Evidence for the Brief Mysticism Scale: Psychometric Properties, and Moderation and Mediation Effects in Predicting Spiritual Self-identification

How are mystical experiences related to self-rated spirituality? Is the recently developed short 8-item version of Hood’s (1975) Mysticism Scale an efficient measurement? The current study expands evidence for both questions using N = 1,582 American and N = 1,492 German samples measured in three waves, average 4 to 5 years apart. Results show that the 8-item brief M-Scale has good psychometric property evidenced by 1) measurement invariance across time, and 2) good test-retest reliability. Results further demonstrate that the 8-item brief M-Scale 3) moderates the effect of self-rated religiosity on self-rated spirituality, and 4) mediates the prediction of self-rated religiosity on self-rated spirituality over time. We conclude that the M-Scale can be used as a measure for self-attributed spirituality and that the 8-item brief version of the M-Scale can be used, when questionnaire length is an issue.

Assessing Physician’s Motivational Communication Skills: The development of the Motivational Communication Competency Assessment Test (MC-CAT) (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Training physicians to provide effective behaviour change counselling (BCC) using approaches like motivational communication (MC) is an important aspect of non-communicable chronic disease (NCD) prevention and management. However, existing evaluation tools for MC skills are complex, invasive, time consuming, and impractical for use within the medical context. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to develop and validate a short, web-based tool evaluating healthcare providers (HCPs) skills in MC, the Motivational Communication Competency Assessment Test (MC-CAT). METHODS Between 2016 and 2021, starting with a set of core 11 MC competencies previously identified and using a 5-step mixed-methods integrated knowledge translation (iKT) approach, the MC-CAT was created by: 1) developing a series of four base cases and a scoring scheme; 2) validating the base cases and scoring scheme with international experts; 3) creating three alternative versions of the four base cases (to create a bank of 16 cases, four of each type of ‘base’ case) and translating the cases into French; 4) integrating the cases into the online MC-CAT platform; and 5) conducting initial internal validity assessments with university health students. RESULTS The MC-CAT assesses MC competency in 20 minutes by presenting HCPs with 4 out of a possible 16 cases (randomly selected and ordered) addressing various behavioural targets (e.g., smoking, physical activity, diet, medication adherence). Individual and global competency scores are calculated automatically for the 11 competency items across the 4 cases providing automatic scores out of 100. From the factorial analysis of variance for the difference in competency and ranking scores, no significant differences were identified between the different case versions across individual and global competency and ranking scores (p’s > 0.05). Initial tests of internal consistency for rank order among 24 student participants were in the ‘acceptable’ range (alpha = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS Results suggest the MC-CAT is an internally valid tool to facilitate the evaluation of MC competencies among HCPs, and is ready to undergo comprehensive psychometric property analyses with a national sample of healthcare providers. Once psychometric property assessments have been completed, this tool is expected to facilitate the assessment of MC skills among HCPs, skills that will better support patients to adopt healthier lifestyles, which will significantly reduce the personal, social, and economic burden of NCDs.

Short Version of the Inventory of Parental Representations for Attachment Assessment Among Adolescents

Background: The Inventory of Parental Representations (IPR), a self-administered questionnaire, was developed primarily to identify styles of attachment in adolescence. However, it did not present stable psychometric properties in the various American studies carried out. The aim of this study was to adapt the IPR in French and to provide a shorter version with improved psychometric properties and a sound content.Methods: The content validity was carried out by an expert committee and 10 adolescents. The study of the metric properties of the French version of the IPR was realized in a sample of 275 responses. In case of mediocre results in the CFA of the existing structures, the development of a new IPR structure was planned (Classical Test Theory and Rasch Modelling).Results: Out of 62 items translated, 13 needed adaptation. The analysis of its metric properties produced mediocre results. In a group of 275 adolescent’s responses, a step-by-step process was implemented. Content and psychometric property analyses generated a paternal Short-IPRF (15 items) and a maternal Short-IPRM (16 items) scale with sound content and good psychometric properties confirmed in an independent sample of 795 responses (Short-IPRF: Comparative Fit Index (CFI)=0.987, Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI)=0.982, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA)=0.027; Short-IPRM: CFI=0.953, TLI=0.927, RMSEA=0.068). Using Rasch modelling, the attachment was correctly measured overall especially for insecure attachment. Conclusions: A step-by-step process involving both content analysis and psychometric property analysis led to the generation of two questionnaires, a paternal scale, the Short-IPRF, and a maternal scale, the Short-IPRM.

Adaptasi alat ukur prosocial tendencies measure (PTM) versi bahasa Indonesia pada anak usia sekolah di Bandung

Objektif: Perilaku prososial penting untuk diukur pada anak usia sekolah karena sangat rentan untuk munculnya perilaku bermasalah. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah mengadaptasi alat ukur PTM versi bahasa Indonesia dengan psychometric property yang baik.Metode: Metode penelitian kuantitatif dilakukan dalam 2 tahap yaitu studi translasi dan validasi. 373 partisipan berusia 9-12 tahun (M = 10.31) dipilih melalui cluster sampling untuk mengisi kuesioner untuk mengukur validitas dan reliabilitas melalui internal consistency. Temuan: Hasil perhitungan internal consistency alat ukur PTM menunjukkan α = 0.881 dan hasil uji validitas dengan menggunakan CFA menunjukkan model good fit (RMSEA = 0.045, CFI = 0.94). Hasil uji reliabilitas di setiap dimensi yaitu altruism (α = 0.623), compliant (α = 0.496), emotional (α = 0.582), public (α = 0.482), dan dire (α = 0.361). Hanya dimensi anonymous yang sudah reliable (α = 0.729).Kesimpulan: Alat ukur PTM versi bahasa Indonesia valid dan reliable. Meskipun begitu, sebagian besar dimensi masih memiliki reliabilitas yang rendah.

Analisis Faktor Eksploratori dan Konfirmatori untuk Validasi Skala Lingkungan Makan Terstruktur pada Ibu Bekerja

This study aims to develop and validate the construct of structured meals environment scale. The method used was a cross-sectional survey. The participants were working mothers with early-aged children. The structured meals environment scale used Likert scale which consists of three dimensions: structured meals setting, structured meals timing, and family meals setting. The results of EFA (N = 302) showed that the scale explains the construct of a structured meals environment was 63.98%. The results of CFA (N = 202) showed that the goodness of fit model was acceptable. Factors loading > .5 (.503 - .819) shows the items are valid. Discriminant validity (AVE) moves from .482 - .577 with construct reliability > .7 (.760 - .802). Structured meals environment scale has met the psychometric property test so that the scale is proper to be used.