Construction and initial validation of the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS).

The purpose of this investigation was to develop a conceptually grounded scale to assess cognitive aspects of color-blind racial attitudes. Five studies on the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS) with over 1,100 observations provide initial reliability and validity data. Specifically, results from an exploratory factor analysis suggest a 3-factor solution: Unawareness of Racial Privilege, Institutional Discrimination, and Blatant Racial Issues. A confirmatory factor analysis suggests that the 3-factor model is a good fit of the data and is the best of the competing models. The CoBRAS was positively related to other indexes of racial attitudes as well as 2 measures of belief in a just world, indicating that greater endorsement of color-blind racial attitudes was related to greater levels of racial prejudice and a belief that society is just and fair. Self-reported CoBRAS attitudes were sensitive to diversity training. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS).

This article describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS). Three studies were conducted to describe its development and refinement, examine its psychometric properties with 436 participants from 5 ethnic groups, and examine the robustness of the factor structure with a new sample. Exploratory factor analyses generated a 2-factor solution: ethnic society immersion and dominant society immersion. Item refinement resulted in a 32-item version of the SMAS. Findings indicated a robust factor structure across groups. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 2-factor model provided a close approximation to the observed data. Studies indicated high reliability and validity indexes. Findings support the role of acculturation as a mediator between ethnic group affiliation and standardized assessment results. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of the Miami University Diversity Awareness Scale (MUDAS).

College students need to be prepared for a global environment, and assessing student awareness about issues of diversity is critical to this preparation. This study chronicles the validation of the Miami University Diversity Awareness Scale (MUDAS). This instrument is designed to measure the level of student awareness about issues of culture, intergroup interaction, social justice, and the degree to which students believe these issues are presented in the college classroom. An exploratory factor analysis suggested that the 29-item scale produced a 5-factor model showing good fit of the data. A follow-up instrument revision included the addition of 8 items resulting in a refined 37-item survey. Construct validity and reliability issues were addressed. Incoming first-year student MUDAS results are examined and implications for future research and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The Gambling Craving Scale: Psychometric validation and behavioral outcomes": Correction to Young and Wohl (2009).

Reports an error in "The Gambling Craving Scale: Psychometric validation and behavioral outcomes" by Matthew M. Young and Michael J. A. Wohl (Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2009[Sep], Vol 23[3], 512-522). Some data in Table 4 was inadvertently omitted. The complete Table 4 is presented in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2009-14441-012.) Although craving is an important feature of problem gambling, there is a paucity of research investigating craving to gamble. A major stumbling block for craving research in gambling has been the lack of a methodologically sound, multidimensional measure of gambling-related craving. This article reports the development of the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS). In Study 1 (N = 220), a factor analysis revealed the emergence of a 9-item scale with 3 factors: Anticipation, Desire, and Relief. An important finding was that the GACS predicted problem gambling severity, depression, and positive and negative affect. In Study 2 (N = 145), the factor structure of the GACS was confirmed using a community sample of gamblers. In Study 3 (N = 46), GACS scores significantly predicted persistence at play on a virtual slot machine in the face of continued loss. Specifically, the more participants craved to gamble, the longer they engaged in play. The implications of craving for the development and maintenance of problem gambling severity are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construction and validation of the Disability Rights Attitude Scale: Assessing attitudes toward the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The authors constructed and validated an instrument that assesses attitudes toward the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), a law that protects the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. The Disability Rights Attitude Scale (DRAS) demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity with 2 samples of university students (N?=?421). Reliability analysis resulted in Cronbach's alphas of .91 (Sample 1) and .90 (Sample 2). Principal-components factor analysis indicated that the DRAS essentially consists of 1 factor that accounted for 27% (Sample 1) and 31% (Sample 2) of the total variance. Construct validity analysis resulted in predicted, significant positive correlations with other relevant measures. A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that sex, ethnicity, and prior contact with people with disabilities were significant predictors of attitudes toward the law. The DRAS provides a psychometrically sound means of assessing attitudes toward disability rights that may encourage or impede implementation of the ADA. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and initial validation of an instrument to measure perceived coercion to enter treatment for substance abuse.

The present study involved 3 phases that led to the development and initial validation of the Perceived Coercion Questionnaire (PCQ), a scale that researchers use to measure perceptions of coercion of drug and alcohol users to enter drug and alcohol treatment. In Phase 1, the authors used focus groups to generate 48 pilot items. In Phase 2, the items were administered to a sample of 158 drug and alcohol users who were in residential treatment within a therapeutic community setting. Item and exploratory factor analyses reduced the number of items to 32, which represented 6 homogeneous and internally reliable subscales. In Phase 3, the PCQ was administered to a second sample of 362 drug and alcohol users. Confirmatory factor analysis led to a final scale of 30 items across 6 subscales that demonstrated sound consistency and validity. Implications for research and practice are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor structure and validation of an adolescent version of the Condom Attitude Scale: An instrument for measuring adolescents' attitudes toward condoms.

