those five-factor model facets relevant to the description of OCPD. Research has suggested that the FFOCI scores relate robustly to existing measures of OCPD and relevant scales from general personality inventories. Nonetheless, the FFOCI’s length—120 items—may limit its clinical utility. This study derived a 48-item FFOCI–Short Form (FFOCI-SF) from the original measure using item response theory methods. The FFOCI-SF scales successfully recreated the nomological network of the original measure and improved discriminant validity relative to the long form. These results support the use of the FFOCI-SF as a briefer measure of the lower-order traits associated with OCPD.

Using Genetic Algorithms in a Large Nationally Representative American Sample to Abbreviate the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire

Genetic algorithms (GAs) are robust machine learning approaches for abbreviating a large set of variables into a shorter subset that maximally captures the variance in the original data. We employed a GA-based method to shorten the 62-item Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (MEAQ) by half without much loss of information. Experiential avoidance or the tendency to avoid negative internal experiences is a key target of many psychological interventions and its measurement is an important issue in psychology. The 62-item MEAQ has been shown to have good psychometric properties, but its length may limit its use in most practical settings. The recently validated 15-item brief version (BEAQ) is one short alternative, but it reduces the multidimensional scale to a single dimension. We sought to shorten the 62-item MEAQ by half while maintaining fidelity to its six dimensions. In a large nationally representative sample of Americans (N = 7884; 52% female; Age: M = 47.9, SD = 16), we employed a GA method of scale abbreviation implemented in the R package, GAabbreviate. The GA-derived short form, MEAQ-30 with five items per subscale, performed virtually identically to the original 62-item MEAQ in terms of inter-subscales correlations, factor structure, factor correlations, and zero-order correlations and unique latent associations of the six subscales with other measures of mental distress, wellbeing and personal strivings. The two measures also showed similar distributions of means across American census regions. The MEAQ-30 provides a multidimensional assessment of experiential avoidance whilst minimizing participant burden. The study adds to the emerging literature on the utility of machine learning methods in psychometrics.

Development and validation of a brief version of the Stigmatizing Situations Inventory

OBJECTIVE

The Stigmatizing Situations Inventory (SSI) is one of the most commonly used measures of weight stigma experiences but may be impractical for some researchers because of its length (50 items). The present report describes the development and validation of a brief version of the SSI that could be used as a more efficient tool for assessing experiences with weight stigma.

METHODS

In stage 1, data from three existing studies (total n = 257) were used to create two 10-item versions of the SSI. One version was primarily based on items that showed the highest item-total correlations, and the second version maintained the content coverage of the original measure by including one item (the one with the highest item-total correlation) from each of 10 subscales of the SSI. Stage 1 also provided a test of the convergent validity of these brief measures. In stage 2, four new samples (total n = 832) provided an independent test of the reliability and validity of the brief measures.

RESULTS

The brief SSIs showed good reliability across all samples. Furthermore, the magnitude of the correlations between the brief versions of the SSI and other associated constructs was comparable with the magnitude of the correlations between those constructs and the full SSI.

CONCLUSIONS

The brief versions of the SSI are reliable and valid measures of stigmatizing experiences that provide a more efficient means of capturing stigma experiences without sacrificing the reliability and validity of the original measure.

Psychometric Properties of a Short Korean Version of the Revised Obsessive Intrusion Inventory

OBJECTIVE

The Revised Obsessive Intrusion Inventory (ROII) is a 52-item scale that evaluates obsessional intrusive thoughts. The aim of the present study was to validate a short, 20-item Korean version of the ROII (ROII-20).

METHODS

Of the 1125 participants who completed the ROII-20, 895 participants completed the scale to examine the factor structure of the scale. A subgroup of these participants (n=53) completed the scale twice to determine test-retest reliability. To establish external validity, 230 participants completed the scale and other questionnaires.

RESULTS

Exploratory factor analyses suggested a hierarchical model comprising two higher order factors of autogenous obsessions (resulting from aggressive thoughts and sexual thoughts) and reactive obsessions (resulting from thoughts about contamination, thoughts about accidents, and thoughts about dirt). Confirmatory factor analyses supported this model. The results indicated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. External validity was supported by relationships with obsessive-compulsive symptoms and general distress.

CONCLUSION

The ROII-20 presents good psychometric properties and may be considered as a promising instrument for measuring obsessional intrusions.

Evaluating quality of life outcomes following joint replacement: psychometric evaluation of a short form of the WHOQOL-Bref

PURPOSE

Reducing participant burden is important in health research and clinical assessment. We examined the psychometric properties of the EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index, a short version of the 26-item World Health Organisation Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-Bref), in a sample of people receiving joint replacement surgery.

