scholarly journals Differential changes in self-reported aspects of interoceptive awareness through 3 months of contemplative training

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Bornemann ◽  
Beate M. Herbert ◽  
Tania Singer
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Body Awareness ◽  
The Body ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Interoceptive Awareness ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity

Interoceptive body awareness (IA) is crucial for psychological well-being and plays an important role in many contemplative traditions. However, until recently, standardized self-report measures of IA were scarce, not comprehensive, and the effects of interoceptive training on such measures were largely unknown. The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) questionnaire measures IA with eight different scales. In the current study, we investigated whether and how these different aspects of IA are influenced by a 3-months contemplative intervention in the context of the ReSource project, in which 148 subjects engaged in daily practices of “Body Scan” and “Breath Meditation.” We developed a German version of the MAIA and tested it in a large and diverse sample (n = 1,076). Internal consistencies were similar to the English version (0.56– 0.89), retest reliability was high (r s: 0.66–0.79), and the MAIA showed good convergent and discriminant validity. Importantly, interoceptive training improved five out of eight aspects of IA, compared to a retest control group. Participants with low IA scores at baseline showed the biggest changes. Whereas practice duration only weakly predicted individual differences in change, self-reported liking of the practices and degree of integration into daily life predicted changes on most scales. Interestingly, the magnitude of observed changes varied across scales. The strongest changes were observed for the regulatory aspects of IA, that is, how the body is used for self-regulation in daily life. No significant changes were observed for the Noticing aspect (becoming aware of bodily changes), which is the aspect that is predominantly assessed in other IA measures. This differential pattern underscores the importance to assess IA multi-dimensionally, particularly when interested in enhancement of IA through contemplative practice or other mind–body interventions.

scholarly journals Body image shame in men: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and psychometric properties of the Body Image Shame Scale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristiana Duarte ◽  
C. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Psychological Adjustment ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
The Body ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Weight And Shape Concerns

Abstract Purpose Body image shame plays a key role in disordered eating symptoms and psychological adjustment. Nonetheless, research has been mainly focused on women. The Body Image Shame Scale (BISS) was previously developed and tested in a nonclinical sample of women. This study examines the BISS in a male sample comprising students and community participants. Methods Participants were 420 men, who completed the BISS and self-report measures of shame, self-criticism, body weight and shape concerns and psychopathological symptoms. Results The previously identified structure of the BISS, with an external and internal dimension, fitted the data well. All items presented high reliability. The BISS total score and its subscales in men present high construct reliability, and convergent and discriminant validity. Correlation analyses indicated that BISS and its subscales in men present positive associations with general shame and self-criticism, body weight and shape concerns, and with indices of poorer psychological adjustment. Conclusion Findings supported that the BISS is a reliable measure to assess body shame in men.

Effectiveness study of “occupational connections” – A short-term, in-patient intervention for promotion functioning and participation in daily life of people with mental health conditions

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S380-S381
Author(s):  
L. Lipskaya-Velikovsky ◽  
T. Krupa ◽  
M. Kotler
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Hospital Treatment ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Mental Health Conditions

ObjectivesMental health conditions (MHC) have been associated with restrictions in daily life participation and functioning affecting health and well-being. Substantial numbers of people with MHC experience hospitalizations, however, there is limited evidence supporting functional interventions in the in-patient setting to promote recovery. The OC is an intervention implemented during sub-acute hospitalization, which attempts to promote activity and participation of people with MHC, both during the in-patient stay and upon return to the community, with a view to enabling recovery. To facilitate its implementation, we investigate the OC effectiveness.AimsInvestigate the OC contribution to cognition, symptoms and functional capacity among inpatients with schizophrenia.MethodsThis is a quasi-experimental, prospective, pre/post-designed study with convenience sampling. Inpatients with schizophrenia were enrolled into the study group participating in the OC intervention (n = 16); or the control group participating in hospital treatment as usual (n = 17). The study participants completed evaluations at baseline and at discharge or after 10 weeks with: Neurocognitive State Examination, Trail Making Test, Ray Complex Figure, and Category Fluency Test for aspects of cognition; Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for symptoms severity, and Observed Tasks of Daily Living-Revised for functional capacity.ResultsStatistically significant improvement in cognitive functioning, symptoms severity and functional capacity was found in the study group after the intervention. These changes were not observed in the control group.ConclusionThe results support the OC effectiveness for cognitive and functional capacity improvement and symptomology relief. The findings advance the body of evidence for functional interventions in hospital settings.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness: Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version

2018 ◽  
Vol 126 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Machorrinho ◽  
Guida Veiga ◽  
Jorge Fernandes ◽  
Wolf Mehling ◽  
José Marmeleira
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Interoceptive Awareness ◽  
Portuguese Version ◽  
Multidimensional Assessment ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Acceptable Model ◽  
Test Retest Reliability

Interoceptive awareness involves several mind–body dimensions and can be evaluated by self-report with the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), which has been translated and validated in several countries and is being used in research and clinical contexts. This study systematically translated the MAIA with six additional items using a focus group and evaluated its psychometric properties in a respondent sample of 204 Portuguese university students (52% females; M = 21.3, SD = 3.9 years). Based on exploratory factor analysis, we refined the tool into a 33-item version and tested it in a separate sample ( n = 286; 63% females; M = 21.3, SD = 4.7 years). We then conducted confirmatory factor analysis and examined test–retest reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. We confirmed an acceptable model fit for this Portuguese version (MAIA-P) with 33 items and seven scales; it showed good construct validity and acceptable temporal reliability, The MAIA-P appears to be valuable for assessing self-reported interoceptive awareness in Portuguese healthy adults.

scholarly journals Can the factor structure of Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40) contribute to our understanding of parental acceptance/rejection, bullying, victimization and perceived well-being in Greek early adolescents?