The Condom Attitude Scale (W. P. Sacco, B. Levine, D. L. Reed, & K. Thompson, 1991) was modified for use with adolescents. In Study 1, a modified 35-item version, pilot tested with 195 African American adolescents, achieved a Cronbach's alpha of .88. In Study 2, convergent validity was assessed with a sample of 312 African American adolescents. Psychometric properties were evaluated with item analysis, factor analysis, and reliability estimation. The scale was refined to 23 items with a full scale Cronbach's alpha of .80. In Study 3, temporal stability was assessed with 88 African American adolescents. In Study 4, a cross-validation sample of predominantly White adolescents (N?=?2) assessed whether the measure's psychometric properties and factor structure replicated in a more heterogeneous adolescent sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construction and validation of a specific quality of life instrument for adolescents with spine deformities

STUDY DESIGN: The development and construction of a specific instrument for measuring quality of life in adolescents with spine deformities was investigated. OBJECTIVES: To assess the validity and reliability of the Quality of Life Profile for Spine Deformities. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: An 88-item questionnaire was self-administered to 174 patients ranging in age from 10 to 20 years with spine deformities. Items were rated on a five-point Likert scale. Higher scores means high level of impairment in quality of life. Age, gender, menarche or voice change, salient symptoms in the medical record, ordinary parameters on physical examination, and measurements on standard anteroposterior and lateral radiographs were recorded. The retest was done 10 days after the initial administration in a subsample of 35 patients. METHODS: The test-retest reliability was analyzed calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient. Internal consistency was measured with the Cronbach's alpha method. Factor analysis was used to obtain a reduced number of variables. Construct validity was assessed using the principal components model of factor analysis based on the correlation matrix and using the varimax computer algorithm for orthogonal rotation. Discriminant validity was assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: The Quality of Life Profile for Spine Deformities contained 21 items and five factors in conceptual terms labeled psychosocial functioning, sleep disturbances, back pain, body image, and back flexibility. The overall questionnaire score showed an internal consistency of 0.88 and a test-retest correlation of 0.91. Patients with structural curves showed significantly higher scores in all dimensions of the Quality of Life Profile for Spine Deformities except for the subscale of body image than patients with postural curves. When patients were grouped according to the symptom of back pain, those with backache had a significantly higher quality of life overalls score and scores in the dimensions of sleep disturbances and pain. Brace-treated patients showed statistically significant differences in the quality of life overall score and scores in the dimensions of psychosocial functioning and back flexibility. CONCLUSIONS: The instrument developed for measuring quality of life in patients with spine deformities during the period of bone growth has validity, internal consistency, and high test-retest reliability. The conceptualization of quality of life of the Quality of Life Profile for Spine Deformity includes psychosocial dimensions and pain and function.     

The Body Investment Scale: Construction and validation of a body experience scale.

A new measure of emotional investment in the body is presented. The Body Investment Scale (BIS) pertains especially to self-destructive behavior and can be used to study a variety of normal and pathological behaviors. Studies 1 and 2 describe the construction of the BIS, factor analysis, and a group comparison (suicidal and nonsuicidal inpatients and normal adolescents). Study 3 tested the relationship between the BIS, physical anhedonia, depression, and suicidal tendencies. Study 4 examined the relationship between the BIS, perceived early care, self-esteem, and suicidal tendencies. The BIS consists of four internally reliable factors (body image feelings and attitudes, comfort in touch, body care, and body protection). The construct validity hypotheses were confirmed. The relevance of the BIS to self-destructive behavior and related processes is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived efficacy in patient-physician interactions (PEPPI): validation of an instrument in older persons

OBJECTIVE: Use of ECT is highly variable, and previous study has linked its availability to the geographic concentration of psychiatrists. However, less than 8% of all U.S. psychiatrists provide ECT. The authors analyzed the characteristics of psychiatrists who use ECT to understand more fully the variation in its use and how changes in the psychiatric workforce may affect its availability. METHOD: Data from the 1988-1989 Professional Activities Survey were examined to investigate the influence of demographic, training, clinical practice, and geographic characteristics on whether psychiatrists use ECT. RESULTS: Psychiatrists who provided ECT were more likely to be male, to have graduated from a medical school outside the United States, and to have been trained in the 1960s or 1980s rather than the 1970s. They were more likely to provide medications than psychotherapy, to practice at private rather than state and county public hospitals, to treat patients with affective and organic disorders, and to practice in a county containing an academic medical center. CONCLUSIONS: Demographic and training characteristics significantly influence whether a psychiatrist uses ECT. Opposing trends in the U.S. psychiatric workforce could affect the availability of the procedure. Expanding training opportunities for ECT and making education, training, and testing more consistent nationwide could improve clinicians' consensus about ECT and narrow variation in its use.     

