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Internal Reliability (internal + reliability)
Kinds of Internal Reliability Selected AbstractsThe face validity of a final professional clinical examinationMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 5 2001Michael Tweed Objective To develop new methods of evaluating face validity in the context of a revised final professional examination for medical undergraduates, organized on three sites, over 2 days. Methods The opinion of the students and examiners was surveyed by Likert-style questionnaires, with additional open comments. Expert opinion was gathered from external examiner reports and a recent Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Subject Review Report. Results The questionnaires had an overall response rate of 84%. Internal reliability, assessed by comparing responses to appropriate questions, was good with an equivalence of 45% (weighted kappa 0·54) for the students and 33% (weighted kappa 0·41) for the assessors. There was little evidence of inconsistency between days or sites. The majority of the opinions from the students, examiners and external experts were positive. Negative comments related to time pressure and case mix. Conclusion The measurement of face validity proved feasible and valuable and will assist in the further development of the course and the examination. [source] Assessment of the abbreviated Duke Social Support Index in a cohort of older Australian womenAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 2 2004Jennifer R Powers Objectives: To assess the acceptability, reliability and validity of the 11-item Duke Social Support Index (DSSI) in community-dwelling older Australian women, and to describe its relationship with the women's sociodemographic and health characteristics. Methods: Women aged 70,75 years were randomly selected from the national Medicare database, with over-sampling of rural and remote areas. The mailed survey included items about social support, Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), health service use, recent life events and sociodemographics. Results: All DSSI items were completed by 94% of the 12 939 participants. Internal reliability was reasonable for 10 of the 11 DSSI items and its factors, social interaction (four items) and satisfaction with social support (six items; Cronbach's alpha of 0.8, 0.6, 0.8). The factor structure was consistent for subgroups of women: urban/non-urban; English speaking/non-English speaking background; married/widowed. Summed scores were highly correlated with factor scores and showed good construct validity. Higher social support was associated with better physical and mental health, being Australian born, more educated and better able to manage on income. Conclusion: Ten of the 11 DSSI items provided an acceptable, brief and valid measure of social support for use in mailed surveys to community-dwelling older women. [source] A brief haemophilia pain coping questionnaireHAEMOPHILIA, Issue 5 2008J. ELANDER Summary., Pain coping strategies are important influences on outcomes among people with painful chronic conditions. The pain coping strategies questionnaire (CSQ) was previously adapted for sickle cell disease and haemophilia, but those versions have 80 items, and a briefer version with similar psychometric properties would facilitate research on pain coping. The full-length haemophilia-adapted CSQ, plus measures of pain frequency and intensity, pain acceptance, pain readiness to change, and health-related quality of life were completed by 190 men with haemophilia. Items were selected for a 27-item short form, which was completed 6 months later by 129 (68%) participants. Factor structure, reliability and concurrent validity were the same in the long and short forms. For the short form, internal reliabilities of the three composite scales were 0.86 for negative thoughts, 0.80 for active coping and 0.76 for passive adherence. Test,retest reliabilities were 0.73 for negative thoughts, 0.70 for active coping and 0.64 for passive adherence. Negative thoughts were associated with less readiness to change, less acceptance of pain and more impaired health-related quality of life, whereas active coping was associated with greater readiness to change and more acceptance of pain. The short form is a convenient brief measure of pain coping with good psychometric properties, and could be used to extend research on pain coping in haemophilia. [source] Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MINI-MAC) scalePSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Samuel M.Y. Ho The psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale (Mini-MAC) were examined among 115 Chinese cancer patients in Hong Kong. The five subscales from the original Mini-MAC (Anxious Preoccupation, Helpless,Hopeless, Fighting Spirit, Fatalism, Cognitive Avoidance) had acceptable internal reliabilities (Cronbach's , ranged from 0.65 to 0.88) and construct validities in our sample. Factor analysis suggested three factors: (1) Negative Emotion (,=0.91) contained items of the Anxious Preoccupation and the Helpless,Hopeless subscales of the original Mini-MAC, (2) Positive Attitude (,=0.77) combined the Fighting Spirit and the Fatalism subscales of the original version, and (3) Cognitive Avoidance (,=0.65) which was identical to the Cognitive Avoidance subscale of the original Mini-MAC. Construct validities of the novel factors were shown by their correlations with HADS Anxiety and Depression scores in the predicted directions. It was concluded that both the 5-factor model from the original Mini-MAC and the 3-factor model from the present study were valid in Hong Kong Chinese cancer patients. The results were discussed in terms of the meaning of the original Mini-MAC factors and cultural differences in coping functions between Chinese and UK cancer patients. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Casenote assessment of psychopathy in a high security hospitalCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2001Dr David Reiss Introduction There is now a large amount of data demonstrating the internal reliability and construct validity of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL/PCL-R) when used in the assessment of psychopathy in male forensic populations. It has well-established psychometric properties when scored following a review of collateral information and a subsequent interview. However, its internal reliability and factor structure, when casenote information alone has been used, have not been examined outside North America. Method A sample of 89 patients from a British high security hospital, with the legal classification of psychopathic disorder, was scored retrospectively on the PCL-R from their medical files only. The psychometric properties of the PCL-R were analysed. Results The PCL-R ratings showed a high level of internal reliability. The factor structure was very similar to that found in Hare's North American sample of forensic psychiatric patients. Discussion The findings support the application of the PCL-R, when scored using existing file data alone, to a British high security hospital population. Copyright © 2001 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] Severity of anxiety and work-related outcomes of patients with anxiety disordersDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 12 2009Steven R. Erickson PharmD. Abstract Background: This study examined associations between anxiety and work-related outcomes in an anxiety disorders clinic population, examining both pretreatment links and the impact of anxiety change over 12 weeks of treatment on work outcomes. Four validated instruments were used to also allow examination of their psychometric properties, with the goal of improving measurement of work-related quality of life in this population. Methods: Newly enrolled adult patients seeking treatment in a university-based anxiety clinic were administered four work performance measures: Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ), Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI), Endicott Work Productivity Scale (EWPS), and Functional Status Questionnaire Work Performance Scale (WPS). Anxiety severity was determined using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The Clinical Global Impressions, Global Improvement Scale (CGI-I) was completed by patients to evaluate symptom change at a 12-week follow-up. Two severity groups (minimal/mild vs. moderate/severe, based on baseline BAI score) were compared to each other on work measures. Results: Eighty-one patients provided complete baseline data. Anxiety severity groups did not differ in job type, time on job, job satisfaction, or job choice. Patients with greater anxiety generally showed lower work performance on all instruments. Job advancement was impaired for the moderate/severe group. The multi-item performance scales demonstrated better validity and internal consistency. The WLQ and the WPAI detected change with symptom improvement. Conclusion: Level of work performance was generally associated with severity of anxiety. Of the instruments tested, the WLQ and the WPAI questionnaire demonstrated acceptable validity and internal reliability. Depression and Anxiety, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Family members of relatives with alcohol, drug and gambling problems: a set of standardized questionnaires for assessing stress, coping and strainADDICTION, Issue 11 2005Jim Orford ABSTRACT Aims To describe a set of standard questionnaire measures for the assessment of the needs of family members of relatives with alcohol, drug or gambling problems, and to present evidence of their reliability and validity from a series of related studies. Design Includes cross-sectional and repeated-measurement studies. Setting and participants Family members affected by and concerned about the problem drinking or drug-taking of close relatives in treatment and non-treatment samples in the United Kingdom (white and Sikh) and Mexico City; family members of untreated heavy drinkers; and family members of problem gamblers. Measurements Four measures derived from a stress,strain,coping,support model of alcohol, drugs and gambling problems and the family: Family Member Impact scale (FMI), Symptom Rating Test (SRT), Coping Questionnaire (CQ), and Hopefulness,Hopelessness scale (HOPE). FMI, SRT and CQ assess stress, strain and coping, respectively. The exact role of HOPE in the model remains to be determined. The support component remains unmeasured. Findings Results from a number of studies support the internal reliability, discriminant and construct validity and sensitivity to change of the SRT and its two constituent scales (psychological and physical symptoms) and at least two subscales of the CQ (engaged and tolerant,inactive coping). Although showing evidence of satisfactory reliability and some evidence of discriminant validity, further work may be required on the CQ withdrawal coping subscale. Evidence suggests that the FMI is reliable and valid and may have a factor structure that will support future research (distinguishing worrying behaviour from active disturbance). HOPE is a new measure showing promising characteristics. Conclusions A set of standard measures is available for helping to assess the needs of concerned and affected family members, derived from an explicit model of the family in relation to excessive drinking, drug taking or gambling. It may have a role to play in correcting the current neglect of the needs of such family members, estimated to be in the region of nearly a million adults in Britain alone. [source] An Empirical Taxonomy of Hospital Governing Board RolesHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH, Issue 4 2008Shoou-Yih D. Lee Objective. To develop a taxonomy of governing board roles in U.S. hospitals. Data Sources. 