scholarly journals Deployment and Dynamics of a Biofeedback System for Anxiety Awareness during Online Examination Activities

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 756
Author(s):  
Hippokratis Apostolidis ◽  
Georgia Papantoniou ◽  
Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Biofeedback System ◽  
Online Examination ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Biofeedback Device

The presented paper examines the deployment of a cost-effective biofeedback system that provides anxiety awareness during online examination activities. Human anxiety is classified by evaluating biosignals related to skin conductance, skin temperature, and heart rate. The first aim of this study is to check the presented system performance. Thus, we test the convergent validity of the system regarding self-report measures of anxiety. Moreover, the system is validated against a commercial tool of anxiety detection. Fifteen (15) postgraduate students took part in the relevant psychometric test. The convergent validity of the system is found to be satisfactory. The second aim of this study is to identify the participant’s personality dimensions according to Technology Readiness Index (TRI) which affects their academic performance and their real-time anxiety, as provided by the biofeedback device, during academic examinations. Thirty-five (35) postgraduate students, who were taking examinations in the form of synchronous online tests in the classroom for one of their lessons, took part in this stage of the research. The examined relationships are presented via a path model showing mainly that insecurity causes academic performance to decline, which in turn has a significant negative effect with increasing anxiety.

scholarly journals Revisiting and Extending a Response Latency Measure of Inclusion of the Other in the Self

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janis Heinrich Zickfeld ◽  
Thomas W. Schubert
Keyword(s):  
Response Latency ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Response Times ◽  
The Self ◽  
The Other ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Implicit Measure ◽  
Interpersonal Closeness ◽  
Negative Effect

Although the concept of inclusion of the other in the self (IOS) has been successfully assessed with explicit self-report measures implicit procedures have been neglected in past literature. The present article explores the validity of such an implicit measure by proposing several extensions and adaptions. Based on the me/not-me response latency task originally conceptualized by Aron, Aron, Tudor and Nelson (1991) we addressed methodological problems by proposing changes in material, calculation of indices and implemented the task in an online environment. We also addressed earlier problems with statistical power and proposed a more powerful way of statistical analyses using mixed models. The me/not-me task is based on the idea that higher overlap between self and other traits results in faster response times of characterizing such a trait as descriptive of the self. This relationship should be observed for close others but not for non-close others. In a sample of 339 US American adults we experimentally manipulated the nature of the target (close vs. distant) and participants engaged in the adapted me/not-me paradigm. Results indicated that trait match had a stronger negative effect on response times for participants in the close condition. The effect was also stronger for participants rating the target higher on the IOS self-report scale. We also provided convergent validity of the me/not-me procedure with other constructs ostensibly measuring interpersonal closeness. Future applications and possible limitations are discussed.

scholarly journals Exploring Students’ Perceived Attitude on Utilizing a Biofeedback System for Anxiety Awareness during Academic Examination Activities

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 8950
Author(s):  
Hippokratis Apostolidis ◽  
Panagiotis Stylianidis ◽  
Georgia Papantoniou ◽  
Thrasyvoulos Tsiatsos
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Technology Readiness ◽  
Biofeedback System ◽  
System Usability Scale ◽  
System Usability ◽  
Acceptance Model ◽  
Online Tests ◽  
Significant Factors

The presented paper examines the students’ adoption of the use of a cost-effective biofeedback system for anxiety awareness in parallel to examination activities. Human anxiety is classified by evaluating bio-signals related to skin conductance, skin temperature and heart rate. The participants of the research were 44 students who were taking examinations in the form of synchronous online tests in the classroom for one of their courses. At first, the usability of the biofeedback system was examined using the system usability scale (SUS). The statistical analysis indicated that the examined system usability is quite satisfactory. Then, the study attempted to investigate the relationships between the students’ technology readiness personality dimensions, perceptions of usability, and the usefulness of the presented system by exploiting the technology readiness and acceptance model (TRAM). The results showed that the students’ optimism and attitude towards using the system are significant factors that affect the model’s relationships. The examined relationships are presented via a path model.

