Structural validity of Balance Evaluation Systems Test assessed usingfactor and Rasch analyses in patients with stroke

学位記番号：保博甲12

Propriedades psicométricas de uma escala para medir o lado escuro da personalidade

The psychometric characteristics of the Dark Triad Scale (Jones & Paulhus, 2014) in an Argentinian context are presented. Two successive studies were carried out. Three hundred sixteen people, with an average age of 34.48 years (SD = 10.57), participated in Study 1. An exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor structure with suitable internal consistency (Machiavellianism: α = 0.92; narcissism: α = 0.91, and psychopathy: α = 0.89). Two hundred seventy-five people, with an average age of 32 years (SD = 8.10), participated in Study 2. A confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the three-factor structure. The three factors reached satisfactory composite reliability (CR greater than 0.70) and adequate convergent-discriminant validity (AVE greater than 0.50). The invariance of the scale?s parameters was demonstrated by sex. The results indicate that the Argentinian version of the Dark Triad Scale measures the dark side of personality with appropriate validity and reliability, both in men and women.Este estudo apresenta as características psicométricas da Dark Triad Scale para o contexto da Argentina. Dois estudos sucessivos foram realizados. Participaram do primeiro estudo trezentas e dezesseis pessoas, com uma idade média de 34,48 anos (DP = 10,57). A análise fatorial exploratória indicou uma estrutura de três fatores com adequada consistência interna (Maquiavelismo: α = 0,92; narcisismo: α = 0,91, e psicopatia: α = 0,89). Do segundo estudo participaram duzentas e setenta e cinco pessoas, com uma idade média de 32 anos (DP = 8,10). A análise fatorial confirmatória confirmou a adequação da estrutura trifatorial. Os três fatores resultantes apresentaram Confiabilidade Composta Satisfatória (maior que 0,70) e indicadores adequados de validade convergente-discriminante (AVE maior que 0,50). A invariância dos parâmetros da escala foi demonstrada por meio do sexo. Os resultados indicam que a versão argentina da Dark Triad Scale mede o lado escuro da personalidade com validade e confiabilidade adequadas, tanto em homens quanto em mulheres.Fil: Salessi, Solana Magalí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Humanidades y Artes. Instituto de Investigaciones; ArgentinaFil: Omar, Alicia Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Humanidades y Artes. Instituto de Investigaciones; Argentin

The optimal design of the dual-purpose test

Traditional test development focused on one purpose of the test, either ranking test-takers or providing diagnostic profiles for test-takers. Embedding both the ranking and diagnostic purposes in one assessment instrument would be a great advancement to the test functionality and utility. Our understandings regarding how such dual-purpose test should be optimally design and analyzed, however, were dwarfed by the growing needs for it in practice. Potential psychometric challenges related to the dual-purpose testing were not fully addressed in the literature. The present study provided a systematic comparison of various plausible designing and analyzing paradigms for the dual-purpose test in conditions with varying test length and dimensionality of true abilities. Results suggested that in order to obtain accurate and reliable total score and subscores, the test should be designed with multidimensionality and at least 10 items per domain and analyzed using the multidimensional IRT model. Specifically, the unidimensional dual-purpose test was able to produce reliable and accuracy but not diagnostically meaningful scores. Subscores obtained from an essentially unidimensional test were either unable to provide added value to the total score according to the PRMSE criterion or homogeneous to each other according to disattenuated correlations. The idiosyncratic multidimensional design was able to yield accurate, reliable, and diagnostically useful scores, but the validity of the diagnostic subscores was questionable, whose correlation disagreed with the true correlational structure. Consequently, even though subscores were identified distinct from the total score according to the PRMSE criterion, they were still nearly identical to each other according to the disattenuated correlations. On the other hand, the principled multidimensional design showed slightly lower accuracy and reliability in scores due to the principled "simple structure" of test design, but this sacrifice of accuracy and reliability ensured the interpretability and validity of diagnostic subscores, whose empirical correlational structure approximated the true structure. Furthermore, with respect to calibration methods, unidimensional calibration was found failing to distinguish subscores, and thus failing to give subscores useful diagnostic information, even though the subscores sometimes appeared more accurate and reliable than those obtained with the other two calibrations. The confirmatory multidimensional calibration and separate unidimensional calibration delivered very comparable results. Finally, alternative scoring methods were found either inappropriate to use or offering insignificant improvements over the raw scores

A TOP-DOWN APPROACH FOR OPTIMALLY DESIGNING MULTISTAGE-ADAPTIVE TESTS

In multistage-adaptive testing (MST), there are many interrelated design variables that impact the nature and quality of ability estimation. Previous research has identified general principles for the effective design of MSTs in terms of measurement performance. However, those principles are unlikely to apply uniformly to every testing context. The purpose of this dissertation is to propose a process of finding an MST design that has optimal measurement properties, given a specific set of test circumstances. To achieve this goal, an efficient strategy was introduced at each of three phases to discover the optimal design of the MST; constructing MSTs, systematically searching a design space of the MST, and evaluating the MST performance. For the first phase, a top-down approach was applied in this study. For the second phase, a way to systematically search the parameterized design space of an MST was used. For the third phase, a new analytical evaluation method for MST was proposed. In the dissertation, Study 1 proposed a new analytical evaluation method for MST. Using this new approach, measurement precision of ability estimation and classification accuracy could be derived analytically. The simulation results indicated that the new analytical method produced more exact measurement properties of an MST than the Monte Carlo simulation method. Therefore, the new analytical method would be the most efficient and competitive tool to asses measurement performance of an MST among other evaluation methods. Study 2 proposed a process to find a design of an MST that shows optimal measurement properties applying the three efficient strategies, given a specific set of testing context. The process consists of four important features: (1) setting a testing circumstance and MST design space, (2) systematically searching the MST design space using the top-down approach, (3) analytically evaluating measurement performance of an MST, and (4) computing objective functions. The suggested process was applied to a real item pool from a large-scale assessment. The results of the application study provided evidence that the process could be generalized to more complex and realistic test circumstances to create optimal designs of MST

