scholarly journals Academic Expectations Questionnaire: A Proposal for a Short Version

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401882449
Author(s):  
Joana R. Casanova ◽  
Leandro S. Almeida ◽  
Francisco Peixoto ◽  
Rui-Bártolo Ribeiro ◽  
João Marôco

Academic expectations play a significant role in the quality of student adaptation and academic success. Previous research suggests that expectations are a multidimensional construct, making it crucial to test the measures used for this important characteristic. Because assessment of student adaptation to higher education comprises a multitude of personal and contextual variables, including expectations, shortened versions of assessment instruments are critical. In this article, confirmatory factor analysis was used to obtain a short version of the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire–Expectations (APQ-E). Participants were 3,017 first-year Portuguese college students. The results support the use of a shorter version of 24 items, distributed over six dimensions, with good reliability and validity.

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12396
Author(s):  
Huiming He ◽  
Qiqing Mo ◽  
Xinyu Bai ◽  
Xinguang Chen ◽  
Cunxian Jia ◽  
...  

Background To evaluate the reliability and validity of the short version six-item Quality of Life Scale (QOLS-6) and the consistency of subject-proxy data in a case-control psychological autopsy study on elderly suicide in rural China. Methods A two-stage stratified cluster sampling method was used to select research sites. We used self-administered questionnaires to collect proxy-based information from informants and subject-based information from living comparisons. Results A total of 242 pairs of suicide cases and living comparisons were selected in our research. Subject-proxy consistency for QOLS-6 was good (Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.688) in living controls. Good internal consistency of QOLS-6 was validated by Cronbach’s α being greater than 0.6 among suicide cases and living comparisons. The mean scores of quality of life were lower among suicide cases than living controls. Quality of life was negatively correlated with depression, loneliness, hopelessness, impulsiveness and stressful life events, while it was positively correlated with activities of daily living and family function. Conclusions QOLS-6 has good reliability and validity, which can be used for assessing quality of life among Chinese rural older adults. It is shorter and easier than any other scale for measuring quality of life and can be used as a screening tool in future studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Shah ◽  
F. M. Ali ◽  
A. Y. Finlay ◽  
M. S. Salek

Abstract Background A person’s chronic health condition or disability can have a huge impact on the quality of life (QoL) of the whole family, but this important impact is often ignored. This literature review aims to understand the impact of patients' disease on family members across all medical specialities, and appraise existing generic and disease-specific family quality of life (QoL) measures. Methods The databases Medline, EMBASE, CINHAL, ASSIA, PsycINFO and Scopus were searched for original articles in English measuring the impact of health conditions on patients' family members/partner using a valid instrument. Results Of 114 articles screened, 86 met the inclusion criteria. They explored the impact of a relative's disease on 14,661 family members, mostly 'parents' or 'mothers', using 50 different instruments across 18 specialities including neurology, oncology and dermatology, in 33 countries including the USA, China and Australia. These studies revealed a huge impact of patients' illness on family members. An appraisal of family QoL instruments identified 48 instruments, 42 disease/speciality specific and six generic measures. Five of the six generics are aimed at carers of children, people with disability or restricted to chronic disease. The only generic instrument that measures the impact of any condition on family members across all specialities is the Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16). Although most instruments demonstrated good reliability and validity, only 11 reported responsiveness and only one reported the minimal clinically important difference. Conclusions Family members' QoL is greatly impacted by a relative's condition. To support family members, there is a need for a generic tool that offers flexibility and brevity for use in clinical settings across all areas of medicine. FROM-16 could be the tool of choice, provided its robustness is demonstrated with further validation of its psychometric properties.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed-Sirvan Hosseini ◽  
Seyedeh Zeinab Beheshti ◽  
Valsamma Eapen ◽  
Amir Almasi-Hashiani ◽  
Saman Maroufizadeh