The Blank in the Mind Questionnaire (BIMQ)

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Despina Moraitou ◽  
Anastasia Efklides
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Memory Failure ◽  
Temporary Memory ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

Metacognitive awareness of memory failure may take the form of the “blank in the mind” (BIM) experience. The BIM experience informs the person of a temporary memory failure and takes the form of a disruption in the flow of consciousness, of a moment of no content in awareness. The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Blank in the Mind Questionnaire (BIMQ) designed to tap the BIM experience and differentiate it from other memory-related experiences, such as searching but not having in memory a piece of information (i.e., lack of knowledge). The participants (N = 493) were 249 younger adults (18–30 years old) and 244 older adults (63–89 years old) of both genders. Confirmatory factor analysis applied to the BIMQ confirmed a three-factor model with interrelations between the factors. The first factor represented the experience of lack of knowledge, the second represented the experience of BIM, and the third the person’s negative affective reactions to memory failure. The internal consistency of the three factors ranged from Cronbach’s α = .80 to .88. Convergent validity was shown with correlations of the BIMQ factors with self-report measures of cognitive and memory failures, and to the negative-affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).

Inhibition tasks are not associated with self-regulation outcomes in healthy college students

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Curtis David Von Gunten ◽  
Bruce D Bartholow ◽  
Jorge S. Martins
Keyword(s):  
Latent Variable ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Variable Level ◽  
Cast Doubt ◽  
The Individual

Executive functioning (EF) is defined as a set of top-down processes used in reasoning, forming goals, planning, concentrating, and inhibition. It is widely believed that these processes are critical to self-regulation and, therefore, that performance on behavioral task measures of EF should be associated with individual differences in everyday life outcomes. The purpose of the present study was to test this core assumption, focusing on the EF facet of inhibition. A sample of 463 undergraduates completed five laboratory inhibition tasks, along with three self-report measures of self-control and 28 self-report measures of life outcomes. Results showed that although most of the life outcome measures were associated with self-reported self-control, none of the life outcomes were associated with inhibition task performance at the latent-variable level, and few associations were found at the individual task level. These findings challenge the criterion validity of lab-based inhibition tasks. More generally, when considered alongside the known lack of convergent validity between inhibition tasks and self-report measures of self-control, the findings cast doubt on the task’s construct validity as measures of self-control processes. Potential methodological and theoretical reasons for the poor performance of laboratory-based inhibition tasks are discussed.

Factors contributing to postgraduate students working and studying simultaneously and its effects on their academic performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-81
Author(s):  
Rachel Chinyakata ◽  
Nanga Raymond Raselekoane ◽  
Ramaredi Regaugetswe Consolia Mphahlele
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Postgraduate Students

scholarly journals The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Symptom Inventory: A Patient-report Scale for Research and Clinical Application

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1277-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn A Sexton ◽  
John R Walker ◽  
Laura E Targownik ◽  
Lesley A Graff ◽  
Clove Haviva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Bowel Disease ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Measurement Properties ◽  
Systemic Complications ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel

Abstract Objectives Existing measures of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) symptoms are not well suited to self-report, inadequate in measurement properties, insufficiently specific, or burdensome for brief or repeated administration. We aimed to develop a patient-reported outcome measure to assess a broader range of IBD symptoms. Methods The IBD Symptoms Inventory (IBDSI) was developed by adapting symptom items from existing clinician-rated or diary-format inventories; after factor analysis, 38 items were retained on 5 subscales: bowel symptoms, abdominal discomfort, fatigue, bowel complications, and systemic complications. Participants completed the IBDSI and other self-report measures during a clinic visit. A nurse administered the Harvey Bradshaw Index (HBI) for Crohn’s disease (CD) or the Powell-Tuck Index (PTI) for ulcerative colitis (UC), and a gastroenterologist completed a global assessment of disease severity (PGA). Results The 267 participants with CD (n = 142) or UC (n = 125), ages 18 to 81 (M = 43.4, SD = 14.6) were 58.1% female, with a mean disease duration of 13.9 (SD = 10.5) years. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the 5 subscales. The total scale and subscales showed good reliability and significant correlations with self-report symptom and IBD quality of life measures, the HBI, PTI, and PGA. Conclusions The IBDSI showed strong measurement properties: a supported factor structure, very good internal consistency, convergent validity, and excellent sensitivity and specificity to clinician-rated active disease. Self-report HBI and PTI items, when extracted from this measure, produced scores comparable to clinician-administered versions. The 38-item IBDSI, or 26-item short form, can be used as a brief survey of common IBD symptoms in clinic or research settings.

Examining the Link Between Character Strengths and Positive and Negative Mental Health Indicators in Iranian Adolescents

2021 ◽  
pp. 073428292110053
Author(s):  
Mahsa Jabbari ◽  
Shahriar Shahidi ◽  
Leili Panaghi ◽  
Mohammad Ali Mazaheri ◽  
Eva Oberle
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Response Patterns ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Grade Level Differences

Character strengths are an important foundation for positive development and thriving in adolescence. Most research on character strengths has been conducted with youths in Western cultures. We examined character strengths in relation to positive and negative well-being indicators in a sample of Iranian youths. We investigated the reliability and validity of the Farsi version of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth (VIA Y-96)—a self-report survey commonly used in Western contexts. Participants were adolescents in Iran ( N = 1,359; 48.5% female; M age = 13.54, SD = 1.00) who completed the VIA Y-96 and questionnaires assessing life satisfaction, positive/negative experiences, depression, anxiety, and stress. We found that reliability coefficients were acceptable for most of the VIA subscales. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), as well as a second-order CFA, supported the construct validity of the Farsi VIA Y-96. Correlations between the character strengths and positive and negative well-being indicators supported convergent validity. Measurement invariance for the VIA Y-96 was established in this study comparing boys’ and girls’ response patterns. Sex and grade level differences were found for some of the subscales. Overall, the Farsi VIA Y-96 had acceptable psychometric properties, suggesting that it can be used in research on character strengths with Iranian youths.

scholarly journals NCOG-70. RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF A NEW SELF-REPORT INDEX OF COGNITIVE CONCERNS IN BRAIN TUMOR PATIENTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. ii145-ii145
Author(s):  
Giuliana Zarrella ◽  
Alice Perez ◽  
Jorg Dietrich ◽  
Michael Parsons
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Measurement Information ◽  
Patient Reported

Abstract INTRODUCTION Subjective cognitive dysfunction is an important outcome measure in neuro-oncology and may provide additional information beyond performance-based neuropsychological testing. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br) is a frequently used quality of life (QoL) measure that includes indices of physical, emotional, social, and neurologic aspects of disease, but does not measure cognitive concerns. This study seeks to develop and validate an index of self-reported cognition derived from existing items on the FACT-Br. METHODS 145 patients (Mage=51.08, Medu=15.63) with heterogeneous brain tumor diagnoses completed neuropsychological evaluation including cognitive testing and self-report measures. Nine FACT-Br items regarding cognition were combined to form the Cognitive Index (CI). Reliability of the CI was measured with Cronbach’s alpha. Concurrent validity was assessed by correlating the CI with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Cognitive Abilities-8 or PROMIS Cognitive Concerns-8. Discriminant validity was assessed by correlation of the CI with other FACT-Br indices and the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI, BAI). RESULTS Internal consistency within the CI was high (Cronbach’s a 0.864). The CI correlated strongly with the PROMIS-Abilities (r =.680; p< 0.001) and PROMIS-Concerns (r=.780; p< 0.001) indicating high convergent validity. Moderate correlations were observed between the CI and the physical and functional subscales of the FACT (r=.453 and .555), whereas correlations with the social and emotional functioning subscales were weaker (r=.381 and .325). The FACT-Br-CI correlated strongly with BDI (r=-.622) and more weakly with the BAI (r=-.344). Consistent with prior literature, the CI showed modest correlations with neuropsychological measures, including verbal memory encoding (r=.300), verbal fluency (r=.252) and a composite measure of cognition (r=.249; all p’s< .01). CONCLUSIONS The FACT-Br-CI is a reliable and valid measure of self-reported cognition. Studies that include the FACT-Br could be retrospectively analyzed to assess self-reported cognitive outcomes, enriching the information gained from prior research.