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodoros Giovazolias ◽  
Evangelia Karagiannopoulou ◽  
Effrosyni Mitsopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Parental Acceptance ◽  
Bullying Victimization ◽  
School Students ◽  
Defense Style ◽  
Defense Style Questionnaire ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity

Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) is a self-report instrument designed to measure defense mechanisms. Although commonly used, the DSQ-40 has not been validated in early adolescent populations. The present study sought to determine the factor validity of the DSQ-40 in a sample of Greek primary school students (N = 265). Further, it aimed to investigate the relationship between defense mechanisms and perceived parental acceptance/rejection, the participation in bullying (either as bully or victim) as well as self-reported well being. Participants completed the Greek version of DSQ-40, adapted for use by this particular age group as well as measures in order to examine its convergent and discriminant validity. The findings support a four-factor solution as the most adequate for our data. Further, it was found that defense mechanisms are related to perceived parental acceptance and rejection. Finally, the results showed that the DSQ-40 can effectively discriminate participants with high/low bullying/victimization and perceived well-being. Our results indicate that the DSQ-40 is appropriate for use in late childhood. Implications for clinical practice and future studies that would confirm the appropriateness of the scale’s use in younger populations are also discussed.

scholarly journals Item Reduction, Psychometric and Biometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Body Perception Questionnaire—Short Form (BPQ-SF): The BPQ-22

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3835
Author(s):  
Andrea Poli ◽  
Angelo Giovanni Icro Maremmani ◽  
Carlo Chiorri ◽  
Gian-Paolo Mazzoni ◽  
Graziella Orrù ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Body Awareness ◽  
The Body ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Body Perception ◽  
Italian Version ◽  
Polyvagal Theory

Body awareness disorders and reactivity are mentioned across a range of clinical problems. Constitutional differences in the control of the bodily state are thought to generate a vulnerability to psychological symptoms. Autonomic nervous system dysfunctions have been associated with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Though interoception may be a transdiagnostic mechanism promoting the improvement of clinical symptomatology, few psychometrically sound, symptom-independent, self-report measures, informed by brain–body circuits, are available for research and clinical use. We validated the Italian version of the body perception questionnaire (BPQ)—short form and found that response categories could be collapsed from five to three and that the questionnaire retained a three-factor structure with items reduced from 46 to 22 (BPQ-22). The first factor was loaded by body awareness items; the second factor comprised some items from the body awareness scale and some from the subdiaphragmatic reactivity scale (but all related to bloating and digestive issues), and the third factor by supradiaphragmatic reactivity items. The BPQ-22 had sound psychometric properties, good convergent and discriminant validity and test–retest reliability and could be used in clinical and research settings in which the body perception assessment is of interest. Psychometric findings in light of the polyvagal theory are discussed.

scholarly journals The Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE)

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 694-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veljko Jovanović ◽  
Milica Lazić ◽  
Vesna Gavrilov-Jerković ◽  
Dylan Molenaar
Keyword(s):  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Negative Experience ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Positive And Negative Emotions

Abstract. The Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE) is a self-report questionnaire designed to assess positive and negative emotions. In Study 1 ( N = 4,250, 61.95% females, Mage = 28.56 years), we evaluated measurement invariance of the SPANE across gender and age using moderated factor analysis. In Study 2 ( N = 200, 52.5% females, Mage = 21.82 years), we investigated the convergent and discriminant validity of the SPANE by examining its associations with measures of well-being and religiosity. In Study 3 ( N = 160, 87.5% females, Mage = 20.38 years), we used a prospective design to examine associations of the SPANE with the Big Five personality traits. The results provided general support for the measurement invariance of the SPANE across age and gender, but some non-invariant items were detected as well. The analyses of latent mean differences across gender revealed that women reported higher levels of both positive and negative emotions than men, but the effect size for positive emotions was very small. Older participants reported lower levels of positive emotions and higher levels of negative emotions than younger participants. Both convergent and discriminant validity of the SPANE were supported.

scholarly journals Rapid and sound assessment of well-being within a multi-dimensional approach: The Well-being Numerical Rating Scales (WB-NRSs)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252709
Author(s):  
Andrea Bonacchi ◽  
Francesca Chiesi ◽  
Chloe Lau ◽  
Georgia Marunic ◽  
Donald H. Saklofske ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Numerical Rating ◽  
Discriminant Ability