2005 AHA Hospital Governance Survey, 2004 AHA Annual Survey of Hospitals, and Area Resource File. Study Design. A governing board taxonomy was developed using cluster analysis. Results were validated and reviewed by industry experts. Differences in hospital and environmental characteristics across clusters were examined. Data Extraction Methods. One-thousand three-hundred thirty-four hospitals with complete information on the study variables were included in the analysis. Principal Findings. Five distinct clusters of hospital governing boards were identified. Statistical tests showed that the five clusters had high internal reliability and high internal validity. Statistically significant differences in hospital and environmental conditions were found among clusters. Conclusions. The developed taxonomy provides policy makers, health care executives, and researchers a useful way to describe and understand hospital governing board roles. The taxonomy may also facilitate valid and systematic assessment of governance performance. Further, the taxonomy could be used as a framework for governing boards themselves to identify areas for improvement and direction for change. [source] Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX) in Alzheimer's disease: validation of a behavioral rating scale to assess dysexecutive symptoms in Japanese patients with Alzheimer's diseaseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2007Yoshihiro Shinagawa Abstract Background Both executive cognitive dysfunction and behavioral problems contribute to dysexecutive symptoms in daily life. The aim of the present study was to develop a behavior rating scale for assessing dysexecutive symptoms in Japanese patients with AD. Method The Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX), devised by Burgess et al. (1998), was used to evaluate 122 Japanese patients with AD. The factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct validity of the Japanese version of the DEX were then examined. Results The Japanese version of the DEX demonstrated a good internal reliability and a good test,retest reliability. Factor analysis revealed three factors that were named ,apathy', ,hyperactivity' and ,planning and monitoring process of the purposive action'. The ,apathy' factor of the DEX was significantly correlated with the ,apathy' score of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), while ,planning and monitoring process' factor of the DEX was significantly correlated with the total score of the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the ,hyperactivity' factor of the DEX was significantly correlated with the ,aggression', ,euphoria' and ,disinhibition' scores of the NPI. Conclusions The Japanese DEX is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing executive dysfunction conveniently in real life situations of AD patients. While two factors, ,apathy' and ,hyperactivity', were associated with emotional and behavioral changes, the ,planning and monitoring process' was associated with the cognitive executive function in the patients with AD. These findings suggest that both a neuropsychiatric syndrome and cognitive function contribute to the dysexecutive symptoms experienced by AD patients in daily life. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Factor structure of the hospital anxiety and depression scale in older patients with major depressionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 2 2002Alastair J. Flint Abstract Objective Symptomatic anxiety has prognostic significance in major depression. In theory, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) should be a useful instrument for measuring the severity of symptomatic anxiety in late-life depression. However, the dimensional structure of the HADS has not been evaluated in elderly depressed patients; it is not known whether the scale actually functions as a bidimensional measure of anxiety and depression in this population. The purpose of this exploratory study, therefore, was to examine the factor structure of the HADS in older patients with major depression. Method The HADS was completed by 213 patients, aged 60 years or older, with DSM-III-R unipolar major depression. Principal components analysis was performed on the full 14-item HADS and on each of its subscales. Results Two distinct factors, which corresponded to the instrument's depression and anxiety subscales, emerged. The two-factor structure proved reasonably stable when the study group was randomly divided into two halves. Analysis of the subscales resulted in a single factor for each. The subscales had high internal reliability. Conclusions These findings confirm that the HADS functions as a bidimensional measure of depression and anxiety in older patients with major depression. The results suggest that the HADS is a valid instrument for measuring severity of anxiety, independent of other depressive symptoms, in this population. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Translation and validation of a Chinese language version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS)INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 6 2009GILLIAN H. M. LEE Objective., This study aimed to adapt the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) for pre-school children in a Chinese speaking community and to investigate its psychometric properties (validity and reliability). Methods., A Chinese language version of the ECOHIS was derived through a forward,backward translation and tested for face and content validity among a focus group. A convenient sample of pre-school children (n = 111) was recruited (including a sub-sample with early childhood caries and caries-free children). Parents of the children self-completed the derived Chinese-ECOHIS measure. Validity of the measure was assessed by investigating the relationship between dental caries status and Chinese-ECOHIS scores (construct and criterion validity). A sub-sample of the parents repeated the ratings of the measure to enable reliability assessments. Both internal and test,retest reliability were determined. Results., A Chinese version of ECOHIS was derived with minor modification to the original version. Chinese-ECOHIS scores were associated with children's caries experience (dmft) (r = 0.66, P < 0.05) supporting convergent validity. In addition, variations in ECOHIS scores were apparent with respect to caries and caries-free groups (P < 0.001), supporting the ability to distinguish between patient groups. Cronbach's alpha values (internal reliability) for total ECOHIS score were 0.91 and intraclass correlation coefficient value (test,retest reliability) was 0.64. Conclusions., A Chinese version of the ECOHIS was developed and demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability. These findings can enable assessments of pre-school