L2 GRIT

Author(s):  
Majid Elahi Shirvan ◽  
Tahereh Taherian ◽  
Elham Yazdanmehr

Abstract Given the longitudinal nature of L2 grit, the use of conventional research methodologies with cross-sectional data to examine the validity of L2 grit scale seems inadequate. The present research was an attempt to extend the domain-specific phase of research on L2 grit, with the pursuit of long-term goals at its core, into a dynamic one. Thus, we adopted a longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis-curve of factors model (LCFA-CFM) approach to trace changes in L2 learners’ grit at different points of time in an EFL course. LCFA-CFM ensures measurement invariance over time, deals with second-order latent variables, takes into account measurement errors, and is capable of assessing interindividual differences. With this in mind, we, first, employed LCFA to test the factor invariance of L2 grit based on a bifactor CFA model over time and, second, used CFM to measure change of L2 grit during an L2 course. To do so, we collected data from 437 adult EFL learners in Iran in four time phases using the L2 grit scale and analyzed them using Mplus 7.4. The model fit was accepted and invariance of the latent factor of L2 grit was confirmed over time. Also, the negative covariance between initial level of L2 grit and its rate of change over time (second-order latent variables) suggested a steeper increase in the construct over time for learners with lower initial scores of the construct. That is, L2 learners who started at a higher level of L2 grit experienced less change in L2 grit over time. The LCFA-CFM ensured that the factor structure of L2 grit is invariant over time and provided insights into how L2 grit changes over an L2 course.

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Elahi Shirvan ◽  
Elham Yazdanmehr ◽  
Tahereh Taherian ◽  
Mariusz Kruk ◽  
Mirosław Pawlak

Abstract The study aimed to examine temporal change of boredom in English classes (BPELC) and test the longitudinal validity of the boredom in practical English classes-revised (BPELC-R) scale via longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis-curve of factors model (LCFA-CFM) approach. This approach ensures measurement invariance of BPELC over time, deals with its second-order latent variables, and considers the assessment of inter-individual differences while experiencing the emotion. Data were collected from 412 EFL adult learners on four measurements using BPELC-R and were analyzed by Mplus with LCFA-CFM. The model fit was accepted, which indicates invariance of BPELC-R as well as the factor structure of the instrument including the factor loadings of its subscales over time. Without the consideration of LCFA of BPELC-R, as addressed in this study, any observed change of the construct in the course of language learning could be misinterpreted. Also, though the rate of change in boredom differed across individual L2 learners, they all experienced a decreasing trend over time. Furthermore, the negative association between the intercept and slope suggested that learners with higher initial levels of boredom experienced a steeper decrease over time. The decreasing pattern of boredom is discussed in light of the main theories of this construct.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Wenwen Wu ◽  
Jie Diao ◽  
Jinru Yang ◽  
Donghan Sun ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
...  

Background. In general, given the insufficient sample size, considerable literature has been found on single studies of diabetes and hypertension and few studies have been found on the coexistence of diabetes and hypertension (CDH) and its influencing factors with a large range of samples. This study aimed to establish a structural equation model for exploring the direct and indirect relationships amongst sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, obesity, and CDH amongst Chinese adults. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a representative sample of 25356 adults between June 1, 2015, and September 30, 2018, in Hubei province, China. Confirmatory factor analysis was initially conducted to test the latent variables. A structural equation model was then performed to analyse the association between latent variables and CDH. Results. The total prevalence of CDH was 2.8%. The model paths indicated that sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and obesity were directly associated with CDH, and the effects were 0.187, 0.739, and 0.353, respectively. Sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle were also indirectly associated with CDH, and the effects were 0.128 and 0.045, respectively. Lifestyle had the strongest effect on CDH (β = 0.784, P < 0.001 ), followed by obesity (β = 0.353, P < 0.001 ) and sociodemographic characteristics (β = 0.315, P < 0.001 ). All paths of the model were significant ( P < 0.001 ). Conclusion. CDH was significantly associated with sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and obesity amongst Chinese adults. The dominant predictor of CDH was lifestyle. Targeting these results might develop lifestyle and weight loss intervention to prevent CDH according to the characteristics of the population.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
María Teresa De la garza carranza ◽  
Jorge Armando López Lemus ◽  
Eugenio Guzmán Soria ◽  
Quetzalli Atlatenco Ibara

