The Jefferson Scale of Empathy: a nationwide study of measurement properties, underlying components, latent variable structure, and national norms in medical students.

The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE) is a broadly used instrument developed to measure empathy in the context of health professions education and patient care. Evidence in support of psychometrics of the JSE has been reported in health professions students and practitioners with the exception of osteopathic medical students. This study was designed to examine measurement properties, underlying components, and latent variable structure of the JSE in a nationwide sample of first-year matriculants at U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine, and to develop a national norm table for the assessment of JSE scores. A web-based survey was administered at the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year which included the JSE, a scale to detect good impression responses, and demographic/background information. Usable surveys were received from 6009 students enrolled in 41 college campuses (median response rate = 92%). The JSE mean score and standard deviation for the sample were 116.54 and 10.85, respectively. Item-total score correlations were positive and statistically significant (p \u3c 0.01), and Cronbach α = 0.82. Significant gender differences were observed on the JSE scores in favor of women. Also, significant differences were found on item scores between top and bottom third scorers on the JSE. Three factors of Perspective Taking, Compassionate Care, and Walking in Patient\u27s Shoes emerged in an exploratory factor analysis by using half of the sample. Results of confirmatory factor analysis with another half of the sample confirmed the 3-factor model. We also developed a national norm table which is the first to assess students\u27 JSE scores against national data

Eye quietness and quiet eye in expert and novice golf performance: an electrooculographic analysis

Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the feasibility of measuring the QE using electrooculography (EOG) and developed an index to assess ocular activity across time: eye quietness (EQ). Ten expert and ten novice golfers putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. Horizontal EOG (2ms resolution) was recorded from two electrodes placed on the outer sides of the eyes. QE duration was measured using a EOG voltage threshold and comprised the sum of the pre-movement and post-movement initiation components. EQ was computed as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins from –4 to +2 s, relative to backswing initiation: lower values indicate less movement of the eyes, hence greater quietness. Finally, we measured club-ball address and swing durations. T-tests showed that total QE did not differ between groups (p = .31); however, experts had marginally shorter pre-movement QE (p = .08) and longer post-movement QE (p < .001) than novices. A group × time ANOVA revealed that experts had less EQ before backswing initiation and greater EQ after backswing initiation (p = .002). QE durations were inversely correlated with EQ from –1.5 to 1 s (rs = –.48 - –.90, ps = .03 - .001). Experts had longer swing durations than novices (p = .01) and, importantly, swing durations correlated positively with post-movement QE (r = .52, p = .02) and negatively with EQ from 0.5 to 1s (r = –.63, p = .003). This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring ocular activity using EOG and validates EQ as an index of ocular activity. Its findings challenge the dominant perspective on QE and provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute skills

Combinative Aspects of Leadership Style and Emotional Intelligence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the leader’s emotional intelligence influences the leader’s preferences for different ways of combining leadership behaviors (i.e. combinative aspects of leadership style). Design/methodology/approach – The authors used a hybrid design to collect the data to avoid common-method biases. The authors described a high-stress workplace in a vignette and asked participants to rank four styles of combining a task-oriented leadership (i.e. Pressure) statement and a socio-emotional leadership (i.e. Support) statement. The authors then asked participants to complete a Likert-scale based questionnaire on emotional intelligence. Findings – The authors found that leaders who prefer to provide Support immediately before Pressure have higher levels of emotional intelligence than do leaders who prefer the three other combinative styles. Leaders who prefer to provide Pressure and Support separately (i.e. provide Pressure 30 minutes after Support) have the lowest levels of emotional intelligence. Research limitations/implications – A key implicit assumption in the work is that leaders do not want to evoke negative emotions in followers. The authors did not take into account factors that influence leadership style which participating managers would be likely to encounter on a daily basis such as the relationship with the follower, the follower’s level of performance and work experience, the gender of the leader and the gender of the follower, the hierarchical levels of the leader and follower, and the followers’ preferred combinative style. The nature of the sample and the use of a hypothetical scenario are other limitations of the study. Practical implications – Providing leadership behaviors that are regarded as effective is necessary but not enough because the emotional impact of leadership behaviors appears to also depend on how the behaviors are configured. Originality/value – This is the first study to show that the emotional intelligence of leaders is related to their preferences for the manner in which they combine task and social leadership statements. Furthermore, two-factor theories of leadership propose that the effects of task and social leadership are additive. However, the findings show that the effects are interactive

Examining the psychometric properties of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligences Scale (WLEIS)

Emotional intelligence is an individual’s ability to perceive accurately, evaluate and express emotions. One of the instruments to measure emotional intelligence is the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) which consist of four dimensions namely self-emotional appraisal, others’ emotional appraisal, regulation of emotion and use of emotion. The main aim of this research was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS). This was a survey research using a set of questionnaires. A total of 150 newly appointed administrative officers who were undergoing a compulsory course participated in this study. The instruments used were the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). In evaluating the reliability of WLEIS, alpha Cronbach and split half methods were used. In addition, criterion and construct validity methods were used to test its validity. Results obtained showed that the Bahasa Malaysia version of the WLEIS was valid and using principal component analysis with varimax rotation method, four components were extracted with 75.1% variance. The WLEIS also showed good criterion validity from the significant correlations with the criteria of organizational commitment and satisfaction with life. Furthermore, the results of reliability were satisfactory with alpha Cronbach ranging from 0.83 to 0.92 for all the dimensions. Results of split half reliability also showed the instrument was reliable with the coefficient ranging from 0.81 to 0.95