The role of estrogen in bone growth and maturation during childhood and adolescence

Twenty years ago it was believed that pubertal growth was stimulated by testicular androgen in boys and by adrenal androgen in girls. Estrogen, which was used to inhibit growth in excessively tall girls, was not thought to have growth-promoting effects. We hypothesized that estrogen has a biphasic effect on epiphyseal growth, with maximal stimulation at low levels. We showed that the administration of low doses of estrogen, corresponding to a serum estradiol level of about 4 pg/ml (15 pmol/l) caused more than a 60% increase over the prepubertal growth rate in both boys and girls. To test the hypothesis that estrogen is the principal mediator of the pubertal growth spurt in boys, we administered the aromatase inhibitor, testolactone, to boys with familial male-limited precocious puberty. Testolactone produced near normalization of both growth velocity and bone maturation, despite levels of serum testosterone that remained within the adult male range. The observation that low levels of estrogen stimulate growth and bone maturation suggested that estrogen might explain the more rapid epiphyseal maturation of prepubertal girls compared to boys. To determine whether prepubertal girls have higher estrogen levels than prepubertal boys, we developed an ultrasensitive recombinant cell bioassay for estrogen with a sensitivity of 0.02 pg/ml (0.07 pmol/l) estradiol equivalents. Prepubertal girls had approximately eight-fold higher levels of serum estradiol than did prepubertal boys (0.6 +/- 0.6 pg/ml (SD) (2.2 +/- 2.2 pmol/l) vs 0.08 +/- 0.2 pg/ml (0.29 +/- 0.73 pmol/l), P < 0.05). We concluded that the pubertal growth spurt of both sexes is driven primarily by estrogen, and that the more rapid epiphyseal maturation of prepubertal girls (vs boys) may be explained by their higher estradiol levels.     

Changes in smoking behaviors from late childhood to adolescence: Insights from the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth.

Objective: To examine smoking behaviors in Canadian youth from late childhood to adolescence. By following participants from as young as 10 and 11 years, the authors proposed to identify distinct developmental pathways of smoking acquisition. Design: Growth mixture modeling was used to identify developmental trajectories of smoking among 10- to 17-year-old participants of the Canadian National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth. Main Outcome Measures: Developmental trajectories of trying smoking, smoking frequency, and smoking intensity. Results: Five developmental trajectories related to smoking frequency were identified, of which 2 were acquisition patterns that led to daily smoking at age 16-17, and 3 were experimentation patterns that led to nonsmoking at age 16-17. The largest variability in changes in smoking behavior over time was the reported level of smoking frequency. Conclusion: Analysis showed that there is more than 1 way in which Canadian children and adolescents acquire smoking behaviors over time. The authors were able to differentiate patterns of experimentation from patterns of acquisition. Whereas experimentation has been generally considered as 1 of the stages in the smoking acquisition process leading to regular smoking, these results indicate that experimentation can be described as a distinct process in itself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of music performance anxiety in late childhood: A validation study of the Music Performance Anxiety Inventory for Adolescents (MPAI-A).

The Music Performance Anxiety Inventory for Adolescents (MPAI-A), the first standardized measure of music performance anxiety (MPA) for adolescents, was developed using an Australian sample of 381 talented young musicians, ages 12 to 19 years. This study validates the MPAI-A on a younger sample of 84 band musicians from the United States, ages 11 to 13 years. The MPAI-A was reliable (Cronbach's α = .91) and valid for this sample. Construct validity was demonstrated by significant positive relationships with measures of social phobia and trait anxiety. These results are comparable to the findings of the original sample and support the use of this instrument as a screening tool for MPA in young musicians. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The process of Retirement Planning Scale (PRePS): Development and validation.

Although a substantial proportion of the western population is approaching retirement age, little is known about how they are preparing for the future. Much attention has been paid to the consumption of educational material and retirement wealth in the present literature, but the process of retirement planning has been ignored. S. L. Friedman and E. K. Scholnick's (1997) theoretical model provided the basis for a comprehensive measure of retirement planning. According to their process theory, individuals develop an understanding of the problem, set goals, make a decision to start preparing, and finally undertake the behaviors needed to fulfill their goals. Fifty-two items were developed to assess each stage of the planning process for financial, health, lifestyle, and psychosocial retirement planning. These were tested on a population sample of 1,449 New Zealanders aged 49–60. Confirmatory factor analysis, bivariate correlations, and hierarchical regression provided support for the valid use of the measure. Necessary antecedents, such as the tendency to look to the future, and locus of control were significantly related to the Process of Retirement Planning Scale (PRePS). The PRePS also outperformed retirement planning measures used in the Health and Retirement Study (F. T. Juster & R. Suzman, 1995) after controlling for socioeconomic and psychological variables. This measure will enable social policy makers to determine which stages of retirement planning require support and intervention. The PRePS will also help to determine which domains of retirement planning predict well-being in later life and the factors which differentiate those who are planning from those who are not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social-contextual influences on expectancies for managing anger and sadness: The transition from middle childhood to adolescence.

