The transtheoretical model and obesity: a bibliometric study

The Transtheoretical Model of behaviour change is currently one of the most promising models in terms of understanding and promoting behaviour change related to the acquisition of healthy living habits. By means of a bibliographic search of papers adopting a TTM approach to obesity, the present bibliometric study enables the scientific output in this field to be evaluated. The results obtained reveal a growing interest in applying this model to both the treatment of obesity and its prevention. Otherwise, author and journal outputs fit the models proposed by Lotka and Bradford, respectively

Evaluación del funcionamiento diferencial en items dicotómicos:una revisión metodológica.

Gran parte de la investigación psicométrica de las últimas décadas se centra en estudios del funcionamiento diferencial de los items (DIF) que analizan la imparcialidad de los tests con respecto a distintos grupos de sujetos. Este trabajo expone las principales técnicas de detección del DIF con items dicotómicos, valorando las ventajas e inconvenientes de cada una de ellas. La breve reseña de los primeros métodos incondicionales, en los que no se igualaban los grupos con respecto al nivel en el rasgo medido, da paso a una detallada evaluación de los métodos condicionales, clasificándolos en función de si las comparaciones entre grupos se llevan a cabo con respecto a una variable latente o a una variable observada. Se finaliza con un análisis de las aplicaciones prácticas de estas técnicas a diversos contenidos que ponen de manifiesto la necesidad de la utilización rutinaria de estudios de DIF, tanto en la evaluación de tests existentes como en el desarrollo de nuevos instrumentos de medida

Funcionamiento diferencial del ítem y puntuaciones de corte: implicaciones en la interpretación de las puntuaciones de los tests

Psychological and educational measurement instruments are used to make decisions that can have an important impact on the person being assessed. It is therefore essential to ensure that tests are free from bias so that the scores they yield provide a fair interpretation. This study aimed to assess the impact that items showing differential functioning may have on test interpretations based on cut-off scores. To this end a simulation study was conductedin which we manipulated the size of the comparison groups (100, 250,500 and 1000), the magnitude of differential item functioning (DIF) (set at 0.8 for the difference between the difficulty parameters of the two groups) and the degree of test contamination (0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of items with differentialfunctioning). Overall, the simulation considered 20 conditions, 1000 replications and a 20-item test. Results indicated that the selected cut-off did have an influence, and as the degree of test contamination increased, greater differences between the groups were erroneously detected, both in terms of statistical test significance and effect size obtained. These findings highlight the importance of ensuring that measurement instruments are free from DIF so that the interpretation of scores is both accurate and fair, this being a key aspect of a test’s validity.Los instrumentos de medida psicológicos y educativos se emplean en la toma de decisiones que afectan de modo relevante a las personas evaluadas. Por ello es clave que se garantice una interpretación equitativa de las puntuaciones obtenidas, mediante la utilización de tests no sesgados. El objetivo del trabajo es valorar el impacto de la presencia de ítems con funcionamiento diferencial en las interpretaciones basadas en puntuaciones de corte. Para ello se diseñó un estudio de simulación en que se manipuló el tamaño muestral de los grupos de comparación (100, 250, 500 y 1000), la magnitud de funcionamiento diferencial del ítem (establecida en 0.8 como diferencias entre los parámetros de dificultad de ambos grupos) y el grado de contaminación del test (0%, 10%, 20%, 30% y 40% de ítems con funcionamiento diferencial). En total se trabajó con 20 condiciones, 1000 réplicas y un test  de 20 ítems. Los resultados evidenciaron la influencia del punto de corte seleccionado y mostraron que a mayor grado de contaminación del test se detectan erróneamente mayores diferencias entre los grupos de comparación, tanto a nivel de la prueba de significación como del tamaño del efecto estudiados. Todo ello permite concluir la relevancia de obtener evidencias de ausencia de DIF en los instrumentos de medida para lograr una interpretación precisa y equitativa de sus puntuaciones, en el marco de la validez del test

The Conners' adult ADHD rating scales-Short self-report and observer forms: Psychometric properties of the catalan version

Abstract Objective: To validate the Catalan adaptation of the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS), short version (selfreport: CAARS-S:S; observer: CAARS-O:S). Method: A community sample of 424 adults responded to the two forms. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the dimensional structure. Results: The hypothesized four-factor model (Inattention/Memory Problems, Hyperactivity/Restlessness, Impulsivity/Emotional Lability, and Problems With Self-Concept) presented an adequate fit for the self-report and observer forms. Reliability was slightly higher for the CAARS-O:S (average a = .78) than for the CAARS-S:S (average a = .75). Test retest average correlations were r = .80 (self-reports) and r = .73 (observer ratings). Informant agreement was high at test (average r = .59) and retest (average r = .61). There were significant gender and age differences. Conclusion: This adaptation of the two short forms of the CAARS-S presents adequate evidence of validity and reliability, and it can therefore be used for diagnostic purposes and cross-cultural comparisons. (J. of Att. Dis. 2014; 18(8) 671-679

El exceso de información sobre la pandemia ya ha hecho mella en nuestra salud mental

La exposición a la avalancha de información surgida en las redes sociales y medios de comunicación en tiempos de pandemia puede afectar seriamente a la salud mental de las personas

A Systematic Review of Executive Function and Information Processing Speed in Major Depression Disorder

Background: Major depression is a psychiatric disorder characterized neuropsychologically by poor performance in tasks of memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the evidence regarding the neuropsychological profile of people with major depression and to determine which of two explanatory models¿the processing speed hypothesis or the cognitive effort hypothesis¿has most empirical support. Methods: We searched three relevant databases and reviewed the reference lists of the articles retrieved. The results obtained with the Trail Making Test and the Stroop Color-Word Test were reviewed for 37 studies published between 1993 and 2020. Results: The empirical evidence supports both hypotheses: cognitive effort and processing speed, suggesting that depression is not only characterized by psychomotor slowing but also involves a specific deficit in executive function. Discussion: We discuss potentially relevant variables that should be considered in future research in order to improve knowledge about the neurocognitive profile of depression. The main limitation of this study derives from the considerable heterogeneity of participants with MD, which makes it difficult to compare and integrate the data