scholarly journals Are the Items of the Starkstein Apathy Scale Fit for the Purpose of Measuring Apathy Post-stroke?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Hum ◽  
Lesley K. Fellows ◽  
Christiane Lourenco ◽  
Nancy E. Mayo

Importance: Given the importance of apathy for stroke, we felt it was time to scrutinize the psychometric properties of the commonly used Starkstein Apathy Scale (SAS) for this purpose.Objectives: The objectives were to: (i) estimate the extent to which the SAS items fit a hierarchical continuum of the Rasch Model; and (ii) estimate the strength of the relationships between the Rasch analyzed SAS and converging constructs related to stroke outcomes.Methods: Data was from a clinical trial of a community-based intervention targeting participation. A total of 857 SAS questionnaires were completed by 238 people with stroke from up to 5 time points. SAS has 14 items, rated on a 4-point scale with higher values indicating more apathy. Psychometric properties were tested using Rasch partial-credit model, correlation, and regression. Items were rescored so higher scores are interpreted as lower apathy levels.Results: Rasch analysis indicated that the response options were disordered for 8/14 items, pointing to unreliability in the interpretation of the response options; they were consequently reduced from 4 to 3. Only 9/14 items fit the Rasch model and therefore suitable for creating a total score. The new rSAS was deemed unidimensional (residual correlations: < 0.3), reasonably reliable (person separation index: 0.74), with item-locations uniform across time, age, sex, and education. However, 30% of scores were > 2 SD above the standardized mean but only 2/9 items covered this range (construct mistargeting). Apathy (rSAS/SAS) was correlated weakly with anxiety/depression and uncorrelated with physical capacity. Regression showed that the effect of apathy on participation and health perception was similar for rSAS/SAS versions: R2 participation measures ranged from 0.11 to 0.29; R2 for health perception was ∼0.25. When placed on the same scale (0–42), rSAS value was 6.5 units lower than SAS value with minimal floor/ceiling effects. Estimated change over time was identical (0.12 units/month) which was not substantial (1.44 units/year) but greater than expected assuming no change (t: 3.6 and 2.4).Conclusion: The retained items of the rSAS targeted domains of behaviors more than beliefs and results support the rSAS as a robust measure of apathy in people with chronic stroke.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Hum ◽  
Lesley K Fellows ◽  
Christiane Lourenco ◽  
Nancy E Mayo

Given the importance of apathy for stroke, we felt it was time to scrutinize the commonly used Starkstein Apathy Scale (SAS) for psychometric evidence that it is fit for this purpose. The objectives were to: (i) estimate the extent to which the SAS items fit a hierarchical continuum of the Rasch Model; and (ii) estimate the strength of the relationships between the Rasch analysed SAS and converging constructs related to stroke outcomes. Methods Data on 238 people with stroke (mean age=63.1 years (SD=12.1) women=37.4%) from a clinical trial of a community-based intervention targeting participation were available at 5 time points yielding 856 SAS questionnaires. SAS has 14 items, rated on a 4-point scale with higher values indicating more apathy. Psychometric properties were tested using Rasch partial-credit model, correlation, and regression. The construct was modeled as motivation with items rescored as high is better. Results Rasch analysis indicated that the response options were disordered for 8/14 items, pointing to unreliability in the interpretation of the response options; they were consequently reduced from 4 to 3. Only 9/14 items fit the Rasch model and therefore suitable for creating a total score. The new rSAS was deemed unidimensional (residual correlations: < 0.3), reasonably reliable (person separation index: 0.74), with item-locations uniform across time, age, sex, and education. However, 30% of scores were >2 SD above the standardized mean but only 2/9 items covered this range (construct mistargeting). Apathy (rSAS/SAS) was correlated weakly with anxiety/depression and uncorrelated with physical capacity. Regression showed that the effect of apathy on participation and health perception was similar for rSAS/SAS versions: R2 participation measures ranged from 0.11 to 0.29; R2 for health perception was ~0.25. When placed on the same scale (0-42), rSAS value was 6.5 units lower than SAS value with minimal floor/ceiling effects. Estimated change over time was identical (0.12 units/month) which was not substantial (1.44 units/year) but greater than expected assuming no change (t: 3.6 and 2.4). Conclusion The retained items of the rSAS targeted behaviours more than beliefs and results support the rSAS as a robust measure of apathy in people with chronic stroke.


Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Goris Nazari ◽  
Steve Lu ◽  
Tara Packham ◽  
Joy C. MacDermid

BACKGROUND: The Critical Incident Inventory (CII) was developed to assess stressful exposures in firefighters and emergency service workers. The CII includes six subscales: trauma to self, victims known to fire-emergency worker, multiple casualties, incidents involving children, unusual or problematic tactical operations, and exposure to severe medical trauma. OBJECTIVES: To examine the construct validity of all subscales of the Critical Incident Inventory (CII) by assessing the unidimensionality of the scales, and the interval properties of CII subscales by examining fit to the Rasch model and ordering of item thresholds. METHODS: This was a secondary data analysis based on survey data collected from a sample of 390 firefighters. RESULTS: Item 4 and Item 20 were removed with the confirmation of unacceptable fit residual. This revised version of the CII showed satisfactory fit to the Rasch model by non-significant Chi-square test and acceptable level of item fit. We rescored the CII original version and considered all items as only dichotomous response options where 0 represented the original no experience, and 1 presents the combination of experiencing 1, 2, 3 cases. CONCLUSION: The re-appraisal of the revised version CII indicated a satisfactory level of Rasch model fit.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 212
Author(s):  
Muhammad Iqbal Tariq Idris ◽  
Abdul Hafidz Omar ◽  
Dayang Hjh Tiawa Awang Hj Hamid ◽  
Fahmi Bahri Sulaiman

<p>Hajj Instrument (HAJI) was developed to determine hajj pilgrim’s wellness. This study used Rasch measurement to evaluate the psychometric properties including validity and reliability of the HAJI. The respondents involved in this study were 300 comprised of Malaysian hajj pilgrims. HAJI consists of eight constructs namely physical care, physical activity, healthy eating, knowledge, mental toughness, intrapersonal, interpersonal and relationship with Creator and natures. Validity of each construct and content was determined through dimensionality, item fit and item polarity while the reliability was achieved by administered person and item separation. The results showed that the reliability for both item and person were 0.99 and 0.96 respectively. Besides, there were no items need to be dropped based on PTMEA CORR and INFIT MNSQ results. The study revealed that the items of HAJI fit the Rasch model as well as able to measure hajj pilgrim’s wellness. </p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 1160-1166
Author(s):  
Ofianto Ofianto ◽  
Tri Zahra Ningsih

Chronological thinking skills are one of the most critical goals in learning history, distinguishing it from other sciences. This skill is not a natural skill that already exists in students but is a skill that needs to be developed in students, especially in studying history. This study aims to develop an instrument for assessing chronological thinking skills with the Rasch model.  The development model adopted the Gall Borg development model by adjusting to the research objectives and needs. The adaptation of the Borg Gall model resulted in four stages in this study: (1) needs analysis and preliminary investigation, (2) planning and preparation of product development, (3) expert validation, and (4) instrument implementation. This research was conducted in Senior High School (SMA), involving 120 students from three schools. Sampling was carried out employing the proportional sampling technique. The data was collected using validation sheets, tests, and assessment sheets (scoring rubric). Data analysis was then performed with the Quest Program utilizing the Partial Credit Model (PCM). The results showed that the chronological thinking skills assessment instrument with the Rasch model was valid and reliable. The validity value of items that fit the model ranged from 0.77 to 1.30, and the instrument reliability value of 0.76 was in the high category. Therefore, it could be concluded that the assessment instrument developed can measure students' chronological thinking skills.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. A. Jolijn Hendriks ◽  
Sarah C. Smith ◽  
Nick Black

