Clausal Density Between Ages 4 and 9 Years for the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument: Reference Data and Psychometric Properties

Author(s):  
Ling-Yu Guo ◽  
Phyllis Schneider ◽  
William Harrison

Purpose This study provided reference data and examined psychometric properties for clausal density (CD; i.e., number of clauses per utterance) in children between ages 4 and 9 years from the database of the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument (ENNI). Method Participants in the ENNI database included 300 children with typical language (TL) and 77 children with language impairment (LI) between the ages of 4;0 (years;months) and 9;11. Narrative samples were collected using a story generation task, in which children were asked to tell stories based on six picture sequences. CD was computed from the narrative samples. The split-half reliability, concurrent criterion validity, and diagnostic accuracy were evaluated for CD by age. Results CD scores increased significantly between ages 4 and 9 years in children with TL and those with LI. Children with TL produced higher CD scores than those with LI at each age level. In addition, the correlation coefficients for the split-half reliability and concurrent criterion validity of CD scores were all significant at each age level, with the magnitude ranging from small to large. The diagnostic accuracy of CD scores, as revealed by sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios, was poor. Conclusions The finding on diagnostic accuracy did not support the use of CD for identifying children with LI between ages 4 and 9 years. However, given the attested reliability and validity for CD, reference data of CD from the ENNI database can be used for evaluating children's difficulties with complex syntax and monitoring their change over time. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13172129

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-143
Author(s):  
Ling-Yu Guo ◽  
Sarita Eisenberg ◽  
Phyllis Schneider ◽  
Linda Spencer

Purpose The purpose of this study was to provide reference data and evaluate the psychometric properties for the finite verb morphology composite (FVMC) measure in children between 4 and 9 years of age from the database of the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument (ENNI; Schneider, Dubé, & Hayward, 2005 ). Method Participants included 377 children between age 4 and age 9, including 300 children with typical language and 77 children with language impairment (LI). Narrative samples were collected using a story generation task. FVMC scores were computed from the samples. Split-half reliability, concurrent criterion validity, and diagnostic accuracy for FVMC were further evaluated. Results Children's performance on FVMC increased significantly between age 4 and age 9 in the typical language and LI groups. Moreover, the correlation coefficients for the split-half reliability and concurrent criterion validity of FVMC were medium to large ( r s ≥ .429, p s < .001) at each age level. The diagnostic accuracy of FVMC was good or acceptable from age 4 to age 7, but it dropped to a poor level at age 8 and age 9. Conclusion With the empirical evidence, FVMC is appropriate for identifying children with LI between age 4 and age 7. The reference data of FVMC could also be used for monitoring treatment progress. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.10073183


2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 317-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling-Yu Guo ◽  
Phyllis Schneider

Purpose To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the finite verb morphology composite (FVMC), number of errors per C-unit (Errors/CU), and percent grammatical C-units (PGCUs) in differentiating school-aged children with language impairment (LI) and those with typical language development (TL). Method Participants were 61 six-year-olds (50 TL, 11 LI) and 67 eight-year-olds (50 TL, 17 LI). Narrative samples were collected using a story-generation format. FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs were computed from the samples. Results All of the three measures showed acceptable to good diagnostic accuracy at age 6, but only PGCUs showed acceptable diagnostic accuracy at age 8 when sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were considered. Conclusion FVMC, Errors/CU, and PGCUs can all be used in combination with other tools to identify school-aged children with LI. However, FVMC and Errors/CU may be an appropriate diagnostic tool up to age 6. PGCUs, in contrast, may be a sensitive tool for identifying children with LI at least up to age 8 years.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. e048795
Author(s):  
Bram Kok ◽  
Frederik Schuit ◽  
Arthur Lieveld ◽  
Kaoutar Azijli ◽  
Prabath WB Nanayakkara ◽  
...  

