Latent Profiles of Residential Stepfamily Relationship Quality and Family Stability

Stepfamilies are an increasingly common context in which adults and children reside. Past research has examined family processes that promote family resilience, such as dyadic relationships marked by warmth, positive communication, satisfaction, and closeness. What remains less clear is whether various profiles of dyadic relationship quality within stepfamilies exist and operate to influence stepfamily stability. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we conducted a latent profile analysis of mother-child, stepfather-child, and stepcouple relationship quality among a sample of 1,646 adolescents residing in married and cohabiting mother-stepfather families. Results favor a 4-profile solution, labeled high-quality, high-quality couple relationship, high-quality parent-child relationships, and low-quality. The identified latent profiles displayed differences with respect to family stability, or rates of remaining an intact family system 1 year later

Community Capacity and Behavior Problems Among Adolescents: A Contextual Effects Study Using Multilevel Logistic Regression

The present dissertation explored the influence of community capacity on behavior problems among adolescents. This study used 1990 census data and the National School Success Profile data set, which comprised a nationally representative sample of 6th- through 12th-grade students (N = 2,099) nested within 93 communities. The study used a contextual effects measurement approach and multilevel logistic regression to examine reports on four dependent variables (drug use, drinking, smoking, and sexual behavior). The study neither proved nor disproved study hypotheses. The present study highlights the need for complex contextual effects models. It suggests the need for conceptual frameworks that include both mediators and moderators such as caregiver support and community peer behavior problems. It also highlights the nuances associated with measuring dependent variables and establishing the structure of random effects in hierarchical generalized linear models. Finally, the study suggests that community interventions should extend beyond community capacity to include adolescents' caregivers and peers

Using a Contextual Effects Measurement Approach to Understand the Influence of Community on Individual Behavior

A social organization perspective identifies processes operating in the community that may influence an individual’s behavior. To understand such processes, researchers can apply a contextual effects measurement approach, which is used to assess the influence of group-level effects on lower level outcomes. However, few community studies employ this approach. The purpose of this article is to present and evaluate the merits of the contextual effects measurement approach

Quantifying the Borderline Candidate in Standard Setting

Background: Conceptualising the Borderline candidate is one of the most difficult tasks in standard setting. However, it is also central to the process. Here we set out to develop a methodology by which the score of borderline candidates can be retrospectively calculated from the Facility index (the percentage of items answered correctly) of assessment items. Methods: We explored performance of all candidates in an academic year in one UK medical school, covering 26 separate assessments. Each assessment had previously been standard set by either Angoff or Borderline Regressions methods. We identified Borderline candidates by reviewing their performance across all assessments in their year. A student was classed as 'Borderline' if they were within 1 Standard Error of Measurement above the pass score, or below the pass score, when a variety of cut-off points were explored experimentally. We plotted the item scores of the Borderline candidates as calculated by each method in comparison with Facility for the whole cohort, and fitted curves to the resulting distributions. Results: Borderline candidate scores intercepted the self-plot of all candidate scores at two places - at a facility of 100% and a facility of 20%. These correspond to all candidates getting the item correct and all candidates guessing the outcome. We observed a strong curvilinear distribution showed by Borderline candidates compared to the whole cohort. This relationship was well described by an exponential of the form y ≈ C·exp(F·x), where y is the Facility of Borderline candidates on that Item, x is the observed Item Facility of the whole cohort, and C and F are constants. We found C and F had similar values under different conditions. Using the typical values for C and F and the observed cohort facility, we could predict the probable Facility for Borderline candidates over the test: in other words, we could calculate the appropriate cut score for Borderline candidates. Differentiating the equation indicates where the assessment ought to be most sensitive. Conclusions: This approach can be used to standard-set assessments in their entirety when they are low stakes or norm referenced, in preference to Cohen methods. Where Cohen methods are based on the performance of one candidate (or a very small number of candidates), this exponential method is based on all candidates and all items and is therefore more robust. In high stakes assessments, it can be used to correct values where the Facility is very different from the standard-set value, and its use in this context for the UK General Medical Council proposed national exam. It could also be used to standard set novel items such as Very Short Answer formats, where standard setting panels are unfamiliar with the expected performance of these items

An Inexpensive Retrospective Standard Setting Method Based on Item Facilities

Background Standard setting is one of the most challenging aspects of assessment in high-stakes healthcare settings. The Angoff methodology is widely used, but poses a number of challenges, including conceptualisation of the just-passing candidate, and the time-cost of implementing the method. Cohen methodologies are inexpensive and rapid but rely on the performance of an individual candidate. A new method of standard setting, based on the entire cohort and every item, would be valuable. Methods We identified Borderline candidates by reviewing their performance across all assessments in an academic year. We plotted the item scores of the Borderline candidates in comparison with Facility for the whole cohort and fitted curves to the resulting distribution. Results It is observed that for any given Item, an equation of the form y ≈ C.eFx where y is the Facility of Borderline candidates on that Item, x is the observed Item Facility of the whole cohort, and C and F are constants, predicts the probable Facility for Borderline candidates over the test, in other words, the cut score for Borderline candidates. We describe ways of estimating C and F in any given circumstance, and suggest typical values arising from this particular study: that C = 12.3 and F = 0.021. Conclusions C and F are relatively stable, and that the equation y = 12.3.e0.021x can rapidly be applied to the item Facility for every item. The average value represents the cut score for the assessment as a whole. This represents a novel retrospective method based on test takers. Compared to the Cohen method which draws on one score and one candidate, this method draws on all items and candidates in a test. We propose that it can be used to standard set a whole test, or a particular item where the predicted Angoff score is very different from the observed Facility

