174 research outputs found
Similarity Structure Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling in Studying Latent Structures: An Application to the Attitudes towards Portuguese Language Questionnaire
Several international studies such as PISA and PILRS (Progress in
International Reading Literacy Study), have stressed the importance of positive attitudes
and behaviours as facilitators of individuals reading literacy during the school years
and throughout their lives.
Considering that there are not available instruments for assessing attitudes Towards
Portuguese Language, it was proposed the development of the Attitudes towards
Portuguese Language Questionnaire – ATPLQ (Questionário de Atitudes Face Ã
LÃngua Portuguesa: QAFLP, Neto et al., 2011; Rebelo, 2012). The questionnaire has
22 Likert-type items, with four levels of response (Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree,
Strongly Agree), spread, through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), over three attitudinal
dimensions: Behavioural, Affective, and Motivational.In this study we aimed to analyse
the ATPLQ’s latent structure with a pooled sample data of 1441 participants, applying
similarity structure analysis (SSA) and confirmatory factor analysis of ordinal data
(CFA). The SSA was carried out with Hudap in order to identify the structural properties
of the questionnaire and to assess its adequacy in a Portuguese population. The CFA
was carried out with LISREL in order to assure structural validity, i.e., accounting
for factorial validity, but also for factors’ convergent and discriminant validity, and
composite reliability. These psychometric features allowed the comparison of both the
EFA derived model and the SSA derived model.
We justify the selection of the SSA’s model, and we discuss the similarities between the
results generated by SSA and LISREL procedures, highlighting their use in modeling
constructs with ordinal indicators
Test of Emotional Comprehension: Exploring the underlying structure through Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Similarity Structure Analysis.
Some decades of research on emotional development have underlined the contribution of several domains to emotional understanding in childhood. Based on this research, Pons and colleagues (Pons & Harris, 2002; Pons, Harris & Rosnay, 2004) have proposed the Test of Emotional Comprehension (TEC) which assesses nine domains of emotional understanding, namely the recognition of emotions, based on facial expressions; the comprehension of external emotional causes; impact of desire on emotions; emotions based on beliefs; memory influence on emotions; possibility of emotional regulation; possibility of hiding an emotional state; having mixed emotions; contribution of morality to emotional experiences. This instrument was administered individually to 182 Portuguese children aged between 8 and 11 years, of 3rd and 4th grades, in public schools. Additionally, we used the Socially in Action-Peers (SAp) (Rocha, Candeias & Lopes da Silva, 2012) to assess TEC’s criterion-related validity. Mean differences results in TEC by gender and by socio-economic status (SES) were analyzed. The results of the TEC’s psychometric analysis were performed in terms of items’ sensitivity and reliability (stability, test-retest). Finally, in order to explore the theoretical structure underlying TEC a Confirmatory Factor Analysis and a Similarity Structure Analysis were computed. Implications of these findings for emotional understanding assessment and intervention in childhood are discussed
Social competence and emotional comprehension: How are they related in children?
The developmental progression of emotional competence in childhood provides
a robust evidence for its relation to social competence and important adjustment outcomes.
This study aimed to analyze how this association is established in middle childhood. For
this purpose, we tested 182 Portuguese children aged between 8 and 11 years, of 3rd and 4th
grades, in public schools. Firstly, for assessing social competence we used an instrument
directed to children using critical social situations within the relationships with peers in
the school context - Socially in Action-Peers (SAp) (Rocha, Candeias & Lopes da Silva,
2012); children were assessed by three sources: themselves, their peers and their teacher.
Secondly, we assessed children’s emotional understanding, individually, with the Test of
Emotion Comprehension (Pons & Harris, 2002; Pons, Harris & Rosnay, 2004). Relations
between social competence levels (in a composite score and using self, peers and teachers’
scores) and emotional comprehension components (comprehension of the recognition of
emotions, based on facial expressions; external emotional causes; contribute of desire to
emotion; emotions based on belief; memory influence under emotional state evaluation;
possibility of emotional regulation; possibility of hiding an emotional state; having mixed
emotions; contribution of morality to emotion experience) were investigated by means of
two SSA (Similarity Structure Analysis) - a Multidimensional Scaling procedure and the
external variable as points technique. In the first structural analysis (SSA) we will consider
self, peers and teachers’ scores on Social Competence as content variables and TEC as
external variable; in the second SSA we will consider TEC components as content variables
and Social Competence in their different levels as external variable. The implications of
these MDS procedures in order to better understand how social competence and emotional
comprehension are related in children is discussed, as well as the repercussions of these
findings for social competence and emotional understanding assessment and intervention
in childhood is examined
Test of Emotion Comprehension: Exploring the underlying structure through Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Similarity Structure Analysis
Some decades of research on emotional development have underlined the
contribution of several domains to emotional understanding in childhood. Based on
this research, Pons and colleagues (Pons & Harris, 2002; Pons, Harris & Rosnay,
2004) have proposed the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC) which assesses nine
domains of emotional understanding, namely the recognition of emotions, based on
facial expressions; the comprehension of external emotional causes; impact of desire
on emotions; emotions based on beliefs; memory influence on emotions; possibility of
emotional regulation; possibility of hiding an emotional state; having mixed emotions;
contribution of morality to emotional experiences. This instrument was administered
individually to 182 Portuguese children aged between 8 and 11 years, of 3rd and 4th
grades, in public schools. Additionally, we used the Socially in Action-Peers (SAp)
(Rocha, Candeias & Lopes da Silva, 2012) to assess TEC’s criterion-related validity.
