scholarly journals Applicability and validation of the Reaction to Tests Scale (RTT) in a sample of Portuguese medical students

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela S. M. Pereira ◽  
Ana Mónica Pereira ◽  
Teresa Costa Castanho ◽  
Gabriela A. Silva ◽  
Filipe Falcão ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Test anxiety is a crucial factor in determining academic outcomes, and it may lead to poor cognitive performance, academic underachievement, and psychological distress, interfering specifically with their ability to think and perform during tests. The main objective of this study was to explore the applicability and psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the Reactions to Tests scale (RTT) in a sample of medical students. Method A sample of 672 medical students completed the RTT. The sample was randomly split in half to allow for independent Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and to test the best fit model—Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). CFA was used to test both the first-order factor structure (four subscales) and second-order factor structure, in which the four subscales relate to a general factor, Test Anxiety. The internal consistency of the RTT was assessed through Cronbach’s alpha, Composite reliability (CR) and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) for the total scale and each of the four subscales. Convergent validity was evaluated through the correlation between RTT and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y).To explore the comparability of measured attributes across subgroups of respondents, measurement invariance was also studied. Results Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed acceptable fits for the Portuguese RTT version. Concerning internal consistency, results indicate that RTT was found to be reliable to measure test anxiety in this sample. Convergent validity of the RTT with both state and trait anxiety STAI-Y’s subscales was also shown. Moreover, multigroup analyses showed metric invariance across gender and curriculum phase. Conclusion Our results suggest that the RTT scale is a valid and reliable instrument for the measurement of test anxiety among Portuguese Medical Students.

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Vinggaard Christensen ◽  
Jane K. Dixon ◽  
Knud Juel ◽  
Ola Ekholm ◽  
Trine Bernholdt Rasmussen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Anxiety and depression symptoms are common among cardiac patients. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) is frequently used to measure symptoms of anxiety and depression; however, no study on the validity and reliability of the scale in Danish cardiac patients has been done. The aim, therefore, was to evaluate the psychometric properties of HADS in a large sample of Danish patients with the four most common cardiac diagnoses: ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, heart failure and heart valve disease. Methods The DenHeart study was designed as a national cross-sectional survey including the HADS, SF-12 and HeartQoL and combined with data from national registers. Psychometric evaluation included analyses of floor and ceiling effects, structural validity using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and hypotheses testing of convergent and divergent validity by relating the HADS scores to the SF-12 and HeartQoL. Internal consistency reliability was evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha, and differential item functioning by gender was examined using ordinal logistic regression. Results A total of 12,806 patients (response rate 51%) answered the HADS. Exploratory factor analysis supported the original two-factor structure of the HADS, while confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure consisting of the original depression subscale and two anxiety subscales as suggested in a previous study. There were floor effects on all items and ceiling effect on item 8. The hypotheses regarding convergent validity were confirmed but those regarding divergent validity for HADS-D were not. Internal consistency was good with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87 for HADS-A and 0.82 for HADS-D. There were no indications of noticeable differential item functioning by gender for any items. Conclusions The present study supported the evidence of convergent validity and high internal consistency for both HADS outcomes in a large sample of Danish patients with cardiac disease. There are, however, conflicting results regarding the factor structure of the scale consistent with previous research. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01926145.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026553222110181
Author(s):  
Tingting Liu ◽  
Vahid Aryadoust ◽  
Stacy Foo

This study evaluated the validity of the Michigan English Test (MET) Listening Section by investigating its underlying factor structure and the replicability of its factor structure across multiple test forms. Data from 3255 test takers across four forms of the MET Listening Section were used. To investigate the factor structure, each form was fitted with four Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) models: (1) a three correlated-factor model, (2) a bi-factor model, (3) a higher-order factor model, and (4) a single general-factor model. In addition, a four-pronged heuristic comprising construct delineation, construct operationalization, factor structure analysis, and congruence coefficient was developed to examine the replicability of factor structures across the test forms. Results from the CFA models showed that the test forms were unidimensional and the four-pronged heuristic indicated that the test construct was consistently operationalized across forms. Furthermore, the congruence coefficient indicated that the factor structure representing listening was highly similar and replicable across test forms. In sum, the construct of the MET Listening Section did not comprise divisible subskills. Yet, the unidimensional factor structure of the test was replicable across the test forms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Ebrahimi ◽  
Mojtaba Elhami Athar ◽  
Mitra Hakim Shooshtari ◽  
Hossain Karsazi ◽  
Eric A Storch

