scholarly journals M96. A NEW ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR FORMAL THOUGHT DISORDER IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: DOKUZ EYLUL THOUGHT DISORDER SCALE

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S171-S171
Author(s):  
Berna Yalincetin ◽  
Emre Bora ◽  
Berna Binnur Akdede ◽  
Köksal Alptekin

Abstract Background Current scales of formal thought disorder (FTD) in schizophrenia have been shown to hold considerable inadequacies: 1. The concept of FTD is usually limited to positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia 2. There is no much consideration about pragmatic disturbances. 3. There are significant inconsistencies in measurements of posFTD and negFTD dimensions (eg, merely focusing on the positive dimension); 4. As to the comprehensive scales of posFTD and negFTD, administration or assessment is time-consuming for routine clinical use and they are not user friendly. Besides, some of the FTD scales include the utilization of materials such as pictures, figures, or extended structured interviews to be able to provide speech samples of the patient. Developing a new FTD assessment tool that can be practically applied in clinic might help clinicans in diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. The aim of our study was to develop a new scale for assessment of FTD and evaluate the reliability and validity of this scale. We named our new FTD scale as Dokuz Eylul Thought Disorder Scale (DETDS). The originality of this scale is based on the fact that it involves assessment of pragmatic comprehension as well as positive and negative FTD and it can be administered and scored practically in routine clinical examination. Methods This study included 130 patients with schizophrenia and 35 controls. For assessing the reliability of this new scale, internal consistency, test-retest and interrater reliability analyses were conducted. The validity of the scale was assessed with concurrent validity and factor analysis methods. Results In the study, Cronbach’s was 0.86. The new scale has a good test-retest (r=0.83) and interrater (ICC=0.985) reliability. The posFTD subscale of the new scale showed high correlation with the posFTD subscale of the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) (r=0.95, p<0.001) and negFTD subscale of our scale showed high correlation with the alogia subscale of the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) (r=0.95, p<0.001) and impoverishment of thought subscale of the Thought and Language Index (TLI) (r=0.66, p<0.001). The factor analysis revealed a 3-factor solution which explained 74.6% of the variance: 1. Positive Formal Thought Disorder, 2. Negative Formal Thought Disorder, 3. Pragmatic Comprehension Disorder. Discussion Our findings showed that DETDS is a reliable and valid scale which can be used in assessing FTD in patients with schizophrenia in routine clinical use. Unlike most scales of FTD that are available in the literature, but similar to SANS, SAPS, and PANSS, it is practical to use because it is based on clinical interview. Another strength of DETDS is that it intensifies the posFTD and negFTD dimensions and scores them hierarchically in terms of severity. The fact that the new scale covers pragmatic comprehension disorders also presents an innovation to the literature.

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 51-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subin Sudhir ◽  
Anandakuttan B. Unnithan

Rumors are often shared in the marketplace about products, services, brands or organizations; both in the online as well as in the offline scenarios. These rumors get communicated from consumer to consumer in the form of Word of Mouth (WOM). An exhaustive review of literature identified four motivations for consumers to share rumors in the marketplace; which included anxiety management motivation, information sharing motivation, relationship management motivation and self enhancement motivation. The review was not conclusive in identifying any scales for the measurement of these motivations. The article develops a scale for measuring these four motivations. Structured interviews were initially conducted to identify 33 items that motivate a consumer to share rumors. Based on an exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis four factors were identified and the final scale retained 21 items. The scale displayed good scores of reliability and validity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongxuan Wang ◽  
Lihuan Lan ◽  
Xiaochang Lan ◽  
Peiyun Chen ◽  
Gaoxin Liu ◽  
...  

Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) was established and introduced to measure the craving for alcohol and the severity of alcohol dependence. However, the Chinese version of OCDS is still unavailable and has not been validated in the Chinese population. We tended to translate and validate the OCDS in Chinese. We translated original OCDS into Chinese through bi-direction translations and tested the reliability and validity. We found that Chinese OCDS had high internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. The Chinese OCDS also presented good internal structure to reflect the severity of alcohol dependence. The Chinese OCDS could be used in clinical studies and research among the Chinese population.


2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa L. O'Connor ◽  
Susan H. McFadden

This study employed qualitative construct mapping and factor analysis to construct a scale to measure attitudes toward dementia. Five family caregivers, five professionals, and five college students participated in structured interviews. Qualitative analysis of the interviews led to a 46-item scale, which was reduced to 20 items following principal axis factoring with two different samples: college students () and certified nursing assistant students (). Confirmatory factor analysis was then conducted with another sample of college students (). The final scale, titled the Dementia Attitudes Scale (DAS), essentially had a two-factor structure; the factors were labeled “dementia knowledge” and “social comfort.” Total-scale Cronbach's alphas ranged 0.83–0.85. Evidence for convergent validity was promising, as the DAS correlated significantly with scales that measured ageism and attitudes toward disabilities (range of correlations = 0.44–0.55; mean correlation ). These findings demonstrate the reliability and validity of the DAS, supporting its use as a research tool.