Predicting language learners' grades in the L1, L2, L3 and L4: the effect of some psychological and sociocognitive variables

This study of 89 Flemish high-school students' grades for L1 (Dutch), L2 (French), L3 (English) and L4 (German) investigates the effects of three higher-level personality dimensions (psychoticism, extraversion, neuroticism), one lower-level personality dimension (foreign language anxiety) and sociobiographical variables (gender, social class) on the participants' language grades. Analyses of variance revealed no significant effects of the higher-level personality dimensions on grades. Participants with high levels of foreign language anxiety obtained significantly lower grades in the L2 and L3. Gender and social class had no effect. Strong positive correlations between grades in the different languages could point to an underlying sociocognitive dimension. The implications of these findings are discussed

The Relationship between Psycholinguistic Features of Religious Words and Core Dimensions of Religiosity: A Survey Study with Japanese Participants

Previous studies have reported that religious words and religiosity affect mental processes and behaviors. However, it is unclear what psycholinguistic features of religious words (e.g., familiarity, imageability, and emotional aspects) are associated with each dimension of personal religiosity (intellect, ideology, public practice, private practice, and experience). The purpose of this study was to examine whether and how the above-mentioned psycholinguistic features of religious words correlate with each of the core dimensions of religiosity. Japanese participants evaluated four psycholinguistic features of twelve religious words using a 5-point Semantic Differential scale for familiarity and imageability and a 9-point Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) scale for emotional valence and emotional arousal. The participants also rated their own religiosity using the Japanese version of the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (JCRS). The results of the study revealed that (1) the scales measuring the psycholinguistic features of religious words were statistically reliable; (2) the JCRS was reliable; (3) the familiarity, emotional valence, and emotional arousal of religious words and each mean dimensional score of the JCRS score correlated positively with each other; and (4) highly religious people had higher familiarity and higher emotional arousal to religious words than non-religious people, whereas highly religious people had higher emotional valence to religious words in comparison with non-religious and religious people. In addition, religious people had higher familiarity to religious words than non-religious people. Taken together, these findings suggest that psycholinguistic features of religious words contribute to the detection of religiosity

Development and Validation of a Japanese Version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents

Purpose: We developed a Japanese version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (ERQ-CA) and examined its reliability and validity across three studies.Patients and Methods: In Study 1, the Japanese version of ERQ-CA was developed and administered to 389 children aged 8– 12 years. In Study 2, the questionnaire was administered to 1738 adolescents aged 12– 18 years. In Study 3, utilizing a sample of 1300 children and adolescents, the test was administered twice over a period of four weeks in order to assess test–retest reliability.Results: In Study 1, the Japanese version of ERQ-CA showed the same factor structure as the original version, along with good internal consistency reliability and acceptable construct validity. In Study 2, the questionnaire’s factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and construct validity were again confirmed. Finally, in Study 3, measurement invariance was tested across distinct age groups (8– 11, 12– 15, and 16– 18 years), and the questionnaire had good test–retest reliability over a period of four weeks.Conclusion: The Japanese version of the ERQ-CA had good reliability and validity

Measurement quality of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for assessing psychosocial behaviour among Dutch adolescents

Approximately 15 to 25 percent of all adolescents experience psychosocial problems. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is widely used to screen for such problems. The studies in this dissertation provide insight into how useful the self-reported and parent-reported SDQ versions are among Dutch 12- to 17-year-olds in child and adolescent (mental) healthcare (Dutch: Jeugdgezondheidszorg, Jeugd Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg). The scales, especially of the parent-reported SDQ version, are useful for distinguishing between adolescents with psychosocial problems and those without such problems. Additionally, both SDQ versions, especially the parent-reported version, are useful for providing a preliminary indication of the type of psychosocial problems at hand (Anxiety/Mood disorder, Conduct/Oppositional Defiant Disorder, ADHD). The scales of the parent-reported version were also indicative of Autism Spectrum Disorders; the scales of the self-reported version were not. The use of the SDQ can be optimized by combining all scales of both SDQ versions into an SDQ profile. We found such profiles to be more useful for screening purposes than the so-called SDQ total difficulties scale was. In summary: The findings support the use of the SDQ among Dutch adolescents. Up until now, healthcare professional did not know if, and if so which, SDQ scales could be used for the benefit of adolescents. To inform them about the possibilities, and to help them interpret SDQ scale scores, a summary of the findings from this dissertation and new Dutch SDQ norms are presented in a manual that has been distributed among users of the SDQ (https://assets.ncj.nl/docs/a299fba5-d5e3-4c96-8d90-0605c185b0d9.pdf)