The current study was a cross-sectional research and aimed to investigate the factor structure, internal consistency, and validities of the Persian version of the Teasing Questionnaire-Revised (TQ-R). Forward and backward translations of the TQ-R were performed; face and content validities were determined based on comments by a sample of psychology students and specialists. Using the cluster sampling method, 290 participants were recruited, and 201 valid data (Mage = 23.53, SD = 3.53, 64.2% men) were analyzed. The factor structure was assessed by confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The result of the confirmatory factor analysis(es) did not confirm the proposed three, four, and five-factor models. EFA revealed four factors with 23 items, explaining 52.03% of the total variance. The internal consistency of the Persian version of Teasing Questionnaire 23 was in the excellent range (α = 0.92), and its expected associations with external correlates (e.g., depression and anxiety) supported the measure’s convergent validity. The findings indicated that the Persian version of the TQ-R has sound psychometric properties and can be used as a valid and reliable tool in research and clinical outcomes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 199-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Okam C Cırakoğlu ◽  
Gülce C Şentürk

In the present research, the Performance Anxiety Scale for Music Students (PASMS) was developed in three successive studies. In Study 1, the factor structure of PASMS was explored and three components were found: fear of stage (FES), avoidance (AVD) and symptoms (SMP). The internal consistency of the subscales of PASMS, which consisted of 27 items, varied between 0.89 and 0.91. The internal consistency for the whole scale was found to be 0.95. The correlations among PASMS and other anxiety-related measures were significant and in the expected direction, indicating that the scale has convergent validity. The construct validity of the scale was assessed in Study 2 by confirmatory factor analysis. After several revisions, the final tested model achieved acceptable fits. In Study 3, the 14-day test-retest reliability of the final 24-item version of PASMS was tested and found to be extremely high (0.95). In all three studies, the whole scale and subscale scores of females were significantly higher than for males.


Author(s):  
Giulia Bassi ◽  
Adriana Lis ◽  
Tatiana Marci ◽  
Silvia Salcuni

AbstractThe increased smartphone use in adolescence has led clinicians and researchers to carry out in-depth studies on the matter. Adolescents seem to be at risk of smartphone addiction because they are yet to develop self-control in smartphone use. This psychometric study aimed at examining the levels of validity evidence for the Smartphone Addiction Inventory-Italian (SPAI-I) version for adults, among adolescents. Confirmatory Factor Analysis confirmed the factor structure of the SPAI-I version for adults among adolescents but not the exploratory factor structure for adults of the original Smartphone Addiction Inventory (SPAI). Convergent validity was assessed by examining the relationship between SPAI-I, self-control, and internalized and externalized problems. A total of 446 Italian adolescents (mean age = 16.04, SD = 1.72, 36.3% males) completed the Self-Restraint Subscale of the Adolescent Self-Consciousness and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires—with a specific focus on the subscales of internalized and externalized problems. Present findings suggested that the SPAI-I version could be used to assess smartphone overuse among adolescents according to a multidimensional perspective.


2021 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahnaz Estaki ◽  
Ameneh Dehghan ◽  
Ebrahim Mahmoudi ◽  
Navid Mirzakhany