Today the retention millennial workers is a challenge for organizations. The purpose of this paper is to propose ideas to the decision makers, to lessen the high rate of personnel turnover in all kinds of industries in many countries. This research validates an instrument that evaluates the employability factors of millennials in Mexico, according to their own expectations. We based our study on the previous literature about the millennial generation in many countries. To validate the questionnaire, a sampling of 781 workers from the states of Querétaro and Guanajuato in México was conducted. The method used to achieve the objective was through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling, and tested two different methods: first order and second order models. With the three methods, exploratory, first order and second order factor analyses, similar results were obtained. In the analysis of the statistical techniques, two latent variables associated with the expectations of this generational group were generated. The factors found are “personal satisfaction with the organization” and “satisfaction with the organization’s social commitment.” These two factors are supported by the literature of other researchers. It is suggested that this questionnaire be validated in other countries but also in other regions of Mexico, using different productive sectors, thereby obtaining a broader perspective that will allow us to understand not only what millennials want from their work, but to what extent they want it.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Valois ◽  
Maxime Tessier ◽  
David Bouchard ◽  
Denis Talbot ◽  
Alexandre J. S. Morin ◽  
...  

Abstract Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and intensity of floods in the province of Quebec, Canada. Therefore, in 2015, to better monitor the level of adaptation to flooding of Quebec residents living in or near a flood-prone area, the Quebec Observatory of Adaptation to Climate Change developed five indices of adaptation to flooding, according to the chronology of events. The present study was conducted 4 years later and is a follow-up to the 2015 one. Two independent samples of 1951 (2015) and 974 (2019) individuals completed a questionnaire on their adoption (or non-adoption) of flood adaptation behaviors, their perception of the mental and physical impacts of flooding, and their knowledge of the fact that they lived in a flood-prone area. The results of the study demonstrated the measurement invariance of the five indices across two different samples of people over time, ensuring that the differences (or absence of differences) observed in flood-related adaptive behaviors between 2015 and 2019 were real and not due to measurement errors. They also showed that, overall, Quebeckers’ flood-related adaptive behaviors have not changed considerably since 2015, with adaptation scores being similar in 2019 for four of the five flood indices. Moreover, the results indicated an increase in self-reported physical and mental health issues related to past flooding events, as well as a larger proportion of people having consulted a health professional because of these problems. Thus, this study provides a better understanding of flood adaptation in Quebec over the past 4 years and confirms that the five adaptive behavior indices developed in 2015 are appropriate tools for monitoring changes in flood adaptation in the province. Finally, our results showed that little has changed in Quebeckers’ adoption of adaptive behaviors, highlighting the need for awareness raising in order to limit the impacts that climate change will have on the population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 392-404
Author(s):  
Rene L. Utianski ◽  
Peter R. Martin ◽  
Holly Hanley ◽  
Joseph R. Duffy ◽  
Hugo Botha ◽  
...  

Purpose Individuals with primary progressive apraxia of speech (PPAOS) have apraxia of speech (AOS) in which disruptions in articulation or prosody predominate the speech pattern, referred to, respectively, as phonetic or prosodic subtypes. Many develop aphasia and/or dysarthria. Past research has demonstrated that simple temporal acoustic measures are sensitive to the presence of AOS. The aim of this study was to describe the change in temporal acoustic measures over time and assess if specific patterns of AOS or co-occurring aphasia or dysarthria impact the rate of change over time. Method Durations for multiple productions of the words cat , catnip , catapult , and catastrophe , in an imitative speech task, were recorded for 73 patients, with two to six visits each. A linear mixed-effects model was used to assess the cross-sectional differences and longitudinal influence of AOS subtype and presence of aphasia/dysarthria on speech rate. Pearson correlations were calculated between rate measures and performance on other clinical measures. Results Cross-sectionally, patients with prosodic-predominant PPAOS produced words more slowly than those with phonetic-predominant PPAOS. Patients with either aphasia or dysarthria produced words more slowly than those without. Longitudinally, the speech rate of patients with phonetic-predominant PPAOS had a reduction of 0.5 syllables per second per year. Patients with prosodic-predominant AOS changed less quickly, as did those who developed aphasia. Dysarthria did not impact rate of change. There were strong associations between speech rate measures and other clinical indices of speech and language functioning. Conclusion Simple temporal acoustic measures may reflect the subtype of AOS (phonetic or prosodic predominant), serve as an index of progression of AOS, and inform prognostication relative to the presenting combination of speech and language features. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13564724