The assessment of well-being remains an important topic for many disciplines including medical, psychological, social, educational, and economic fields. The present study assesses the reliability and validity of a five-item instrument for evaluating physical, psychological, spiritual, relational, and general well-being. This measure uniquely utilizes a segmented numeric version of the visual analog scale in which a respondent selects a whole number that best reflects the intensity of the investigated characteristic. In study one, 939 clinical (i.e., diagnosed with cancer and liver disease with cirrhosis) and non-clinical (i.e., undergraduate students and their family and acquaintances) participants between the ages of 18 to 87 years (M = 47.20 years, SD = 19.62, 54% males) were recruited. Results showed items have strong discriminant ability and the spread of threshold parameters attests to the appropriateness of the response categories. Moreover, convergent and discriminant validity were found with other self-report measures (e.g., depression, anxiety, optimism, well-being) and the measure showed responsiveness to two separate interventions for clinical populations. In study two, 287 Canadian (ages ranged from 18 to 30 years; M = 20.78, SD = 3.32; 23% males) and 342 Italian undergraduate psychology students (age ranged from 18 to 29 years, M = 21.21 years, SD = 1.73, 38% males) were recruited to complete self-report questionnaires. IRT-based differential item functioning analyses provided evidence that the item properties were similar for the Italian and English versions of the scale. Additionally, the validity results obtained in study one were replicated and similar relationships between criterion variables were found when comparing the Italian- and the English-speaking samples. Overall, the current study provides evidence that the Italian and English versions of the WB-NRSs offer added value in research focused on well-being and in assessing well-being changes prompted by intervention programs.

scholarly journals Psychometric properties of Attentional Control Scale: The preliminary study on a Polish sample

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Fajkowska ◽  
Douglas Derryberry
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Emotional Disorders ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Control Scale ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Attentional Skills ◽  
Preliminary Study

Psychometric properties of Attentional Control Scale: The preliminary study on a Polish sample The presented study was focused primarily on a psychometric analysis of the Attentional Control Scale (ACS), but they also enhanced the understanding of the role of effortful attentional skills in determining the individual well-being, general adaptation or emotional disorders. The analyses included basic item and scale descriptions as well as convergent and discriminant validity. 218 Polish undergraduate students completed the battery of the self-report techniques and two paper —pencil attentional tests. Data revealed a unidimensional of a 20-item ACS. It can be used validly to assess long-term individual differences in attentional skills related to the voluntary executive functions. The analysis of content, internal and construct validity as well as reliability provided evidence of the scale's significant convergent and discriminant validity when correlated with attentional tests and other personality techniques. We found strong, systematic relations between the attentional control and selected measures of temperament, arousal, emotionality, and motivation. The results allow assuming that good attentional control, may protect individuals from the emotional disorders by regulating perceptual, conceptual, and response processing.

An Initial Investigation of the Use of Comparative Referents to Assess Social Anxiety

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 367-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura D. Seligman ◽  
Erin F. Swedish ◽  
Jason P. Rose ◽  
Jessica M. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Injunctive Norms ◽  
Good Reliability ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Excellent Internal Consistency ◽  
Social Quality Of Life ◽  
Comparison Measures

Abstract. The current study examined the validity of two self-report measures of social anxiety constructed using social comparative referent points. It was hypothesized that these comparison measures would be both reliable and valid. Results indicated that two different comparative versions – one invoking injunctive norms and another invoking descriptive norms – showed good reliability, excellent internal consistency, and acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. The comparative measures also predicted positive functioning, some aspects of social quality of life, and social anxiety as measured by an independent self-report. These findings suggest that adding a comparative reference point to instructions on social anxiety measures may aid in the assessment of social anxiety.

Development and validation of financial well-being related scales

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 1025-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farah Diba M.A. Abrantes-Braga ◽  
Tania Veludo-de-Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Credit Card ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analyses ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Convergent And Discriminant Validity ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Additional Income

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop valid and reliable scales for assessing a driver and two obstacles potentially related to financial well-being (FWB): financial preparedness for emergency, beliefs of credit limits as additional income and risky indebtedness behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThe scales were developed from scratch across six studies, employing a two-step methodology, which encompassed both qualitative (e.g. focus group, interviews) and quantitative (i.e. online surveys) data collection. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed to test and validate the proposed scales.FindingsThis study provides a set of three parsimonious, self-reported behavioural measures that could be employed in conjunction with objective economic indicators to identify individuals who are financially ill prepared and potential candidates for delinquency. The three proposed scales achieved satisfactory levels of reliability and convergent and discriminant validity.Research limitations/implicationsThe resulting scales still need to be tested for predictive validity and in different consumer groups. The scales were validated in a single culture population (Brazil, a country that presents extraordinarily high credit card interest rates), and they should be tested cross-culturally in countries with different economic and credit policies.Originality/valueThe literature on FWB has traditionally employed objective financial indicators as an attempt to measure the concept of FWB and its elements. Self-reported behavioural measures of such constructs are scant to the point of being non-existent for some elements. This study is the first to offer scales for measuring the elements of financial preparedness for emergency, beliefs of credit limits as additional income and risky indebtedness behaviour.

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