METHODS

Participants (n = 1008) completed the WHOQOL-Bref at either 6, 12, 24 or 60 months after hip or knee replacement. The factor structure, differential item functioning (DIF) and unidimensionality of the EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index were examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and Rasch analyses. Convergent validity was examined using correlations with the parent measure and other patient-reported outcome measures (Oxford scores, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index). Discriminant validity was assessed between groups reporting high versus low pain and function, and by joint replaced.

RESULTS

The measure demonstrated high internal consistency (α = 0.86), adequate convergent (r = 0.47-0.82, p < 0.001) and discriminant validity (p < 0.001). Factor and Rasch analyses supported a unidimensional structure. However, there were also indications of multidimensionality, with support for a two-factor model focusing on general health and function, and psychosocial aspects of QOL. There was minimal evidence of DIF, with just one item evaluating energy level showing DIF for age.

CONCLUSIONS

The EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index demonstrated adequate properties as a unidimensional scale and as a two-factor scale evaluating general health and function, and psychosocial aspects of quality of life. It is low on clinical and participant burden, showed minimal ceiling effects and showed good concurrent and discriminant validity.

Briefly Assessing Repetitive Thought Dimensions: Valence, Purpose, and Total

Discrete forms of repetitive thought (RT), such as worry and reflection, can be characterized along basic dimensions of valence (positive vs. negative) and purpose (searching vs. solving). In addition, people can be characterized as high or low in their tendency to engage in RT. This dimensional model has been demanding to assess, and a smaller number of items that could stand in for a large battery would make measurement more accessible. Using four samples (N = 1,588), eight items that assess RT valence, purpose, and total in a circumplex model were identified. Across these and other samples, the dimensions were adequately reliable and valid with regard to assessment via large RT battery, other measures of RT, and depressive symptoms. The accessibility of dimensional assessment of RT using this smaller number of items should facilitate work on questions about the qualities of RT that predict mental and physical health.

Development of a mobbing short scale in the Gutenberg Health Study

PURPOSE

Despite its highly detrimental potential, most standard questionnaires assessing psychosocial stress at work do not include mobbing as a risk factor. In the German standard version of COPSOQ, mobbing is assessed with a single item. In the Gutenberg Health Study, this version was used together with a newly developed short scale based on the Leymann Inventory of Psychological Terror. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of these two measures, to compare them and to test their differential impact on relevant outcome parameters.

METHODS

This analysis is based on a population-based sample of 1441 employees participating in the Gutenberg Health Study. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and reliability analyses were used to assess the mobbing scale. To determine their predictive validities, multiple linear regression analyses with six outcome parameters and log-binomial regression models for two of the outcome aspects were run.

RESULTS

Factor analyses of the five-item scale confirmed a one-factor solution, reliability was α = 0.65. Both the single-item and the five-item scales were associated with all six outcome scales. Effect sizes were similar for both mobbing measures.

CONCLUSION

Mobbing is an important risk factor for health-related outcomes. For the purpose of psychosocial risk assessment in the workplace, both the single-item and the five-item constructs were psychometrically appropriate. Associations with outcomes were about equivalent. However, the single item has the advantage of parsimony, whereas the five-item construct depicts several distinct forms of mobbing.

Development and validation of a short Italian UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale

Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct that plays a prominent role in the development, maintenance, and relapse of addictive disorders. The UPPS-P model of impulsivity, which distinguishes between five impulsivity components (positive urgency, negative urgency, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation, sensation seeking), has been increasingly investigated during the last decade in relation to addictive and risky behaviors. Unfortunately, it currently lacks a validated scale that allows Italian researchers and clinicians to measure impulsivity based on the UPPS-P model. The current study fills this gap by testing the psychometric properties of a short 20-item Italian scale used to assess the five dimensions of the UPPS-P model in 188 volunteer participants from the community. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a model of five distinct, but interrelated, impulsivity components. The results indicated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α ranges from .73 to .84). Construct validity was evidenced by specific relations with measures of addictive behaviors and depressive symptoms. On the whole, this study demonstrated that the Italian short UPPS-P has good psychometric properties.

•

The Italian S-UPPS-P has a similar factor structure compared to other UPPS-P and S-UPPS-P scales.

•

The Italian S-UPPS-P subscales have adequate internal consistency coefficients.

•

External validity of the Italian S-UPPS-P is supported by relationships with addictive behaviors.