BackgroundBedside lung ultrasound (LUS) is an affordable diagnostic tool that could contribute to identifying COVID-19 pneumonia. Different LUS protocols are currently used at the emergency department (ED) and there is a need to know their diagnostic accuracy.DesignA multicentre, prospective, observational study, to compare the diagnostic accuracy of three commonly used LUS protocols in identifying COVID-19 pneumonia at the ED.Setting/patientsAdult patients with suspected COVID-19 at the ED, in whom we prospectively performed 12-zone LUS and SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription PCR.MeasurementsWe assessed diagnostic accuracy for three different ultrasound protocols using both PCR and final diagnosis as a reference standard.ResultsBetween 19 March 2020 and 4 May 2020, 202 patients were included. Sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value compared with PCR for 12-zone LUS were 91.4% (95% CI 84.4 to 96.0), 83.5% (95% CI 74.6 to 90.3) and 90.0% (95% CI 82.7 to 94.4). For 8-zone and 6-zone protocols, these results were 79.7 (95% CI 69.9 to 87.6), 69.0% (95% CI 59.6 to 77.4) and 81.3% (95% CI 73.8 to 87.0) versus 89.9% (95% CI 81.7 to 95.3), 57.5% (95% CI 47.9 to 66.8) and 87.8% (95% CI 79.2 to 93.2). Negative likelihood ratios for 12, 8 and 6 zones were 0.1, 0.3 and 0.2, respectively. Compared with the final diagnosis specificity increased to 83.5% (95% CI 74.6 to 90.3), 78.4% (95% CI 68.8 to 86.1) and 65.0% (95% CI 54.6 to 74.4), respectively, while the negative likelihood ratios were 0.1, 0.2 and 0.16.ConclusionIdentifying COVID-19 pneumonia at the ED can be aided by bedside LUS. The more efficient 6-zone protocol is an excellent screening tool, while the 12-zone protocol is more specific and gives a general impression on lung involvement.Trial registration numberNL8497.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niyazi Özer ◽  
Burhanettin Dönmez

The purpose of this research is to investigate the psychometric properties of the Enabling School Structure Scale (ESS) that aims to measure the degree to which school structure is enabling or coercive, and also to conduct reliability and validity studies of the scale. Participants of the study consisted of 1018 teachers working in 75 different primary schools located in Malatya province during 2009-2010 semester. For validity studies, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out, and also corrected item-total correlations were estimated. For reliability studies, Cronbach Alpha and test-retest correlation coefficients were estimated. Results obtained from the reliability and validity studies showed that on the contrary to original form of ESS, Turkish form consisted of two distinct factors, enabling bureaucracy and coercive bureaucracy respectively. While factor loading of the items in enabling bureaucracy range between ".557" and ".832", factor loadings of items in coercive bureaucracy range between ".485" and ".785". It was also found that this 12 itemed two-factor solution explained approximately a total of 51% of the total variance. Estimated Cronbach alpha coefficients were ".806" for enabling bureaucracy sub-scale and ".774" for coercive bureaucracy sub-scale. Consequently it can be asserted that Turkish form of the ESS scale should be used with two factor structure not one single structure.


Author(s):  
David L. Streiner ◽  
Geoffrey R. Norman ◽  
John Cairney

Journals are becoming increasingly more stringent in their requirements for what must be reported in articles about the psychometric properties of scales. This chapter reviews three of the most commonly used guidelines; the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, the STARD initiative (Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy), and the Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS). It abstracts portions of these guidelines that are most relevant for scales used in research settings. These cover the reporting of test development, reliability, and validity. The chapter also has a flow chart, adapted from STARD, that should be included when submitting a manuscript about scale development to a journal.


2014 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 495-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Zurer Pearson ◽  
Janice E. Jackson ◽  
Haotian Wu

PurposeIn this study, the authors explored alternative gold standards to validate an innovative, dialect-neutral language assessment.MethodParticipants were 78 African American children, ages 5;0 (years;months) to 6;11. Twenty participants had previously been identified as having language impairment. The Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation—Norm Referenced (DELV–NR; Seymour, Roeper, & J. de Villiers, 2005) was administered, and concurrent language samples (LSs) were collected. Using LS profiles as the gold standard, sensitivity, specificity, and other measures of diagnostic accuracy were compared for diagnoses made from the DELV–NR and participants' clinical status prior to recruitment. In a second analysis, the authors used results from the first analysis to make evidence-based adjustments in the estimates of DELV–NR diagnostic accuracy.ResultsAccuracy of the DELV–NR relative to LS profiles was greater than that of prior diagnoses, indicating that the DELV–NR was an improvement over preexisting diagnoses for this group. Specificity met conventional standards, but sensitivity was somewhat low. Reanalysis using the positive and negative predictive power of the preexisting diagnosis in a discrepant-resolution procedure revealed that estimates for sensitivity and specificity for the DELV–NR were .85 and .93, respectively.ConclusionThe authors found that, even after making allowances for the imperfection of available gold standards, clinical decisions made with the DELV–NR achieved high values on conventional measures of diagnostic accuracy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Armitage ◽  
Li Khim Kwah ◽  
Lauren Kark