Abstract Background: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are known to poorer quality of life. The Quality of Life in Autism Questionnaire (QoLA) is a commonly used instrument for measuring the quality of life in parents of children with ASD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the QoLA in Iranian mothers of children with ASD.Methods: The sample of this methodological study consisted of 88 mothers of children with ASD in Arak, Iran. The data were collected using convenience sampling method between September 2019 and January 2020. A battery of questionnaires was administered to mothers which included the QoLA, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4). Factor structure and internal consistency of the QoLA were examined via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Cronbach’s alpha, respectively. Convergent validity was examined by relationship with WHOQOL-BREF, PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSS-4.Results: The mean total scores of QoLA Part A and Part B were 86.50 (SD=13.89) and 61.41 (SD=18.21), respectively. Both subscales exhibited good internal validity (with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.899 and 0.950 for Part A and Part B, respectively). The convergent validity of both subscales of QoLA was proved via moderate to strong correlations with measure of the WHOQOL-BREF. In addition, both QoLA Part A and Part B scores were negatively correlated with measures of PHQ-9, GAD-7, and PSS-4. The confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence for unidimensionality of both subscales of QoLA.Conclusion: The Persian version of QoLA displays satisfactory reliability and validity in Iranian mothers of children with ASD.


2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 1184-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Qu ◽  
HQ Guo ◽  
J Liu ◽  
Y Zhang ◽  
G Sun

The quality of life (QOL) of the Chinese ‘floating’ migrant population is of growing concern. Urban construction workers are the main migrant population in China, but there is little published research on their QOL. The reliability and validity of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire were assessed by conducting a population-based study of migrant construction workers in Shenyang, China. Two construction sites were randomly selected from each of the five districts of Shenyang City and 1200 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to rurally-registered, non-Shenyang workers aged ≥ 16 years at these sites. A total of 1125 questionnaires were evaluated. The overall Cronbach's a coefficient of the SF-36 questionnaire was 0.821 while the respective Cronbach's α coefficient for each dimension was > 0.70. Results showed that the SF-36 questionnaire demonstrated good reliability and validity, and that it can be used to measure QOL among Chinese migrant urban construction workers.


2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 743-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu-Feng Liu ◽  
Yong-Cong Shao ◽  
Ye-Bing Yang ◽  
Sheng-Jun Wu ◽  
Hai Yang ◽  
...  

In this study a Chinese version of the Situational Self-Awareness Scale (SSAS; Govern & Marsch, 2001) was developed and tested for validity and reliability. Participants were 1,244 undergraduate students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and other statistical methods yielded results indicating a good correlation of items in the Chinese (C-SSAS) and English version of the scale. When private self-awareness was assessed in a private setting the score of participants was significantly greater and likewise the public self-awareness scores were higher when the scale was completed in a public setting. Test-retest reliability was significant across situations and time. The reallocation of one item to public self-awareness in the C-SSAS from private in the SSAS was indicative of differences between Eastern and Western cultures and this is discussed. In general, the results indicated that the Chinese version of the SSAS has good reliability and validity. The scale should, therefore, be suitable as a reference to develop scales for evaluating personnel working in specific occupations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
P. Han ◽  
T. Su ◽  
M. Qin ◽  
H. Chen ◽  
T. Hummel

PURPOSE: Although neglected by science for a long time, the sense of olfaction has received increasing attention from research areas including psychology, neuroscience, clinical medicine and nutrition. With the rise of psychophysical and neuroimaging re- search into olfaction, psychometric tools (e.g. questionnaires and scales) are the basis for the quantitative exploration of inter-in- dividual variability regarding olfactory related responses. The current systematic review is to summarize existing olfaction related questionnaires and/or scales. METHODS: Peer-reviewed literature on scales and questionnaires related to perception of odors were searched from online databa- ses (PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO). Twenty-one articles that meet the following criteria were included in the review: “hu- man species”, “no physical odor stimuli” and “describing the original development of the tool”, and “with specific focus on olfaction or odor related responses or behaviors”. The psychometric properties, advantages and possible disadvantages were discussed. RESULTS: Existing psychometric measures focus on various aspects of olfactory related responses and behaviors, including af- fective experiences of odor perception, awareness and attitude towards olfaction, olfactory function and the quality of life change due to olfactory dysfunction, and the ability to create vivid mental odor images. While most of them have been tested to have good reliability and validity, some were relatively time-consuming due to the number of questionnaire items. Besides, although many measures have been used in clinical populations, few have provided information on the predictive validity regarding effecti- veness of clinical intervention on changes of certain responses or behaviors. SUMMARY: The current review provides an overview of olfactory related questionnaires and scales, highlighting the emotional and affective impact of olfaction and the impact on quality of life due to olfactory dysfunction. With growing interest in olfaction as an important sense, the development and use of psychometrically sound measurements in conjunction with objective assess- ments will advance our understanding of human olfaction and olfactory dysfunction. The review provides a guide for researchers and clinicians alike to select olfactory scales suitable for olfactory research with different experimental purposes and specific samples.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra M. Araújo ◽  
Cristiano Mauro Assis Gomes ◽  
Leandro S. Almeida ◽  
Jose Carlos Núñez

