Time dependent gelling properties of cuboid alginate gels made by external gelation method: Effects of alginate-CaCl2 solution ratios and pH

Summary: Marsh (1996) produced evidence that method effects associated with negatively worded items might be responsible for the results of earlier factor analytic studies that reported finding positive and negative self-esteem factors in the Rosenberg Global self-esteem scale ( Rosenberg, 1965 ). He analyzed data collected from children using a 7-item self-esteem measure. This report details attempts to replicate Marsh 's analysis in data collected from two samples of adults who completed the full 10-item Global Self-Esteem (GSE) scale. The results reported here are similar to those given by Marsh in so much as a correlated uniquenesses model produced a superior fit to the data than the simple one factor model (without correlated uniquenesses) or the often reported two factor (positive and negative self-esteem) model. However, whilst Marsh reported that the best fit was produced by allowing negative item uniquenesses to correlate with each other, the model that produced the best fit to these data was one that contained correlated positive item uniquenesses. Supporting his claim that differential responding to negative and positive self-esteem items reflects a method effect associated with reading ability, Marsh also showed that factors associated with negative and positive items were most distinct among children who had poor reading scores. We report a similar effect among a sample of older adults where the correlation between these factors was compared across two groups who were selected according to their scores on a test of verbal reasoning.

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Mindfulness or Mindlessness?

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000045 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 59-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Volkmar Höfling ◽

Helfried Moosbrugger ◽

Karin Schermelleh-Engel ◽

Thomas Heidenreich

Keyword(s):

Construct Validity ◽

Model Fit ◽

Factor Analyses ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽

Mindful Attention ◽

Confirmatory Factor ◽

Item Wording ◽

Method Effects

The 15 items of the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003 ) are negatively worded and assumed to assess mindfulness. However, there are indications of differences between the original MAAS and a version with the positively rephrased MAAS items (“mirror items”). The present study examines whether the mindfulness facet “mindful attention and awareness” (MAA) can be measured with both positively and negatively worded items if we take method effects due to item wording into account. To this end, the 15 negatively worded items of the MAAS and additionally 13 positively rephrased items were assessed (N = 602). Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) models with and without regard to method effects were carried out and evaluated by means of model fit. As a result, the positively and negatively worded items should be seen as different methods that influence the construct validity of mindfulness. Furthermore, a modified version of the MAAS (MAAS-Short) with five negatively worded items (taken from the MAAS) and five positively worded items (“mirror items”) was introduced as an alternative to assess MAA. The MAAS-Short appears superior to the original MAAS. The results and the limitations of the present study are discussed.

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The Beck Hopelessness Scale

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000240 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 111-118 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Marianna Szabó ◽

Veronika Mészáros ◽

Judit Sallay ◽

Gyöngyi Ajtay ◽

Viktor Boross ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Binary Data ◽

Factor Model ◽

Clinical Sample ◽

Analytical Techniques ◽

Cross Cultural ◽

Cultural Validity ◽

Beck Hopelessness Scale ◽

Method Effects ◽

Hungarian Population ◽

Components Analysis

Abstract. The aim of the present study was to examine the construct and cross-cultural validity of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS; Beck, Weissman, Lester, & Trexler, 1974 ). Beck et al. applied exploratory Principal Components Analysis and argued that the scale measured three specific components (affective, motivational, and cognitive). Subsequent studies identified one, two, three, or more factors, highlighting a lack of clarity regarding the scale’s construct validity. In a large clinical sample, we tested the original three-factor model and explored alternative models using both confirmatory and exploratory factor analytical techniques appropriate for analyzing binary data. In doing so, we investigated whether method variance needs to be taken into account in understanding the structure of the BHS. Our findings supported a bifactor model that explicitly included method effects. We concluded that the BHS measures a single underlying construct of hopelessness, and that an incorporation of method effects consolidates previous findings where positively and negatively worded items loaded on separate factors. Our study further contributes to establishing the cross-cultural validity of this instrument by showing that BHS scores differentiate between depressed, anxious, and nonclinical groups in a Hungarian population.

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