Background: Residual limb volume is often measured as part of routine care for people with amputations. These measurements assist in the timing of prosthetic fitting or replacement. In order to make well informed decisions, clinicians need access to measurement tools that are valid and reliable. Objectives: To assess the reliability and criterion validity of the iSense optical scanner in measuring volume of transtibial residual limb models. Study Design: Three assessors performed two measurements each on 13 residual limb models with an iSense optical scanner (3D systems, USA). Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were calculated using intraclass correlation coefficients. Bland Altman plots were inspected for agreement. Criterion validity was assessed using a steel rod of known dimensions. Ten repeated measurements were performed by one assessor. A t-test was used to determine differences between measured and true rod volume. Results: Intra-rater reliability was excellent (range of intraclass correlation coefficients: 0.991–0.997, all with narrow 95% confidence intervals). While the intraclass correlation coefficients suggest excellent inter-rater reliability between all three assessors (range of intraclass correlation coefficients: 0.952–0.986), the 95% confidence intervals were wide between assessor 3 and the other two assessors. Poor agreement with assessor 3 was also seen in the Bland-Altman plots. Criterion validity was very poor with a significant difference between the mean iSense measurement and the true rod volume (difference: 221.18 mL; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Although intra-rater reliability was excellent for the iSense scanner, we did not find similar results for inter-rater reliability and validity. These results suggest that further testing of the iSense scanner is required prior to use in clinical practice. Clinical relevance The iSense offers a low cost scanning option for residual limb volume measurement. Intra-rater reliability was excellent, but inter-rater reliability and validity were such that clinical adoption is not indicated at present.


1994 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 1219-1231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart J. McKelvie

To aid researchers in evaluating the construct validity of self-report imagery questionnaires in the context of their use as research instruments, standards are proposed for correlation coefficients under the headings of reliability, criterion validity, and content validity. Guidelines for deciding whether relationships are acceptable are also recommended.


2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Kirk ◽  
Laura Vigeland

Purpose The authors provide a review of the psychometric properties of 6 norm-referenced tests designed to measure children's phonological error patterns. Three aspects of the tests' psychometric adequacy were evaluated: the normative sample, reliability, and validity. Method The specific criteria used for determining the psychometric adequacy of these tests were based on current recommendations in the literature. Test manuals and response forms were reviewed for psychometric adequacy according to these criteria. Results The tests included in this review failed to exhibit many of the psychometric properties required of well-designed norm-referenced tests. Of particular concern was lack of adequate sample size, poor evidence of construct validity, and lack of information about diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions To ensure that clinicians have access to valid and reliable tests, test developers must make a greater effort to establish that the tests they design have adequate psychometric properties. The authors hope that this review will help clinicians and other professionals to be more aware of some of the limitations of using these tests to make educational decisions.


2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Ausín ◽  
M. Muñoz ◽  
E. Pérez-Santos

AbstractObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to develop a self-administered version of the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Older Adults (HoNOS65+) in Spanish – the HoNOS65+A – and to study its reliability and validity.MethodsThere are two phases in the study: construction of the HoNOS65+A and the study of its psychometric properties. In the second phase, 179 users of 10 services for older people of Madrid were interviewed. They completed the HoNOS65+A, the Spanish version of the HoNOS65+, and other instruments that evaluate similar constructs. Reliability (internal consistency with the other-administered HoNOS65+, intraclass) and validity (concurrent, discriminant, and criterion validity) were analyzed.ResultsHigh reliability indexes (intraclass correlation coefficients) were found for all the scales (HoNOS65+ and HoNOS65+A), except for items 4 and 6. Moreover, the HoNOS65+A has satisfactory concurrent (except 4, 6, and 9) and discriminant validity (except for items 4 and 10). Considering all these data and some theoretical points the items 4 and 6 have eliminated from the scale. Upon eliminating items 4 and 6, the analysis of the reliability (Cronbach's Alpha) and criterion validity (discriminant function among autonomous and assisted people) presents positive values.ConclusionThe results indicate that the HoNOS65+A is a useful measure that does not assess a homogeneous area but instead different aspects of health and psychosocial functioning.


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