child oral health-related quality of life in Chinese speaking communities. [source] Developing a valid and reliable self-efficacy in clinical performance scaleINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 2 2009F. Cheraghi phd Aim:, This paper describes the development and testing of the Self-Efficacy in Clinical Performance (SECP) instrument for nursing students. Background:, Accurate measurement of self-efficacy can be used to predict nursing students' clinical performance. The literature review indicated there is no existing self-efficacy in clinical performance instrument for Iranian nursing students. Methods:, To clarify the concept of self-efficacy in clinical performance, 28 semi-structured interviews and three focus groups were conducted. A self-efficacy framework with well-developed theoretical constructs was formed. A review of literature and content analysis of the interview transcripts identified subscales and items to be included in the instrument. Then, a methodological design was used. The SECP was developed into 69 Likert-format items, which were evaluated by 20 nursing experts in the form of content validity index. The scale's validity and reliability were tested in a randomized sample of 207 final year nursing students. Findings:, The final scale consists of four dimensions with 37 items. The overall scale internal reliability had , = 0.96; the dimensions Cronbach's , ranged from 0.90 to 0.92. Test,retest reliability with a 2-week time interval was: r = 0.94. In addition, concurrent validity was obtained (r = 0.73, P = 0.01). Conclusions:, The SECP has demonstrated evidence of content validity, construct validity, concurrent validity, internal consistency reliability and stability. Statistical analysis provided an objective tool for assessing nursing students' self-efficacy in clinical performance. It may have been fruitful to further test the instrument with students from other years of their education. [source] Family Needs Assessment in Cerebral Palsy ClinicJOURNAL FOR SPECIALISTS IN PEDIATRIC NURSING, Issue 2 2009Constance F. Buran PURPOSE. The dual purpose of this study was to identify areas of need as perceived by parents of children with cerebral palsy in three domains and to evaluate internal reliability of the Family Needs Assessment Tool (FNAT). DESIGN AND METHODS. The FNAT was distributed to parents and includes a demographic survey and three subscales: service, information, and obstacles to care. RESULTS. Parents identified services as their greatest need, followed by information and then obstacles to care. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS. The FNAT may be utilized to evaluate parental perceptions of needs, and provide clinicians with information for program planning and assessing needs central to providing quality care. [source] Clinical Learning Environment Inventory: factor analysisJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2010Jennifer M. Newton newton j.m., jolly b.c., ockerby c.m. & cross w.m. (2010) Clinical Learning Environment Inventory: factor analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing,66(6), 1371,1381. Abstract Title.,Clinical Learning Environment Inventory: factor analysis. Aim., This paper is a report of the psychometric testing of the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory. Background., The clinical learning environment is a complex socio-cultural entity that offers a variety of opportunities to engage or disengage in learning. The Clinical Learning Environment Inventory is a self-report instrument consisting of 42 items classified into six scales: personalization, student involvement, task orientation, innovation, satisfaction and individualization. It was developed to examine undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of the learning environment whilst on placement in clinical settings. Method., As a component of a longitudinal project, Bachelor of Nursing students (n = 659) from two campuses of a university in Australia, completed the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory from 2006 to 2008. Principal components analysis using varimax rotation was conducted to explore the factor structure of the inventory. Results., Data for 513 students (77%) were eligible for inclusion. Constraining data to a 6-factor solution explained 51% of the variance. The factors identified were: student-centredness, affordances and engagement, individualization, fostering workplace learning, valuing nurses' work, and innovative and adaptive workplace culture. These factors were reviewed against recent theoretical developments in the literature. Conclusion., The study offers an empirically based and theoretically informed extension of the original Clinical Learning Environment Inventory, which had previously relied on ad hoc clustering of items and the use of internal reliability of its sub-scales. Further research is required to establish the consistency of these new factors. [source] Nursing attitudes towards acute mental health care: development of a measurement toolJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 5 2005John A. Baker BNurs MSc MPhil RN Aim., This paper reports the development, piloting and validation of a tool to measure attitudes for use with nursing staff working in acute mental health care units. Background., The quality of care provided for service users in acute mental health care has come under both scrutiny and severe criticism. The attitudes of staff working in these environments have been cited as a contributory factor in poor care. No measure of attitudes specific to acute mental health has been reported. Methods., A 64-question measure was constructed and distributed to a sample of qualified and unqualified nurses drawn from seven mental health care units in the North of England. Exploratory factor analysis and a number of other statistical tests were performed to validate the questionnaire. Results., Preliminary analysis reduced the original 64 questions to 37. Five components were retained, accounting for 42% of the variance, and the five rotated factors were identified. The resultant ,Attitudes Towards Acute Mental Health Scale' (ATAMHS) achieved good internal reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0·72. Conclusion., The