Construct Validity in Scientific Representation: A Philosophical Tour

This article presents a philosophical tour encircling the concept construct validity. Encapsulated by two major perspectives, realism and antirealism, we visit key topics within the philosophy of educational science such as representation and reference, truth, explanation and causation. We discuss how realism and antirealism deal with unobservables through the distinction between appearance and reality. We examine the two perspectives’ stance on observational terms (O-terms) and theoretical terms (T-terms), and look at the consequences implied for researchers that reside within the two perspectives. We argue that the understanding of the concept of construct validity is essential for educational researchers and researchers from any scientific discipline. Furthermore, the discussions of construct validity raised here is important beyond the research realm, such as in educational practice and in all everyday inferences people make about theoretical entities. Any researcher and practitioner is free to choose between the -isms, but must be aware that the choice has consequences.publishedVersio

Very low association between multidimensional musical environment exposure and musical perception skills among children: Evidence from a large multilevel cross-sectional study

This study aimed to explore whether music perception is correlated with the load of exposure to musical activities in daily life, such as attending musical events, playing an instrument, attending music classes (at school or for a social project), and the time children spend listening to music using a non-experimental design. We are reusing data from the studies by Barros et al. and Cogo-Moreira & Lamont, from a random school-based sample (multilevel design) including 1,006 children from first to fifth grade in 14 schools in São Paulo, Brazil. Data were collected using the “M-factor”, a new paradigm to assess music perception, and a questionnaire to track children’s self-reported musical activities related to their individual daily lives in different environments (home and school). At the within-participants level, self-reported exposure to music activity accounted for only 5.3% of the variance in music perception after adjusting for age and sex. Hence, the magnitude of the association between music exposure and music perception skills was small when both music exposure and music perception skills were evaluated under continuous scores and using a heterogeneous population.publishedVersio

A Review of Research Studying Film and Television Representations of ASD

An increasing number of characters with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are appearing in film and television, leading to increased public perceptions of ASD. This review examined the current state of research focused on ASD representations in film and television, and the extent to which characterizations of ASD have been studied. Eighty-seven characters with ASD were discussed across the 26 articles. Characters were culturally and linguistically diverse, and portrayals of ASD appear to be moving away from typical disability-tropes. Researchers studying ASD portrayals were also culturally and academically diverse, with the majority representing fields outside of traditional ASD research disciplines. Connecting diverse methodological procedures may be a useful next-step to enhance empirical studies of ASD representations.publishedVersio

Therapists’ experiences with providing guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with mild to moderate depression: a thematic analysis

Introduction: Guided internet-delivered therapy has shown promising results for patients with mild and moderate depressive disorder, but several challenges with the format have been reported. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate therapists’ experiences providing guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with mild and moderate depression. Material and methods: Twelve therapists were interviewed, and the interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results and conclusion: Three themes were created: (1) For the right person, at the right time. This theme is about therapists’ experiences appointing patients to the program. It is challenging to predict which patients will benefit from it, and it is not the right option for all patients. (2) It is not like chatting on Facebook. The second theme was about the experiences with demands on clinics, therapists and patients that must be considered. The internet-delivered treatment should not be viewed as a simple treatment option, and the value of having contact with the patients during treatment was emphasized. (3) It is like a railroad, but without the switches. This theme was about the experiences with how the treatment content was conveyed to the patients, how the therapists expressed concerns with the usability of the program and the reported need for more possibilities in tailoring treatment for each patient.publishedVersio

Discussions of Asperger Syndrome on Social Media: Content and Sentiment Analysis on Twitter

Background: On May 8, 2021, Elon Musk, a well-recognized entrepreneur and business magnate, revealed on a popular television show that he has Asperger syndrome. Research has shown that people’s perceptions of a condition are modified when influential individuals in society publicly disclose their diagnoses. It was anticipated that Musk's disclosure would contribute to discussions on the internet about the syndrome, and also to a potential change in the perception of this condition. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the types of information contained in popular tweets about Asperger syndrome as well as their engagement and sentiment before and after Musk’s disclosure. Methods: We extracted tweets that were published 1 week before and after Musk's disclosure that had received >30 likes and included the terms “Aspergers” or “Aspie.” The content of each post was classified by 2 independent coders as to whether the information provided was valid, contained misinformation, or was neutral. Furthermore, we analyzed the engagement on these posts and the expressed sentiment by using the AFINN sentiment analysis tool. Results: We extracted a total of 227 popular tweets (34 posted the week before Musk’s announcement and 193 posted the week after). We classified 210 (92.5%) of the tweets as neutral, 13 (5.7%) tweets as informative, and 4 (1.8%) as containing misinformation. Both informative and misinformative tweets were posted after Musk’s disclosure. Popular tweets posted before Musk’s disclosure were significantly more engaging (received more comments, retweets, and likes) than the tweets posted the week after. We did not find a significant difference in the sentiment expressed in the tweets posted before and after the announcement. Conclusions: The use of social media platforms by health authorities, autism associations, and other stakeholders has the potential to increase the awareness and acceptance of knowledge about autism and Asperger syndrome. When prominent figures disclose their diagnoses, the number of posts about their particular condition tends to increase and thus promote a potential opportunity for greater outreach to the general public about that condition.publishedVersio