Background: Sensory integration is a necessary skill for acquiring reading skills because it strongly depends on the rapid and strong relation between written and verbal symbols. There is no standardized test for Iranian children with dyslexia to investigate their sensory processing problems. Therefore, understanding the validity and reliability of the child sensory profile 2 (CSP2) would be essential for a detailed assessment of sensory impairments in dyslexic children. Objectives: The current research aimed to establish the internal consistency, factor analysis, and convergent validity of the Persian version of CSP2 in children with dyslexia. Methods: The sample of this study included 200 dyslexic children aged 6 to 12 years who were referred to learning disabilities centers in Qom from September 2019 to February 2020 by using the multistage sampling method. To collect data, the CSP2 questionnaire and the dyslexia test (NEMA) were used. The factor structure was assessed by confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency of the CSP2 was examined by using Cronbach’s alpha. Convergent validity was assessed by examining the relationship between CSP2 and NEMA. Results: Internal consistency was obtained as 0.89, 0.92, 0.77, and 0.94 for the four subscales of sensory processing, namely registration, seeking, sensitivity, and avoiding, respectively. The result of confirmatory factor analysis gained support for Dunn's four-factor model. Total scores of NEMA were correlated with the scores of CSP2 subscales (seeking, avoiding, sensitivity, and registration). Conclusions: The Persian version of the Child Sensory Profile 2 is a valid (via confirmatory factor analysis and convergent validity) and reliable (via internal consistency) tool for assessing sensory processing in children with dyslexia.


2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 657-669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi Hu ◽  
Peter A. Creed ◽  
Michelle Hood

Career goal feedback provides information about career goal suitability, adequacy of goal progress, and whether changes are needed to reach the goals. Feedback comes from external (e.g., parents, peers) and internal sources (e.g., self-reflection), and plays an important role in the career development of young people. As there is no existing measure that adequately captures this construct, we devised and validated a 24-item inventory for use with young adults. In Study 1, initial items were developed, expert reviewed, and administered to a sample of Chinese university students ( N = 1,055; MAGE = 19 years). We used exploratory factor analysis to test the factor structure and confirmatory factor analysis on a holdout sample to validate a third-order solution (one third-order factor manifested by three second-order factors). In addition, we provided evidence for convergent and incremental validity. In Study 2, we confirmed the factor structure on Australian university students ( N = 184; MAGE = 19 years).


2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoochehr Azkhosh ◽  
Ali Asgari

This study aimed to investigate the construct validity and factor structure of NEO-Five Factor Inventory (Costa & McCrae, 1992) in Iranian population. Participants were 1639 (780 male, 859 female) Tehran people aged 15-71. The results of explanatory factor analysis showed no notable differences between the factor structures extracted by oblique and orthogonal rotations and didn’t replicate the scoring key. The Openness and Agreeableness had more psychometric problems (low internal consistency and high deleted items). The female’s NEO-FFI factor structure (with 41 items of 60 loaded on intended factors)was clearer than males’ (with 37 items). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the male’s latent modeling of the 31-item but failed to fit the female’s model. The women scored significantly higher in the Neuroticism, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness than men who scored significantly higher in the Extraversion. As previous findings, the current results showed the NEO-FFI’s cultural limitations assessing the universality of the Five Factor Model.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Félix Neto

Sociosexuality refers to the propensity to engage in sexual relations without closeness or commitment, varying from a restricted to an unrestricted orientation. The aim of this research was to scrutinise the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R; Penke & Asendorpf, 2008). The study included 549 persons (50% women) aged 18–75 years (M = 38.73; SD = 17.77). The psychometric properties of the SOI-R were analysed by means of confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, and validity. Confirmatory factor analysis showed the expected three-factor structure of the measure. The SOI-R presented adequate internal consistency. Women were less unrestricted than men in all facets of sociosexuality. This Portuguese version of the SOI-R seems to be reliable and valid for evaluating sociosexuality in a Portuguese-speaking population, and can be utilised for experimental and applied works. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 990-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong-Gwi Lee ◽  
Hanna Suh ◽  
Hee-Kyung Lee

This study explored the factor structure of the Korean version of the Perfectionistic Self-Presentation Scale, originally developed by Hewitt and colleagues in 2003 with three factors (Perfectionistic Self-promotion, Non-display of Imperfection, and Non-disclosure of Imperfection). In Study 1, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the Korean version with 27 items for 151 Korean college students, but the model fit was poor. Subsequently, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and the results yielded three factors as found in Hewitt, et al., yet with 20 items rather than the original 27 items. This new version had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .88); convergent validity estimate was established with a measure of self-presentation motivation. In Study 2, to support the structural validity of the Korean version, another confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with 203 Korean college students. The model fit was good, but a few amendments were made.


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