Mean differences results in TEC by gender and by socio-economic status (SES) were
analyzed. The results of the TEC’s psychometric analysis were performed in terms of
items’ sensitivity and reliability (stability, test-retest). Finally, in order to explore the
theoretical structure underlying TEC a Confirmatory Factor Analysis and a Similarity
Structure Analysis were computed. Implications of these findings for emotional
understanding assessment and intervention in childhood are discussed
Socially in Action-Peers (SAp)
This study aimed to demonstrate the value and psychometric qualities of
an instrument that assesses social competence for children in critical social situations
within the relationships with peers in the school context - Socially in Action-Peers
(SAp) using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Similarity Structure Analysis
(SSA). This instrument was administered to 182 Portuguese children aged between 8
and 11 years, of 3rd and 4th grades. These children were assessed by three sources:
themselves, their peers and their teacher. Additionally, we used the Test of Emotion
Comprehension (Pons & Harris, 2002; Pons, Harris & Rosnay, 2004) to assess SAp’s
criterion-related validity. Mean differences results in SAp by gender were analyzed.
Concerning to gender, we only have found gender significant differences in a few items
and in the general assessment made by teachers, in which girls being considered superior.
The results of the SAp’s psychometric analysis are satisfactory, both in terms of items’
sensitivity and reliability (internal consistency) in three versions (self-assessment, peer
and teacher). Finally, we performed a confirmatory factor analysis that confirmed that
the model underlying the instrument’s rational: a hierarchical model with a 1st order
factor (composite social competence) that has three factors of 2nd order (consisting of
the three sources of evaluation: self, peers and teacher). In addition the CFA data were
analyzed through Louis Guttman’s SSA - a non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS)
procedure. CFA and SSA confirmed the psychometric qualities of SAp and identified
the subscales and dynamic relationships between them. Implications of these findings
for social competence assessment and intervention in childhood are discussed, as well
as, the advantages and disadvantages of CFA compared to SSA for empirical validation
of psychological constructs are examined
The use of Similarity Structure Analysis in the identification of students’ functional profiles of competence
This study aims to identify students’ functional profiles - describing the
representational functions available to consolidate certain school competences,
in a sample of 670 students of Portuguese Basic Schools, in which 58,3%
were girls and 41,7% were boys (33,6% from 1st level, 36,0% from 2nd level
and 30,4% from 3rd level). Four instruments were used: Questionnaire of the
Attitudes Towards School, Questionnaire of the Attitudes Towards Portuguese
Language, Questionnaire of the Attitudes Towards Mathematics and EQi-yv.
Based on the SSA the polar structure observed, combined with the relative position
of the external variable, it is possible to suggest the existence of differentiated profiles
considering personal and scholarly features that become more efficient with school
progress, pointing out the necessity to consider these variables independently when
school policy decisions are taken. The advantages of these techniques to improve
the characterization and interpretation of the complexity and multidimensionality of
students´ profiles and their consequences for educational and psychological assessment
and intervention are discussed
Cognitive Assessment System (CAS): Psychometric studies with Portuguese children from 7 to 15 years.
The Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) is a new measure of cognitive
abilities based on the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous and Successive (PASS) Theory.
This theory is derived from research in neuropsychological and cognitive Psychology
with particular emphasis on the work of Luria (1973). According to Naglieri (1999) and
Naglieri and Das (1997), the PASS cognitive processes are the basic building blocks of
human intellectual functioning. Planning processes provide cognitive control, utilization
of processes and knowledge, intentionality, and self-regulation to achieve a desired
goal; Attention processes provide focused, selective cognitive activity and resistance to
distraction; and, Simultaneous and Successive processes are the two forms of operating
on information. The PASS theory has had a strong empirical base prior to the publication
of the CAS (see Das, Naglieri & Kirby, 1994), and its research foundation remains strong
(see Naglieri, 1999; Naglieri & Das, 1997). The four basic psychological processes can
be used to (1) gain an understanding of how well a child thinks; (2) discover the child’s
strengths and needs, which can then be used for effective differential diagnosis; (3)
conduct fair assessment; and (4) select or design appropriate interventions. Compared
to the traditional intelligence tests, including IQ tests, the Cognitive Assessment System
(CAS) has the great advantage of relying on a modern theory of cognitive functioning,
linking theory with practice
Socially in Action-Peers (SAp): Validation by Means of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Similarity Structure Analysis (SSA)
This study aimed to demonstrate the value and psychometric qualities
of an instrument that assesses social competence for children in critical social
situations within the relationships with peers in the school context - Socially in