This study examined the influence of emotion type (i.e., anger, sadness), audience type (i.e., mother, father, best friend), gender, and age on 140 5th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade adolescents' emotion management decisions, emotional self-efficacy, and outcome expectancies. Participants were read 8 vignettes and responded to 8 questions per vignette. Results indicated that 8th-grade adolescents reported regulating emotion most and expected the least interpersonal support from mothers. Children expressed greater self-efficacy and regulation of sadness than of anger. Boys reported dissembling emotion and expecting a negative interpersonal response to emotional behavior more than did girls. Children were more concerned with protecting feelings of friends than with protecting feelings of fathers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychometric properties and utility of the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale (SSIS).

Sadistic personality disorder (SPD) has been underresearched and often misunderstood in forensic settings. Furthermore, personality disorders in general are the subject of much controversy in terms of their classification (i.e., whether they should be categorical or dimensional). The Sadistic Attitudes and Behaviors Scale (SABS; Davies & Hand, 2003; O'Meara, Davies, & Barnes-Holmes, 2004) is a recently developed scale for measuring sadistic inclinations. Derived from this is the Short Sadistic Impulse Scale (SSIS), which has proved to be a strong unidimensional measure of sadistic inclination. Through cumulative scaling, it was investigated whether the SSIS could measure sadism on a continuum of interest, thus providing a dimensional view of the construct. Further, the SSIS was administered along with a number of other measures related to sadism in order to assess the validity of the scale. Results showed that the SSIS has strong construct and discriminant validity and may be useful as a screening measure for sadistic impulse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and validation of the Need for Relatedness at College Questionnaire (NRC-Q).

Research indicates that reasons for attending college influence college success and that college students of color (CSC) can be motivated to attend college for different reasons than White college students (WCS). The Need for Relatedness at College Questionnaire (NRC-Q) was developed and tested to provide an instrument for identifying and understanding the various ways in which needs for relatedness, a salient motivator for many CSC, affect college success. On the basis of the recommendation from D. Guiffrida's (2006) cultural critique of V. Tinto's (1993) theory, the scale was developed with a self-determination theory (E. L. Deci & M. R. Ryan, 1991) perspective. Results support the content validity, internal consistency, temporal stability, and construct validity of the scale items, and a confirmatory factor analysis supported the underlying structures of the scale. Results also suggest that college students' needs for relatedness at home are more complex than previous research has suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The tabletting machine as an analytical instrument: qualification of the measurement devices for punch forces and validation of the calibration procedures

The quality of force measurement in an eccentric tabletting machine equipped with piezo-electric load washers mounted under pre-stress at the upper and lower punches, and the reliability of their calibration in situ and under working conditions were carefully investigated, since this tabletting machine is used as an 'analytical instrument' for the evaluation of the compression behaviour of pharmaceutical materials. For a quasistatic calibration procedure the repeatability under standard conditions and the robustness against variations in machine settings, installation conditions, equipment and handling were evaluated. Two differently constructed reference load cells equipped with strain gauges were used for the calibration of the upper punch sensor. The lower punch sensor was calibrated against the upper one. Except for a mechanical hysteresis, owing to uneven stress distribution over the piezo-electric sensors, the results of the quasistatic measurements are assessed to be satisfactory. In addition, dynamic calibrations were performed. One of the strain-gauged load cells was used in addition to two piezo-electric load washers installed without pre-stress. The dynamic behaviour of all the transducers used is deficient. While for the piezo-electric sensors a significant change in the slope of the calibration function with respect to the quasistatic behaviour was observed, for the strain-gauged load cell a pronounced hysteresis must be noted. Comparing the dynamic behaviour at different profiles of rates of force development generated by variations in machine speed and by maximum force setting, the variability in the sensitivity of the upper and lower punch piezo-electric load washers is comparatively small.     

Sleep EEG alterations in patients suffering from circulatory disturbances. Relation to neurological and psychopathological changes (author''s transl)

In 30 conscious patients (24 men, 6 women) aged 30-74 years suffering from ischemic lesions in the cerebral hemispheres, polygraphic night sleep recordings were performed about 45 days after the beginning of the illness. The alterations in sleep were characterized by a delay in the onset of sleep, prolonged waking periods, and a reduction of deep synchronous sleep. Statistical analysis revealed a relationship between prolonged waking time with higher age as well as with high complex reaction time and euphoric state of mind, which can be considered as a sign of psycho-organic impairment. In contrast thereto, the degree of the neurological symptomatology is of less importance for the kind and extent of the sleep disturbances.