Academic expectations are an important variable in the explanation of adaptation and academic success in higher education. This paper uses latent profile analysis as a person-centered statistical approach to classify students into groups of similar types of expectations for higher education, at the beginning of the first year in university. Participants were 2,478 first-year Portuguese students. Based on the scores of seven dimensions of expectations, we identified six classes of students. Most students (84%) presented moderate levels of expectations, while 8% and 4%, respectively, reported very high and low expectations. One class represented a group of students (4%) with high expectations for the quality of education and for political engagement and citizenship and lower expectations for social interaction and attending to social pressures. Male and older students showed more positive expectations. Students from privileged family backgrounds are more likely to present higher expectations for political engagement and citizenship experiences, and lower expectations for social interaction and leisure and attending to social pressures. Keywords: latent profile analysis; person-centered; expectations; higher education; first-year students


1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay Wilson ◽  
Eleonora Gullone ◽  
Simon Moss

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the revised Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (PANAS-C; Joiner, Catanzaro & Laurent, 1996) in 228 nonclinical children and adolescents aged between 8 and 15 years. The results revealed that the PANAS-C possesses high internal consistency and encouraging convergent validity, as demonstrated by correlations with the theoretically related constructs of Neuroticism and Extraversion. Construct validity was supported through confirmatory factor analysis, which revealed a two dimensional structure comprising Negative and Positive Affect. Divergent validity was confirmed by the nonsignificant correlation between positive and negative affect. Thus, the PANAS-C was demonstrated to have good reliability and validity, subject to minor changes in item content.


2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Yu Chiu ◽  
Hyojeong Seo ◽  
Ann P. Turnbull ◽  
Jean Ann Summers

Abstract The Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale is an internationally validated instrument for measuring family outcomes. To revise the scale for better alignment with the Family Quality of Life theory, the authors excluded non-outcome items in this revision. In this study, we examined reliability and validity of the revised scale (i.e., the FQoL Scale-21) and its scores for Taiwanese families of children and youth with intellectual disability and developmental delay (age 0–18). Results from 400 Taiwanese respondents suggested that the FQoL Scale-21 has the potential to be used as an indicator of positive outcomes in intervention evaluation, policy making, and service delivery.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linyu You ◽  
Xiaoming Jia ◽  
Yaping Ding ◽  
Qin An ◽  
Bo Li

Introduction: After the outbreak of COVID-19, psychological hotlines functioned as a main channel of psychological assistance and required a large number of professionals to provide services. These hotlines mostly offered a single-use service with short session times and allowed callers to retain anonymity. They functioned as a psychological counseling service for stress experienced in the COVID-19 public health emergency. Hotline psychological counselors must meet special competency requirements. The selection and evaluation tools for recruiting hotline counselors need to be developed.Materials and Methods: The initial scale of competence for psychological hotline counselors was formed by expert evaluation based on theoretical constructs and by using the Delphi method. A link to the questionnaire was sent to a WeChat group of counselors from 36 major psychological hotlines in China in two stages. The questionnaire consisted of questions to elicit basic demographic information and the initial competence scale. In the first phase, 343 valid samples were used to perform exploratory factor analysis. In the second phase, 334 valid samples were used to perform confirmatory factor analysis. The status of the competence of psychological hotline counselors was also analyzed.Results: The factor structure of the Psychological Hotline Counselor Competence Scale was verified and defined in terms of skills, attitude, and knowledge. The results of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis showed that the scale has good reliability and validity (χ2/df = 1.758, GFI = 0.86, RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.96, NFI = 0.91, NNFI = 0.95). The McDonald’s omega for each factor was calculated (ωF1 = 0.927, 95%CI [0.914, 0.940]; ωF2 = 0.958, 95%CI [0.951, 0.965]; ωF3 = 0.954, 95%CI [0.945, 0.961]). Meanwhile, it was found that the psychological hotline counselors’ self-assessed competence had a high average score (n = 334).Conclusion: The Competence Scale for Psychological Hotline Counselors for Major Public Emergencies developed in this study has good reliability and validity, and can be a reliable tool for organizing psychological assistance and screening hotline psychological counselors during public emergencies in the future.


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