construction and validation of the ATAMHS measure will enable improved understanding of the attitudes of nursing staff working in acute mental health care settings to occur. This measure is available for use in a clinical area of nursing in which attitude change is of fundamental importance for future development of care. [source] Development and Evaluation of a Measure of Dangerous, Aggressive, Negative Emotional, and Risky Driving,JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Chris S. Dula The Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) was created to measure drivers' self-reported likelihood to drive dangerously. Each DDDI scale (DDDI Total, Aggressive Driving, Negative Emotional Driving, and Risky Driving scales) had strong internal reliability and there was also evidence for the construct validity of the scales. The DDDI was used to examine the relation between dangerous and aggressive driving and dispositional aggression and anger among 119 college students. Males reported significantly more aggressive, risky, and angry driving than did females. Males and females reported similar levels of dangerous driving and negative emotions while driving. Dangerous driving was positively related to traffic citations and causing accidents. The DDDI will be useful as a research instrument to examine dangerous driving. [source] Exploratory factor analysis of the research and development culture index among qualified nursesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 9 2005Bill Watson MSc Aims and objectives., This paper presents the exploratory factor analysis of a rating instrument for assessing the strength of organizational Research and Development (R&D) culture. Background., Despite nursing's limited research capacity, the discipline is capitalising upon opportunities to become involved in research and is making strong progress. Within the context of the debate on nursing research capacity, the R&D Culture Index was developed as a means of appraising R&D culture within health care organizations. Design., Factor analysis was carried out on data collected from 485 nursing staff. The method of extraction was Principal Components Analysis with oblique rotation. Methods., The Index was developed from the findings of qualitative research conducted with NHS staff. Eighteen items, encompassing the main themes from the data, were initially included in the Index. This pilot instrument was distributed to nursing staff within three different types of NHS Trust. Factor analysis resulted in rejection of two items and the analysis was repeated using the remaining 16 items. Results., Three latent factors were extracted accounting for 58·0% of the variance in the data. The factors were: R&D Support, describing the perceived support within the working environment for R&D activity; Personal R&D Skills and Aptitude, describing an individual's perception of their ability towards R&D activity; and Personal R&D Intention, describing an individual's willingness to engage in R&D activity. Each factor had good internal reliability, as did the overall index. Conclusion., The R&D Culture Index provides an efficient means of assessing the strength of an organization's R&D culture in a way that captures the role of the individual practitioner and the organizational environment. Relevance to practice., These findings suggest that the continuing promotion of R&D within health care organizations is dependent upon a multi-faceted approach that addresses the learning needs of the organization as well as those of the individual practitioners. [source] Development and validation of the chinese rehearsal scale for preadolescent chinese children,,§JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Fiona C.M. Ling Abstract Roger (1997) defined rehearsal as "the tendency to rehearse or ruminate on emotionally upsetting events" (p. 71). The Rehearsal Scale for Children,Chinese (RSC-C) was developed from the original 14-item Rehearsal Scale of the Emotion Control Questionnaire (Roger & Nesshoever, 1987) after translation and modification for Hong Kong Chinese preadolescents (aged 6,12 years). Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling revealed that with 1 item deleted from the original scale, the RSC-C possessed good internal validity and satisfactory test-retest reliability within a 1-year period. The new 13-item RSC-C also showed good external validity and internal reliability (,=.76). Convergent and discriminant validity was evidenced against the Emotional Problem and the Prosocial Behavior Subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997), respectively. No gender differences in rehearsal scores were found. It was concluded that the 13-item RSC-C could be useful for measuring rehearsal in Chinese preadolescents. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 66: 1,10, 2010. [source] Criminal attitudes to violence: Development and preliminary validation of a scale for male prisonersAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2004Devon L.L. Polaschek Abstract Two studies report on the development and preliminary psychometric properties of a new scale measuring criminal attitudes to violence. In Study 1, the responses of a mixed sample of male prisoners were used to select 20 scale items from a larger pool. The final scale (the Criminal Attitudes to Violence Scale; CAVS) was designed so that it had a single-factor structure and was uncorrelated with a measure of social desirability bias. It demonstrated high internal reliability, and a strong relationship to a self-report measure of physical aggression. Significant differences were found in CAVS mean scores for various offence history comparisons, such as whether or not the offender was currently on sentence for a violent conviction. In the second study, most results from the first study were replicated with an independent sample of male prisoners. Further, compared to another scale measuring attitudes to aggression [the EXPAGG Instrumental subscale; Archer and Haigh, 1997b], the CAVS was a better predictor of general attitudes to crime. Mean CAVS scores were again significantly higher for current violent offenders than those on sentence for other types of offences. Lastly, the CAVS was moderately predictive of estimated risk of reconviction and re-imprisonment. Overall these results suggest that this scale measures the construct of attitudes to criminal violence, which partially overlaps two other constructs: attitudes to aggression and attitudes to crime. Aggr. Behav. 