EXPRESS: Playful Work Design: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Validity

Drawing on the play and work design literatures, we conceptualize and validate an instrument to measure playful work design (PWD) – the proactive cognitive-behavioral orientation that employees engage in to incorporate play into their work activities to promote fun and challenge. Across three studies (N=1006), we developed a reliable scale with a two-dimensional factor structure. In Study 1, we utilized expert-ratings and iterative exploratory factor analyses to develop an instrument that measures (1) designing fun and (2) designing competition. Additionally, Study 1 evidences the divergent and convergent validity of the subscales as well as their distinctiveness. Specifically, PWD was indicative of proactivity as well as play, and designing fun especially correlated with ludic traits (i.e., traits focused on deriving fun; e.g., humor), whereas designing competition particularly correlated with agonistic traits (i.e., traits focused on deriving challenge; e.g., competitiveness). Study 2 cross-validated the two-factor structure, further investigated the nomological net of PWD, and revealed that PWD is distinct from job crafting. Finally, Study 3 examined the predictive and incremental validity of the PWD instrument with self- and colleague-ratings two weeks apart. Taken together, the results suggest that the instrument may advance our understanding of play initiated by employees during work.

Psycho-lexically based Openness to Experience

We investigated whether NEO-PI-R Openness to Experience (Costa & McCrae, 1992) and its six facets could be identified in the natural trait lexicon. To represent the NEO-PI-R Openness, a list of 113 items was selected from a lexically derived trait list developed for the eight-factor trait model of De Raad and Barelds (2008). We used ratings from two samples. The first (N=271) filled out the lexical Openness scales, the NEO-PI-R Openness scales, and scales measuring the eight-factor model. From the second sample (N=1,466), ratings were used to analyze the lexical Openness scales. Correlations between the eight-factor scales and the two sets of Openness scales indicated that Openness scales are fairly covered by the eight factors, except for the Ideas and Values facets of the NEO-PI-R. The lexical Openness scales correlated well with the NEO-PI-R Openness scales. Openness to Experience and its six facets were identified in the natural trait lexicon, but exploratory factor analyses did not support the six-facet structure of the NEO-PI-R Openness, neither did they lead to a similar six-facet structure across samples. Moreover, it did not consistently support a proposed two-facet structure emphasizing internal openness (fantasy, aesthetics) and external openness (ideas, change).

Lack of Construct Validity and Item-Content Overlap in the Assessment of Romantic Relationship Quality

Central to interventions to improve the quality of romantic relationships is its measurement. Yet, to what degree is the concept of relationship quality well-defined, and, importantly, well-measured? In the present article, the authors conducted a comprehensive search of instruments measuring relationship quality in ProQuest, Web of Science, and Scopus finding a total of 599 scales, with 26 meeting our definition of romantic relationship quality. When the authors investigated the 26 scales’ overlap of item-content, they identified 25 distinct categories among 754 items (with our database of items on the OSF: https://osf.io/v964p/). The mean overlap between scales was weak (Jaccard Index correlation coefficient = 0.39), indicating that these scales were very heterogeneous. The authors then assessed to what extent researchers reported internal validity in 43 scale development-validation articles. They found that Cronbach’s Alpha was most often reported (in 91% of the articles). Other aspects were reported far less often, with 55% reporting exploratory factor analyses, 26% reporting confirmatory factor analyses, 23% reporting test-retest reliability, 7% reporting measurement invariance. The heterogeneity of measures and lack of reported general validity of romantic relationship quality points to the need for concept-driven work on the assessment of romantic relationship quality.

Psychometric Properties of a New Stress-Related Personality Scale: The Virtual Inventory of Behavior and Emotions (VIBE)

BackgroundPersonality traits are important factors with regard to the tendency to experience and response to stress. This study introduces and tests a new stress-related personality scale called the Virtual Inventory of Behavior and Emotions (VIBE).MethodsTwo samples totaling 5512 individuals (with 66% between the ages of 18 and 34) completed the VIBE along with other measures of personality, stress, mood, and well-being. Results: Exploratory factor analyses revealed a four-factor structure for the instrument with dimensions labelled: 1) stressed; 2) energetic; 3) social; and 4) disciplined. Confirmatory factor analytic procedures on the final 23-item version showed good psychometric properties and data fit while machine learning analyses demonstrated the VIBE’s ability to distinguish between groups with similar patterns of response. Strong convergent validity was suggested through robust correlations between the dimensions of the VIBE and other established rating scales.ConclusionOverall, the data suggest that the VIBE is a promising tool to help advance understanding of the relations between stress, personality, and related constructs.