Abstract Background In previous work we concluded that DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy can provide robust measurement of HRQL in dementia when scores are derived from analysis using the Rasch model. As the study sample included people with mild cognitive impairment, we undertook a replication study in the subsample with a diagnosis of dementia (PWD). PWD constitute the population for whom DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy were originally developed. Methods We conducted a Rasch model analysis using the RUMM2030 software to re-evaluate DEMQOL (441 PWD) and DEMQOL-Proxy (342 family carers). We evaluated scale to sample targeting, ordering of item thresholds, item fit to the model, and differential item functioning (sex, age, severity, relationship), local independence, unidimensionality and reliability. Results For both DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy, results were highly similar to the results in the original sample. We found the same problems with content and response options. Conclusions DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy can provide robust measurement of HRQL in people with a diagnosis of dementia when scores are derived from analysis using the Rasch model. As in the wider sample, the problems identified with content and response options require qualitative investigation in order to improve the scoring of DEMQOL and DEMQOL-Proxy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 650-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleg N. Medvedev ◽  
Claudia Bergomi ◽  
Philipp Röthlin ◽  
Christian U. Krägeloh

Abstract. Mindfulness-based interventions are found beneficial to improving well-being and alleviating symptoms of psychological distress, although accurate measurement of the psychological construct of mindfulness remains a challenge. Theoretical work has highlighted characteristics of mindfulness, which can be assessed comprehensively by the recently developed eight-factor Comprehensive Inventory of Mindfulness Experiences (CHIME). While the instrument has demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties, its ability to discriminate precisely across individual mindfulness levels has not been rigorously investigated. The current study subjected responses of 443 participants to Rasch analysis to investigate and enhance the psychometric properties of the CHIME. The best fit to the Rasch model was achieved for every individual subscale with only minor modifications that involved combining some locally dependent items into a testlet. The total scale was then fitted to the Rasch model with individual subscales treated as testlets, and the best model fit was attained after two correlated subscales were treated as a single testlet, χ2(63) = 70.76, p = .23. Therefore, it was possible to generate ordinal-to-interval conversion tables for individual subscales and the total scale scores, which increase the instrument’s precision. The results support internal construct validity and enhance psychometric properties of the CHIME.


1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 335-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
H D'haenen

SummaryInstruments developed to measure anhedonia are reviewed and their psychometric properties and conceptual framework discussed. Most instruments were designed considering anhedonia to be a symptom either of schizophrenia or of depression. Only the Physical and Social Anhedonia Scales of Chapman et al, designed to measure a lifelong pleasure deficiency, considered to be related to schizophrenia, and, to a lesser extent, the Pleasure Scale of Fawcett et al, designed to evaluate a state dependent deficit, considered to identify a subtype of depression, have been psychometrically extensively investigated. Since we were interested in studying anhedonia in depression, we made a Dutch translation of the Fawcett-Clark Pleasure Scale and report here on the psychometric properties of this translated version. Using the Rasch model for testing the homogeneity and transferability of the scale, we demonstrated that the original scale did not fit the model. A subscale of 14 items was constructed which did.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 651-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyungyeol Anthony Kim ◽  
Senyung Lee ◽  
Kevin K Byon

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of each item in the Sport Spectator Identification Scale (SSIS) (Wann and Branscombe, 1993) using the item response theory (IRT) and to provide evidence for modifications in the scale.Design/methodology/approachA total of 635 spectators of US professional sports responded to the seven-item SSIS on an eight-point semantic differential scale. The general partial credit model was fitted to the data.FindingsThe results revealed that four items (Items 1, 2, 3 and 5) provide a relatively high amount of information, whereas three items (Items 4, 6 and 7) provide a low amount of information, indicating different levels of measurement precision among the items. Furthermore, the results showed that some low-level response options were rarely selected by participants, indicating that it may not be necessary to include response options as many as eight within each item.Originality/valueUnlike previous studies examining the psychometric properties of the SSIS as a whole, the present study provides information about the usefulness of each item of the SSIS in measuring individuals' team identification. Based on the findings, the authors identified some issues with the three problematic items, including the wording of the items and the link between the question and the target construct. The authors make several suggestions for researchers and practitioners in improving individual item quality and in making informed decisions when using the SSIS in the future.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document