30:484,503, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The reliability and validity of general psychotic rating scales with people with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities: an empirical investigationJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 7 2005C. Hatton Abstract Background Whilst assessment tools have been developed to diagnose schizophrenia in people with mild intellectual disabilities (IDs), little attention has been paid to developing reliable and valid dimensional measures of psychotic experiences with this population. This study investigates the reliability and validity of two such measures developed for the general adult psychiatric population, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS), with a population of adults with mild IDs. Method Sixty-two adults with mild IDs were interviewed using the PANSS and PSYRATS, and independently interviewed using the Psychiatric Assessment Schedule , Adults with Developmental Disability (PAS-ADD) to obtain psychiatric diagnoses to the criteria of the International Classification of Diseases , Tenth Revision (ICD-10). On the basis of ICD-10 diagnosis, participants were divided into three groups: psychosis (n = 11); other mental health problem (n = 14); no mental health problem (n = 37). PANSS and PSYRATS subscale scores were compared across these three groups and were correlated with PAS-ADD symptom scores across a number of PAS-ADD symptom domains. Results All PANSS and PSYRATS subscales showed adequate internal reliability, largely good test-retest reliability, and logical inter-correlations between subscales. The PANSS positive symptoms and the PSYRATS auditory hallucinations subscales differentiated between the psychosis group and the other groups; the PANSS general symptoms subscale differentiated between the psychosis and no mental health problem groups; and the PANSS negative symptoms and the PSYRATS delusions subscales did not differentiate between the three groups. Conclusions The PANSS and PSYRATS are promising measures for use with people with mild IDs and psychotic experiences, although further investigation of items relating to negative symptoms and delusions is warranted. [source] Traumatic Exposure Severity Scale (TESS): A measure of exposure to major disastersJOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 3 2005Guliz Elal The debate about the role of the intensity of the stressor has occupied a central focus in posttraumatic stress disorder literature. There is currently a paucity of instruments with established psychometric properties measuring severity of trauma exposure in disaster survivors. The Traumatic Exposure Severity Scale was developed specifically to assess dimensions of exposure to an earthquake disaster in adults. Its 24 items assess a wide range of stressors organized into five subscales, derived from factor analyses: Resource Loss, Damage to Home and Goods, Personal Harm, Concern for Significant Others, and Exposure to the Grotesque. The scale provides both Occurrence and Distress scores. It has good internal reliability and validity. The instrument correlates significantly, but moderately, with a number of traumatic stress measures and the Beck Depression Index. [source] Assessing spiritual growth and spiritual decline following a diagnosis of cancer: reliability and validity of the spiritual transformation scalePSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Brenda S. Cole Abstract This study assessed the factor structure, reliability, and validity of an instrument designed to assess spiritual transformations following a diagnosis of cancer,the Spiritual Transformation Scale (STS). The instrument was administering to 253 people diagnosed with cancer within the previous 2 years. Two underlying factors emerged (spiritual growth (SG) and spiritual decline (SD)) with adequate internal reliability (alpha=0.98 and 0.86, respectively) and test,retest reliability (r=0.85 and 0.73, respectively). Validity was supported by correlations between SG and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) Positive Affect Subscale (r=0.23, p<0.001), the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (r=0.57, p<0.001), and the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (r=0.68, p<0.001). SD was associated with higher scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (r=0.38, p<0.001) and PANAS-Negative Affect Subscale (r=0.40, p<0.001), and lower scores on the PANAS-Positive Affect Subscale (r=,0.23, p<0.001), and the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale (r=,0.30, p<0.001). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the subscales uniquely predicted adjustment beyond related constructs (intrinsic religiousness, spiritual coping, and general post-traumatic growth). The results indicate that the STS is psychometrically sound, with SG predicting better, and SD predicting poorer, mental and spiritual well-being following a diagnosis of cancer. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Cancer Coping Questionnaire: A self-rating scale for measuring the impact of adjuvant psychological therapy on coping behaviourPSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 4 2003Stirling Moorey The Cancer Coping Questionnaire is a brief, self-rating scale designed to measure coping strategies taught in Adjuvant Psychological Therapy. This paper describes the development of the 21 item Cancer Coping Questionnaire (CCQ) in a sample of 201 patients with mixed cancers. The construct validity and reliability of the instrument are reported from work on 3 samples (a mixed cancer group, n=42; women with breast cancer, n=50; and a group of patients referred for psychological help, n=48). The CCQ showed very good internal reliability and test,retest reliability. As hypothesised cancer patients with more psychological morbidity demonstrated lower CCQ scores, and the CCQ correlated with measures of adjustment to cancer. Compared with an established coping inventory (the Coping Responses Indices; CRI) the CCQs overall individual scale (items 1,14) assessed similar coping areas, particularly in relation to the CRIs foci of coping. The CCQ correlated with Active Behavioural Coping methods on the CRI. The study did not demonstrate sufficiently consistent results concerning the Interpersonal Scale of the CCQ to confirm its validity. Further psychometric work is needed, but the study demonstrated the reliability and validity of the CCQ, supporting the view that change in CCQ scores with cognitive therapy indicates improvement in coping. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The new object-spatial-verbal cognitive style model: Theory and measurementAPPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Olesya Blazhenkova The current study challenges traditional approaches to Visual-Verbal cognitive style as a unitary bipolar dimension, and instead suggests a new three-dimensional cognitive style model developed on the basis of modern cognitive science theories that distinguish between object imagery, spatial imagery and verbal dimensions. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the overall fit to the data of the new three-dimensional model of cognitive style was significantly better than that of a traditional model. Furthermore, based on the new theoretical model, we designed and validated a new self-report instrument assessing the individual differences in object imagery, spatial imagery and verbal cognitive styles, the Object-Spatial Imagery and Verbal Questionnaire (OSIVQ). Across a series of studies, the OSIVQ demonstrated acceptable internal reliability as well as construct, criterion and ecological validity. The current study supports the validity of an object-spatial-verbal cognitive style dimension and related measures when developed on the basis of modern cognitive science theories. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development and validation of the brief Relational, Individual and Collective (brief RIC) Self-Aspects scaleASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Elizabeth A. Hardie A brief nine-item context-free version of the 30-item Relational, Individual and Collective (RIC) Self-Aspects scale was developed for use in short surveys and time-constrained telephone interviews. Two monocultural studies were conducted using Australian samples. In Study 1 (N = 175 university students) the Brief RIC demonstrated internal reliability, factorial validity and convergent construct validity with the original RIC. In Study 2 (N = 1000 adults) the three-factor structure was replicated and demographic correlates of self-aspects revealed new directions for future exploration. The Brief RIC will benefit from further validation, particularly in cross-cultural samples, but appears to be suitable for research purposes which require brevity. [source] Measuring psychological, social, and environmental influences on leisure-time physical activity among adultsAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 1 2007Nicola W. Burton Many of the self-administered scales for measuring physical activity (PA) influences were originally developed for vigorous-intensity exercise, focus on only one domain of influence, and have not been evaluated for both reliability and validity using population-based samples. Objective: This study describes the factorial validity and internal reliability of scales for measuring individual-level psychological, social, and environmental influences on leisure-time PA among adults in the general population. Method: Constructs were identified from a literature review and formative research with a socio-economically diverse sample. Items were generated using previously developed scales and interview data. New items were pre-tested using reliability and principal components analyses, with data collected from a mail survey sent to a randomly selected population-based sample. Qualitative feedback was obtained from a convenience sample and expert panel. A second mail survey provided data for principal components and reliability analyses. Results: Twenty-eight scales were factorially derived and 24 had acceptable or marginally acceptable levels of internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.65 to 0.91. Conclusions and Implications: The 24 scales are suitable for researchers and practitioners interested in measuring individual-level influences on PA that are consistent with Social Cognitive Theory. More research is required to assess predictive validity, sensitivity to change and test/re-test reliability. [source] Validation of the gastrointestinal quality of life index for patients with potentially operable periampullary carcinomaBRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 1 2000Dr E. J. M. Nieveen van Dijkum Background: A disease-specific quality of life questionnaire is not available for patients with periampullary carcinoma, although cancer-specific questionnaires and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) have been used. The aim of this study was to validate the GIQLI for patients with periampullary tumours and to evaluate if subscales of the GIQLI could be identified to allow a more detailed assessment of the patients' quality of life. Methods: Patients with periampullary carcinoma, included in a study concerning diagnostic laparoscopy, were asked about symptoms and completed a questionnaire comprising the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) 24 questionnaire, the GIQLI and one question of the Rotterdam Symptom Check List (RSCL). Clinical interpretation and statistical factor analysis were used to identify subscales of the GIQLI. Results: The GIQLI could be divided into four subscales, measuring physical well-being, mental well-being, digestion and defaecation. All four subscales had a good internal reliability and the construct validity was supported by the pattern of correlations with the MOS and RSCL as well as differences in subscale scores for patients with or without certain symptoms. Conclusion: In patients with periampullary tumours the GIQLI can be divided into four subscales, measuring different aspects of quality of life. These subscales provide