Action-Peers (SAp) using CFA and SSA. This instrument was administered to
182 Portuguese children aged between 8 and 11 years, of 3rd and 4th grades.
These children were assessed by three sources: themselves, their peers and
their teacher. Additionally, we used the Test of Emotion Comprehension (Pons
& Harris, 2002; Pons, Harris & Rosnay, 2004) to assess SAp’s criterion-related
validity. Mean differences results in SAp by gender were analyzed. Concerning
to gender, we only have found gender significant differences in a few items and
in the general assessment made by teachers, in which girls being considered
superior. The results of the SAp’s psychometric analysis are satisfactory, both in
terms of items’ sensitivity and reliability (internal consistency) in three versions
(self-assessment, peer and teacher). Finally, we performed a confirmatory factor
analysis that confirmed that the model underlying the instrument’s rational: a
hierarchical model with a 1st order factor (composite social competence) that
has three factors of 2nd order (consisting of the three sources of evaluation: self,
peers and teacher). Besides the CFA data were analyzed through Louis Guttman’s
SSA - a non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) procedure. CFA and SSA
confirmed the psychometric qualities of SAp and identified the subscales and
dynamic relationships between them. Implications of these findings for social
competence assessment and intervention in childhood are discussed, as well as, the
advantages and disadvantages of CFA compared to SSA for empirical validation
of psychological constructs are examined
The use of Similarity Structure Analysis in the identification of students’ functional profiles of competence – A study with Portuguese elementary school students from 7 to 15 years.
This study aims to identify students’ functional profiles - describing the representational functions available to consolidate certain school competences, in a sample of 670 students of Portuguese Basic Schools, in which 58,3% were girls and 41,7% were boys (33,6% from 1st level, 36,0% from 2nd level and 30,4% from 3rd level). Four instruments were used: Questionnaire of the Attitudes Towards School, Questionnaire of the Attitudes Towards Portuguese Language, Questionnaire of the Attitudes Towards Mathematics and EQi-yv. Based on the SSA the polar structure observed, combined with the relative position of the external variable, it is possible to suggest the existence of differentiated profiles considering personal and scholarly features that become more efficient with school progress, pointing out the necessity to consider these variables independently when school policy decisions are taken. The advantages of these techniques to improve the characterization and interpretation of the complexity and multidimensionality of students´ profiles and their consequences for educational and psychological assessment and intervention are discussed
Sotaque e telejornalismo: representações de comunicadores de mÃdia nordestinos
RESUMO: Objetivo: descrever o conteúdo das representações sociais do comunicador de mÃdia nordestino acerca do seu sotaque. Métodos: a coleta de dados foi realizada em duas etapas. Na primeira, foi empregada a técnica de associação livre, na qual 50 universitários apresentaram o que pensavam diante da palavra "sotaque". Na segunda, por meio do Procedimento de Classificações Múltiplas (PCM), 25 comunicadores atuantes na Região Metropolitana do Recife classificaram as 15 palavras mais associadas pelos estudantes de duas maneiras, classificação livre e dirigida. Na classificação livre, os comunicadores agruparam as palavras segundo critérios por eles estabelecidos, enquanto que na classificação dirigida, as palavras foram classificadas de acordo com o grau de associação com o termo MEU SOTAQUE. A análise foi realizada utilizando-se métodos estatÃsticos multidimensionais, que permitiram construir a estruturação do campo das Representações Sociais. Resultados: três regiões delimitadas expressam a representação dos sujeitos sobre sotaque: Conceito, Identidade e Espaço. Na primeira, há seis categorias (engraçado, diferente, arrastado, matuto, preconceito, oxente), na segunda, as palavras são identidade, caracterÃstica, lÃngua, fala e cultura, próximas ao termo meu sotaque e, na terceira, região, regionalismo, nordeste e localidade. Identidade foi o termo mais relacionado ao termo MEU SOTAQUE, enquanto que os itens menos relacionados são os presentes na região conceito, exceto pelo termo oxente. Conclusão: o sotaque nordestino é tido como uma marca da identidade e cultura da região Nordeste. Os comunicadores suavizam caracterÃsticas do falar nordestino durante o exercÃcio profissional para se adequar ao padrão preconizado pelo mercado de trabalho sem perder a sua identidade
- …