2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S53-S54
Author(s):  
Berna Yalincetin ◽  
Emre Bora ◽  
Berna Binnur Akdede ◽  
Köksal Alptekin

Abstract Background Severe impairment in interpersonal functioning is a common feature of schizophrenia. Deficits in communicative abilities are likely to be among the important factors contributing to social dysfunction in schizophrenia. Difficulties in pragmatic language abilities including understanding intended meaning, beyond explicit and literal content of conversational statements can significantly hamper interpersonal and occupational functioning. An important aspect of pragmatic inference is the ability to derive scalar implicatures (SIs), which are based on linguistic expressions like some, or, often etc. For deriving SIs, one need to go beyond simple semantic and logical level. To date, only a single study has investigated SIs in schizophrenia (Wampers et al 2018). In this study, people with psychosis were less likely to derive SIs than controls. A preliminary analysis of 17 patients with schizophrenia in the same study also showed that better ToM was associated with a higher ability to derive SIs Importantly, the association with schizophrenia and abnormalities in pragmatic infererence might be mediated by clinical features of this illness including formal thought disorder and negative symptoms. Also, difficulties in pragmatic inferences might potentially be secondary to neurocognitive dysfunction rather than being primary deficits. No previous study has investigated clinical and neurocognitive correlates of impairment in ability to derive SIs in schizophrenia. Methods The study included 79 patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (66 schizophrenia and 13 schizoaffective disorder) and 49 healthy controls who completed a SI task. SAPS, SANS were also administered. Comprehension of irony, metaphor and faux pas were assessed using verbal story tasks. A subgroup of patients were also administered a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and two ToM tasks (Hinting task and RMET (Reading the Mind from the Eyes). Results There were no significant group difference between schizophrenia and healthy controls for age (F=0.69, p=0.41) and gender (Chi square=2.2, p=0.13). The schizophrenia sample had a shorter duration of education compared to the healthy controls (F=27.2, p<0.001). The patients with schizophrenia had significant impairment in understanding the SIs (F=8.2, p=0.005). Comprension impairment of SIs were significantly associated with SANS negative symptoms (r=-0.29, p= 0.009) but not with SAPS positive formal thought disorder (r=-0.09, p=0.44) and symptoms ratings for hallucinations and delusions. Understanding SIs in schizophrenia was significantly related to better performance in RMET (r=0.34, p=0.036) and irony comprehension (r=-0.38, p=0.001). Discussion Schizophrenia is associated with significant deficits in understanding pragmatic utterances. These deficits were significantly related to some aspects of social cognition but not neurocognition. Current findings do not support the proposed relationship between formal thought disorder and pragmatic abnormalities in schizophrenia. These findings might have implications in management of social functioning deficits in schizophrenia.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrnesa Shahabi ◽  
Jafar Hasani ◽  
Johan Bjureberg

The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) is an established self-reported measure of emotion regulation difficulties. Recently, a brief 16-item version of this scale—the DERS-16—was developed. The goal of the present study was to extend the research on the DERS-16 by evaluating the reliability and validity of the Persian version in a university sample ( N = 201). Results demonstrate that the Persian DERS-16 demonstrated excellent internal consistency, good test–retest reliability, and good concurrent validity. Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the proposed factor structure. Thus, the Persian DERS-16 may offer a valid method for the assessment of overall emotion regulation difficulties as well as for the different facets of the construct.


1992 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth J. B. Davis ◽  
Milind Borde ◽  
L. N. Sharma

Cognitive impairment, negative and positive symptoms, primitive release reflexes, and age/temporal disorientation were assessed in 20 male patients meeting the DSM–III–R criteria for chronic schizophrenia and Schooler & Kane's criteria for TD. The control group comprised 20 age-matched male chronic schizophrenic patients without TD. Significant associations were found between TD, cognitive impairment, some negative symptoms, and formal thought disorder. These associations were independent of other illness and treatment variables. The severity of TD correlated significantly with that of cognitive impairment.


2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 1273-1284 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. LANGDON ◽  
M. COLTHEART ◽  
P. B. WARD ◽  
S. V. CATTS

Background. Disturbed speech in schizophrenia may reflect pragmatic deficits of expressive language. Pragmatic comprehension deficits also occur in schizophrenia. This study investigated whether poor ‘mind-reading’ (i.e. a general difficulty with inferring and monitoring other people's thoughts) causes pragmatic language impairments of both expression and comprehension in patients with schizophrenia.Method. Mind-reading (or theory of mind) was tested in patients with schizophrenia and in healthy controls using a false-belief picture-sequencing task. Pragmatic comprehension skills were assessed using a test of non-literal speech interpretation. Clinical ratings of formal thought disorder (FTD) indexed the expressive language deficits of patients. To control for possible contributory effects of executive dysfunction, inhibitory control was tested using capture picture-sequences and executive-planning was tested using the Tower of London task.Results. False-belief picture-sequencing, understanding of irony and understanding of metaphors were all selectively impaired in the patients. Poor mind-reading (indexed by high error rate in sequencing false-belief stories) was associated with poor understanding of irony, but was unrelated to poor understanding of metaphors. Whereas poor appreciation of irony and poor mind-reading were associated with high ratings of positive formal thought disorder, high ratings of negative formal thought disorder were associated with poor understanding of metaphors and executive dysfunction.Conclusions. Whereas poor mind-reading may contribute to positive aspects of formal thought disorder and impaired appreciation of irony in patients with schizophrenia; negative features of formal thought disorder and poor understanding of metaphors appear better explained by abnormal semantics. Overall, the findings of this study support the view that the functional basis of formal thought disorder in schizophrenia is not unitary.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1094-1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatma Pakdil ◽  
Pelin Toktaş ◽  
Karen Moustafa Leonard