insight into the different problems affecting the patient. © 2000 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd [source] Quality of life measurement in paediatric and adolescent populations with HIV: a review of the literatureCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2009P. A. Garvie Abstract Purpose To review the quality and utility of currently available self-report generic quality of life (QOL) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures for use with children and adolescents with human immunodeficiency virus and/or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Methods Literature searches were conducted to identify QOL and HRQOL measures developed for, adapted for, or otherwise used with paediatric and adolescent populations with HIV/AIDS. The quality of measures (i.e. item generation techniques, instrument properties including reliability, validity and responsiveness) were compared and critically evaluated. Results Nineteen QOL/HRQOL measures were identified. Item content was generated from the respondent (adult) population in only eight (42%) measures. Seventeen (90%) measures reported internal reliability in the accepted range between 0.70 and 0.90 and four (21%) reported reproducibility statistics in this range. Although validity was reported for 19 (100%) measures, only six (32%) showed evidence for three or more properties, with construct validity being the most commonly reported aspect. The authors of eight (42%) measures reported evidence for responsiveness. Conclusions While almost all measures reviewed demonstrated adequate psychometric properties, only one-third demonstrated all aspects of validity, and less than half demonstrated responsiveness. None included paediatric or adolescent populations with HIV/AIDS in their development, neglecting to obtain input from target respondents in item generation to determine what health-related and daily functioning factors are of importance to them. Despite noted limitations, the AUQUEI or the SWED-QUAL appear the best currently available generic measure, and the MQOL-HIV the preferred disease-specific measure, at least for use with older adolescents/young adults. [source] The Leader Observation Tool: a process skills treatment fidelity measure for the Incredible Years parenting programmeCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2008C. Eames Abstract Background Despite recognition of the need to deliver evidence-based programmes in the field of mental health, there is little emphasis on implementing such programmes with fidelity. Attempts by programme developers to ensure adherence to their programmes include the development of training, manuals and content scales, but these alone may be insufficient to ensure fidelity in replication. Observational measures lend themselves as a potentially useful assessment of intervention outcomes, providing accurate and objective accounts of the intervention process. Aim To develop a reliable and valid observational treatment fidelity tool of process skills required to deliver the Incredible Years (IY) BASIC parenting programme effectively. Methods An objective observational fidelity measure was developed to assess adherence to the IY BASIC parenting programme protocol. Observations were conducted on 12 IY BASIC parenting programme groups, attended by parents of pre-school children displaying signs of early onset conduct disorder. Results The Leader Observation Tool (LOT) achieved high internal reliability and good code,recode and inter-rater reliability. Evidence of concurrent validity was also obtained. Conclusions Having demonstrated that the LOT is a reliable and valid measure of implementation fidelity, further research is necessary to examine the relationship between LOT scores and intervention outcome. [source] Child Health Assessment at School Entry (CHASE) project: evaluation in 10 London primary schoolsCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2005S. Edmunds Abstract Aims To assess the feasibility of implementing the Child Health Assessment at School Entry (CHASE) questionnaire, developed to capture the multiple dimensions of the health of children in their first year at school, and to evaluate data quality, reliability and validity. Methods Parents of 278 year-1 children, from 10 primary schools in two London boroughs, received a parent questionnaire and school nurses completed a separate questionnaire from health and education records for children whose parents consented. Additional data on free school meal eligibility and ethnicity were obtained from the two Local Education Authorities. The parent questionnaire included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and four dimensions of the Child Health Questionnaire Parent Form-28 (CHQ-PF28). Results Response rate was 61%. The association between school free school meals eligibility and response rate in each school approached significance (r = ,0.62, P = 0.05). Data completeness of the parent questionnaire was high (mean 98%). Data completeness of the school nurse questionnaire was more variable (mean 82%). Cronbach's Alpha was greater than 0.6 for four of the five SDQ scales and greater than 0.7 for the two CHQ-PF28 multi-item scales. Relative to parents with qualifications, parents with no qualifications rated their children as having significantly more conduct problems, peer problems, and overall mental health problems (P < 0.01) as assessed by the SDQ, and significantly lower global health (P < 0.01) as assessed by the CHQ-PF28. Children with special educational needs and children with long-standing illness or disability were rated as having significantly lower global health (P < 0.05) than children without these. Sample tables of inter-school and inter-borough comparison of key findings demonstrate considerable differences in physical and mental health status. Discussion The questionnaire was acceptable to parents and school nurses, and feasible to implement within existing school resources. Initial tests of internal reliability and validity are satisfactory. These data have the potential to inform interventions and service provision at school and borough level, and public health trends over time. 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