scholarly journals Development and Validation of the Adolescent Insomnia Questionnaire

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maggie H Bromberg ◽  
Rocio de la Vega ◽  
Emily F Law ◽  
Chuan Zhou ◽  
Tonya M Palermo
Keyword(s):  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cutoff Score ◽  
Screening Measure ◽  
Brief Screening

Abstract Objective Insomnia is a highly prevalent sleep disorder that is particularly common among adolescents with health conditions. We aimed to develop and validate a brief screening measure of insomnia in adolescents that can be used across clinical and community samples. We hypothesized that we would identify evidence supporting reliability, convergent/discriminant validity, and that we would determine preliminary clinical cutoff scores. Methods A team of experts in behavioral sleep medicine developed a 13-item brief screening measure of insomnia in adolescents (Adolescent Insomnia Questionnaire [AIQ]). We evaluated the psychometric properties of the AIQ in a sample of 315 youth (11–18 years old, Mean = 14.90, SD = 2.02; 64% female) who had chronic pain (n = 37), headache (n = 170), insomnia diagnosed by a sleep specialist (n = 22), or were otherwise healthy (n = 86). Results Using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, we identified three subscales consistent with major diagnostic criteria of insomnia. As expected, the measure showed strong reliability through high internal consistency (α =.91). We also found strong convergent validity through expected positive relationships between the AIQ and self-report measures of sleep disturbance, and divergent validity via weak relationships with parent-report of snoring. Results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) identified a clinical cutoff score that may assist in clinical decision making. Conclusions We found that the AIQ has sound psychometric properties in a large heterogeneous sample of treatment-seeking youth and youth from the community. The AIQ can quickly screen adolescent insomnia and could address an important clinical need in identifying youth in need of insomnia treatment in pediatric practice settings.

Factor Structure and Convergent Validity of the Portuguese version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems – 32

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Faustino ◽  
António Branco Vasco
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Interpersonal Problems ◽  
Brief Symptom Inventory ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Reactivity Index ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Portuguese Version ◽  
Inventory Of Interpersonal Problems ◽  
Interpersonal Styles

Abstract The identification of dysfunctional patterns in individuals’ interpersonal interactions is a cornerstone of psychotherapy. The Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32) is one of the most used measures to explore individuals’ interpersonal styles. However, an IIP-32 Portuguese version is missing. Therefore, this study describes a preliminary psychometric study of an IIP-32 Portuguese version in a nonclinical sample. In a cross-sectional correlational design, 250 participants (M age = 20.67, SD = 4.88, males = 33, females = 217) were assessed with self-report questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), convergent, and divergent validities of the IIP-32 were tested with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Relationships with symptomatology were also tested with the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-53). The EFA showed a theoretically coherent eight-factor structure. Almost all of the IIP-32 subscales were positively correlated with personal discomfort and with BSI-53 subscales. Vindictive/self-centred, socially inhibited, domineering/controlling and self-sacrificing subscales predicted symptomatology. Promising preliminary psychometric properties were found that may support the IIP-32 as a reliable instrument to assess interpersonal styles. However, more research is required to deepen the analysis of the IIP-32 in the Portuguese population.

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