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the reliability and validity of the qualitative section of Lean Assessment Tool (LAT) starting from the point where a reliable and valid tool is needed to measure increasing leanness level of business organizations. Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire used in this study included the qualitative component of LAT developed by Pakdil and Leonard (2014). The unit of the study was individual employees who work in manufacturing firms participating in this study. This study focused on the data collected from three firms that operate in Turkey and two firms that operate in the USA. The total respondents from Turkish firms were 263 employees, while the 205 employees responded from US firms. Findings Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were completed to determine valid and reliable factors that compose LAT’s qualitative component. The statistical analysis showed five distinct factors, namely process, delivery, quality, customer satisfaction and human resource. In addition, the fuzzy logic showed appropriate loadings to make the argument for its use in analysis of the LAT. Research limitations/implications This study moves the debate about the success or failure of lean efforts forward. With the debates about lean and its potential, it is necessary to have a scientific determination of success and the areas where further work in the firm is needed. Such measurement is the backbone of management progress, and the authors believe that this paper is useful. Second, the necessity of reliable and valid tools of lean assessment is obvious in the literature and practice. The findings of this study help academicians find reliable and valid tools to measure lean success both in the literature and practice. Practical implications Managerial implications include the development of a way to assess the areas of success and areas requiring further work. Failure to measure success and needs for further work has been the reason for the questionable results found in investigating lean implementation efforts. If there is no way to determine what is needed to improve lean efforts, they will be seen as failure, even if part of the implementation has been successful. This tool has been found to be potentially useful for evaluation of these crucial and time-consuming efforts. Originality/value In this study, the qualitative section of LAT has been validated. The results demonstrated that, based on two countries’ data sets, the scale was found to be reliable and valid within itself and across sociocultural boundaries.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. e65-e72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Alakija ◽  
Jocelyn Lockyer

Background: Peer and self assessment processes are integral to the development of professional behaviours. The purpose of this study was to assess the Rochester Peer Assessment Tool (RPAT) among a group of volunteer first year students.Methods: We assessed feasibility through participation rates. The evidence for the validity of instrument scores was ascertained through an exploratory factor analysis, MANOVA to determine age and gender differences, and a discrepancy analysis between the self and peer data. Reliability analyses included the Cronbach's alpha analysis and G- and D-studies. Students completed a feedback questionnaire to provide data about acceptability.Results: Self and peer data were collected for 46 and 44 students, respectively. Each student had a mean of 7.2 peer assessments (out of a possible 8).  The factor analysis identified two factors, interpersonal skills and work study habits. The discrepancy analysis showed students in the lowest/highest quartiles, as assessed by peers, had higher/lower self means than peer means. The G-coefficient was Ep2 = 0.77. Student feedback was positive.Conclusions: RPAT was feasible in our setting, was acceptable to the students, and has been adopted as a mandatory part of our program for first and second year students. The study added to the evidence base for the reliability and validity of the RPAT instrument scores as a method of assessing professional behaviours.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. e000124
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Rezaei ◽  
Mohammad R Maracy ◽  
Mohammad H Yarmohammadian ◽  
Ali Ardalan ◽  
Mahmood Keyvanara

The purpose of this study was to develop a tool for community-based health organisations (CBHOs) to evaluate the preparedness in biohazards concerning epidemics or bioterrorism. We searched concepts on partnerships of CBHOs with health systems in guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and literature. Then, we validated the researcher-made tool by face validity, content validity, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and criterion validity. Data were collected by sending the tool to 620 CBHOs serving under supervision of Iran’s ministry of health. Opinions of health professionals and stakeholders in CBHOs were used to assess face and content validity. Factor loads in EFA were based on three-factor structure that verified by CFA. We used SPSS V.18 and Mplus7 software for statistical analysis. About 105 health-based CBHOs participated. After conducting face validity and calculating content validity ratio and content validity index, we reached 54 items in the field of planning, training and infrastructure. We conducted construct validity using 105 CBHOs. Three items exchanged between the fields according to factor loads in EFA, and CFA verified the model fit as Comparative Fit Index, Tucker-Lewis index and root mean square error of approximation were 0.921, 0918 and 0.052, respectively. The Cronbach’s of the whole tool was 0.944. Spearman correlation coefficient confirmed criterion validity as coefficient was 0.736. Planning, training and infrastructure fields are the most important aspects of preparedness in health-based CBHOs. Applying the new assessment tool in future studies will show the weaknesses and capabilities of health-based CBHOs in biohazard and clear necessary intervention actions for health authorities.


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