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-385
Author(s):  
Prarichart Ruenphongphun ◽  
Aukkapong Sukkamart ◽  
Paitoon Pimdee

From the study’s initial qualitative analysis, 10 latent variables and 22 indicators concerning digital citizenship skills (DCS) were used in a questionnaire on a sample of 506 Thai Business Computer Programme undergraduate students attending one of six regional Thai Rajabhat Universities. Goodness-of-fit and descriptive statistical analysis [mean, standard deviation, Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin index analysis and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were analysed by using SPSS® for Windows Version 21 and LISREL 9.10 for the second-order confirmatory factor analysis CFA. The results revealed that each student’s opinion on their DCSs had a ‘high agreement’ level. Moreover, importance ranking from high to low of the 10 primary indicators was each student’s footprint (1.00), cyberbullying (1.00), law (0.97), access (0.88), security (0.84), literacy (0.83), empathy (0.81), etiquette (0.80), collaboration (0.70) and thinking (0.65). Therefore, it is suggested that this study’s results be used to assist various agencies and ministries in building programmes for student digital citizenship skills.   Keywords: Digital skills education; student cyberbullying; student digital footprints; teaching digital literacy; Thailand


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Iliceto ◽  
Emanuele Fino

The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) is an instrument for assessing cognitive thoughts among suicidal persons. Previous studies have identified different factor structures of the BHS. However, results were not conclusive. The aim of this study was to test the factor structure of the BHS in a sample of Italian individuals (N = 509) from the community, and secondarily to investigate correlations between the BHS, depression (Beck Depression Inventory Second Edition), and personality traits (Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire). Following recommendations of previous investigations, we utilized a 5-point response format. We applied a second-order Confirmatory Factor Analyses and tested for the model invariance. The results suggest that besides a single second-order factor, a second-order three-factor solution is also reasonable, in line with Beck’s theorization.


2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg-Tobias Kuhn ◽  
Heinz Holling

The present study explores the factorial structure and the degree of measurement invariance of 12 divergent thinking tests. In a large sample of German students (N = 1328), a three-factor model representing verbal, figural, and numerical divergent thinking was supported. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses revealed that partial strong measurement invariance was tenable across gender and age groups as well as school forms. Latent mean comparisons resulted in significantly higher divergent thinking skills for females and students in schools with higher mean IQ. Older students exhibited higher latent means on the verbal and figural factor, but not on the numerical factor. These results suggest that a domain-specific model of divergent thinking may be assumed, although further research is needed to elucidate the sources that negatively affect measurement invariance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veljko Jovanović

Abstract. The present research aimed at examining measurement invariance of the Serbian version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) across age, gender, and time. A total sample in Study 1 consisted of 2,595 participants from Serbia, with a mean age of 23.79 years (age range: 14–55 years). The final sample in Study 2 included 333 Serbian undergraduate students ( Mage = 20.81; age range: 20–27 years), who completed the SWLS over periods of 6 and 18 months after the initial assessment. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the modified unidimensional model of the SWLS, with correlated residuals of items 4 and 5 tapping past satisfaction. The results of the multigroup confirmatory factor analysis supported the full scalar invariance across gender and over time and partial scalar invariance across age. Latent mean comparisons revealed that women reported higher life satisfaction than men. Additionally, adolescents reported higher life satisfaction than students and adults, with adults showing the lowest life satisfaction. Our findings indicate that the SWLS allows meaningful comparisons in life satisfaction across age, gender, and over time.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Sebastian Holzwarth ◽  
George Gunnesch-Luca ◽  
Roman Soucek ◽  
Klaus Moser

Abstract. The current study analyzes how two components of perceived organizational communication (vertical and horizontal) are related to employee turnover intentions via three types of affective commitment foci (organization, supervisor, and team). Using second-order confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling techniques with a large cross-sectional dataset ( n = 3,317), our results show that, in line with social cohesion theory, vertical communication (e.g., supportiveness from the organization) is strongly related to affective organizational commitment, whereas horizontal communication (e.g., supportiveness from colleagues) is primarily related to affective team commitment. Additionally, both communication dimensions are related to affective supervisory commitment. Finally, these three foci of affective commitment incrementally explain and differentially mediate the relationship between perceived organizational communication and turnover intention.


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