Psychometrics in Practice at RCEC

A broad range of topics is dealt with in this volume: from combining the psychometric generalizability and item response theories to the ideas for an integrated formative use of data-driven decision making, assessment for learning and diagnostic testing. A number of chapters pay attention to computerized (adaptive) and classification testing. Other chapters treat the quality of testing in a general sense, but for topics like maintaining standards or the testing of writing ability, the quality of testing is dealt with more specifically.\ud All authors are connected to RCEC as researchers. They present one of their current research topics and provide some insight into the focus of RCEC. The selection of the topics and the editing intends that the book should be of special interest to educational researchers, psychometricians and practitioners in educational assessment

Strength, balance, and range of motion as modifiers of the effect of external load-bearing on functional movement behaviors in the military recruitment population

Clinical movement screens have become increasingly popular in strength and conditioning programs designed for the tactical athlete. Whereas conventionally administered movement screens are largely not sensitive to behaviors which impact soldier-relevant physical performance, recent evidence suggests that modified screens which incorporate external load-bearing strengthen the relationship between movement behaviors and performance outcomes. It remains unclear, however, which mechanisms may account for this improvement in association. Physical performance is considered a multidimensional construct influenced by several independent factors. Among the factors which influence military physical performance, movement screens may require high levels of strength, balance, and range of motion. This project used penalized interaction models to determine the role of strength, balance, and range of motion in modifying the effects of external load bearing on movement quality and movement. Additional confirmatory analyses examined differences in the abilities of FMS item scores to predict physical performance outcomes when those scores were obtained during control vs. external load-bearing conditions. Results suggest that the effect of load on movement complexity is modified by strength, balance, and range of motion whereas the effect on clinically rated movement quality is modified by only balance and range of motion. While the direction of the observed effects did not always coincide with our hypotheses, the present findings mirror those of previous research with respect to differential validity of weighted vs. control FMS item scores in predicting criterion performance measures

Numerical modeling of shape and topology optimisation of a piezoelectric cantilever beam in an energy-harvesting sensor

Piezoelectric materials are excellent transducers for converting mechanical energy from the environment for use as electrical energy. The conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy is a key component in the development of self-powered devices, especially enabling technology for wireless sensor networks. This paper proposes an alternative method for predicting the power output of a bimorph cantilever beam using a finite-element method for both static and dynamic frequency analyses. A novel approach is presented for optimising the cantilever beam, by which the power density is maximised and the structural volume is minimised simultaneously. A two-stage optimisation is performed, i.e., a shape optimisation and then a “topology” hole opening optimisation

Unhealthy weight control behaviours in adolescent girls: a process model based on self-determination theory

This study used self-determination theory (Deci, E.L., & Ryan, R.M. (2000). The 'what' and 'why' of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 227-268.) to examine predictors of body image concerns and unhealthy weight control behaviours in a sample of 350 Greek adolescent girls. A process model was tested which proposed that perceptions of parental autonomy support and two life goals (health and image) would predict adolescents' degree of satisfaction of their basic psychological needs. In turn, psychological need satisfaction was hypothesised to negatively predict body image concerns (i.e. drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction) and, indirectly, unhealthy weight control behaviours. The predictions of the model were largely supported indicating that parental autonomy support and adaptive life goals can indirectly impact upon the extent to which female adolescents engage in unhealthy weight control behaviours via facilitating the latter's psychological need satisfaction

Net versus combinatory effects of firm and industry antecedents of sales growth

This study examines antecedents of sales growth using a two-step mixed-method approach including analyses of net effects and combinatory effects. Based on a sample of 453 respondents from manufacturing and service firms, this article shows how the combination of structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) provides more detailed insights into the causal patterns of factors to explain sales growth. This article contributes to the extant literature by highlighting fsQCA as a useful method to analyze complex causality (specifically combinatory effects of antecedent conditions) and by discussing options regarding how this approach can be used to complement findings from conventional causal data analysis procedures that analyze net effects

'Possunt, quia posse videntur': They can because they think they can. Development and Validation of the Work Self-Efficacy Scale: Evidence from two Studies

Self-efficacy (SE) has been recognised as a pervasive mechanism of human agency influencing motivation, performance and well-being. In the organisational literature, it has been mainly assessed in relation to job tasks, leaving the emotional and interpersonal domains quite unexplored, despite their relevance. We aim to fill this gap by presenting a multidimensional work self-efficacy (W-SE) scale that assesses employees' perceived capability to manage tasks (task SE), negative emotions in stressful situations (negative emotional SE), and their conduct in social interactions, in terms of both defending their own point of view (assertive SE) and understanding others' states and needs (empathic SE). Results from two independent studies (Study 1, N=2192 employees; Study 2, N=700 employees) adopting both variable- and person-centred approaches support the validity of the scale. Findings of factor analyses suggest a bi-factor model positing a global W-SE factor and four specific W-SEs, which are invariant across gender and career stages. Multiple regressions show that global W-SE is associated with all considered criteria, task SE is associated positively with in-role behaviours and negatively with counterproductive behaviours; negative emotional SE is negatively associated with negative emotions and health-related symptoms; empathic SE is positively associated with extra-role behaviour; and, unexpectedly, assertive SE is positively associated with counterproductive work behaviour. However, results from a Latent Profile Analysis showed that the relationship between the SEs and criteria is complex, and that W-SE dimensions combine into different patterns, identifying four SE configurations associated with different levels of adjustment