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health Conditions Among Multiracial Adolescents

The relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health conditions have received much attention in the literature. A particularly well-documented type of ACE is household dysfunction. However, compared to monoracial youth, little is known about the relationship between this type of ACE and mental health outcomes among multiracial adolescents. Objective The objective of this study was to verify the factor structure of the household dysfunction type of ACE using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), and then examine whether household dysfunction (measured as a latent construct) was associated with mental health conditions among multiracial adolescents. Design We used cross-sectional data collected in 2016 from caregivers who completed the NSCH and analyzed data from a subpopulation of adolescents (12–17) who reported more than one race (n = 1,231). Mplus 8.4 was used to conduct confirmatory factor analysis and probit models from a structural equation modeling framework. Results Results from this study indicated that the household dysfunction type of ACE, as a latent construct, had good model fit and was significantly associated with depression [standardized coefficient [B] = .50, 95% confidence interval [CI] .36, .65], anxiety [B = .61, 95% CI .48, .73], behavior problems [B = .58, 95% CI .44, .72], and ADHD [B = .54, 95% CI .38, .69] for multiracial adolescents. Conclusions Household dysfunction may result in adolescents being separated (physically or emotionally) from their caregivers, which may hinder adolescents’ ability to establish or maintain one of the most important relationships needed to promote racial/ethnic identity development and mental health. Implications for advancements in theory and NSCH are presented

A Framework Plan for Preservation and Growth in Creswell, Harford County, Maryland

Final project for URSP688D: Recent Developments in Urban Studies; Scenario Planning Workshop (Spring 2019). University of Maryland, College Park.HarfordNEXT, the county’s 2016 Masterplan, calls for a comprehensive analysis of facilities needed to serve Creswell and asserts that future development must be compatible with the preservation of Creswell’s rural character. This mandate is the basis for the present study, conducted under the auspices of the University of Maryland’s PALS program in the spring semester of 2019. The HarfordNEXT language about the Creswell study is also the basis for five of this report’s goals: Conserve Farming; Protect the Environment; Preserve Rural Character; Minimize Traffic Impacts; Maintain Adequate Infrastructure. In addition to these goals, the team added two others: Provide Additional Housing; Ensure Positive Fiscal Impact. This course examined TDR (transfer of development rights) using CommunityViz software, and also conducted scenario planning using transportation and fiscal models. The appendix document was a collaborative effort, with the following courses completing the background reports for sewer and water infrastructure, environmental impacts, and public services in the Creswell area: ENCE422 Project Cost Accounting and Economics, LARC642 Graduate Studio III, LAW577B Environmental Legal Clinic, and URSP640 Growth Management and Environmental Planning.Harford Count

Haloes gone MAD: The Halo-Finder Comparison Project

[abridged] We present a detailed comparison of fundamental dark matter halo properties retrieved by a substantial number of different halo finders. These codes span a wide range of techniques including friends-of-friends (FOF), spherical-overdensity (SO) and phase-space based algorithms. We further introduce a robust (and publicly available) suite of test scenarios that allows halo finder developers to compare the performance of their codes against those presented here. This set includes mock haloes containing various levels and distributions of substructure at a range of resolutions as well as a cosmological simulation of the large-scale structure of the universe. All the halo finding codes tested could successfully recover the spatial location of our mock haloes. They further returned lists of particles (potentially) belonging to the object that led to coinciding values for the maximum of the circular velocity profile and the radius where it is reached. All the finders based in configuration space struggled to recover substructure that was located close to the centre of the host halo and the radial dependence of the mass recovered varies from finder to finder. Those finders based in phase space could resolve central substructure although they found difficulties in accurately recovering its properties. Via a resolution study we found that most of the finders could not reliably recover substructure containing fewer than 30-40 particles. However, also here the phase space finders excelled by resolving substructure down to 10-20 particles. By comparing the halo finders using a high resolution cosmological volume we found that they agree remarkably well on fundamental properties of astrophysical significance (e.g. mass, position, velocity, and peak of the rotation curve).Comment: 27 interesting pages, 20 beautiful figures, and 4 informative tables accepted for publication in MNRAS. The high-resolution version of the paper as well as all the test cases and analysis can be found at the web site http://popia.ft.uam.es/HaloesGoingMA