Psychometric properties of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning with Ethiopian mothers

Background The functional status of mothers after childbirth has implications for maternal, child, and family health. There is a lack of adequate reliable and valid instruments in Ethiopia for assessing women postpartum functional status. Objective This study was intended to reveal the psychometric properties of the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF) for assessing Ethiopian mothers functional status. Method Structured interviews were used to obtain BIMF data from 202 women who had a child less than 1 year of age. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the BIMF items; internal consistency was assessed with interitem correlations and coefficient alphas; construct validity was examined through exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) after face and content validities had been confirmed; and test retest reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results Narrow standard deviations and significant skewness and kurtosis characterized most of the individual BIMF items. Most interitem correlations were < |.15| and 13 of the 20 BIMF items did not load satisfactorily on any factor in exploratory factor analyses. Two factors emerged from the remaining items, one with three items and the other with four. Coefficient alphas were .54 for the first of these factors, .48 for the second, and .58 for all 20 items. The ICCs for test retest reliability were < .40. Conclusions BIMF data from the sample of Ethiopian women in this study exhibited unusually low levels of variability and high levels of skewness and kurtosis. Furthermore, in the context of this study, the BIMF could not be regarded as reliable either in terms of internal (interitem) consistency or temporal (testretest) consistency. Researchers using the BIMF in Ethiopian contexts are advised to examine the nature of their data carefully, identify the factor structure of their samples data, and consider ways in which the index might be improved, or replaced. Keywords: Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning, BIMF, maternal functioning, Ethiopia

Adaptation and validation of a German version of the Dickman impulsivity inventory for the assessment of functional and dysfunctional impulsivity

Impulsive behavior tends to have a negative connotation in the sense that it is usually associated with detrimental or dysfunctional outcomes. However, under certain circumstances, impulsive behaviors may also have beneficial or functional outcomes. Dickman’s Impulsivity Inventory (DII) measures these two distinct aspects of impulsivity, namely, dysfunctional impulsivity (the tendency to act with less forethought than do most people which leads to difficulties) and functional impulsivity (the tendency to act with little forethought when the situation is optimal). In the present study, we translated the DII into German and validated the German version in a sample of 543 adults. The original 23-item model was considered unsuitable for the German version as suggested by fit indices of a confirmatory factor analysis. Exploratory factor analyses rather supported a 16-item version. Further psychometric analyses and inferential statistical analyses on the final German DII indicated its appropriateness for use in German-speaking populations and support a two-factor solution of the DII. Finally, exploratory analyses on the German DII suggest differential relationships between dysfunctional and functional impulsivity and self-reported lifestyle-related variables (smoking, alcohol usage, and sports behavior).

A Factor Structure within Misophonia: The Sussex Misophonia Scale for researchers and clinicians

Misophonia is an unusually strong aversion to a specific class of sounds -- most often human bodily sounds such as chewing, crunching, or breathing. A number of questionnaires exist to diagnose misophonia, but few have been validated, and fewer still show any factor structure within the symptoms of the condition. Here we present a novel tool, the Sussex Misophonia Scale, which represents all key theme from previous questionnaires within a single easy-to-use measure. We validated our questionnaire in a sample of 501 adults, including people with and without misophonia. Our exploratory factor analyses revealed five factors tied to misophonia (Feelings/ Isolation; Life consequences; Intersocial reactivity; Avoidance/ Repulsion; Pain). Receiver Operator Characteristic showed our questionnaire to be an excellent measure for identifying people with misophonia, and we present it here with its diagnostic threshold for researchers and clinicians.

Development of a Measure to Assess What Young Heterosexual Adults Say They Learn About Sex from Pornography

This study involved the development of two new measures to assess what some young heterosexual-identifying adults report learning about sex from pornography. Inventory items were generated from an extensive literature review and six qualitative focus group sessions with young adults (N = 54) aged 18–29 which explored how pornography could be used as a source of sexual information. A total of 135 items pertaining to sexual learning from pornography were produced, reviewed and categorized by a sample of young adults (n = 9), and finally reviewed for item and construct relevance by a panel of pornography, sex education and scale development experts (n = 6). Inventory items were administered to a sample of young adult university students (n = 1306). Two separate exploratory factor analyses were conducted for the female and male datasets. The final factors were reviewed by a panel of young adults = 8) to identify the theme of each factor. Both the SIPI-F and SIPI-M yielded three factors: (1) How to be a good sexual partner, (2) Body aesthetic, and (3) Sexual exploration. Results show that pornography provides information about a range of sex-related topics. Findings also show that more frequent female pornography users reported learning more about how to be a good sexual partner and body aesthetic than less frequent pornography users. The SIPI-F and SIPI-M can be useful for examining a variety of questions regarding the use of pornography as an informal source of sexual information and its correlates.

Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance Between Fathers and Mothers and Across Three Time Points After Childbirth: Identification of Core Items of The Japanese Version of The Mother-To-Infant Bonding Scale

Background The Japanese version of the mother-to-infant bonding scale (MIBS-J), a self-report of postnatal bonding disorder, is widely used in Japan. However, its psychometric properties, particularly measurement invariance, have rarely been reported, and the appropriateness of the use of the MIBS-J among perinatal fathers remains to be investigated. This study aimed to select and to validate MIBS-J items suitable for mothers and fathers at three time points (postpartum hospitalization period and 1 and 4 months postpartum) commonly used in clinical practice in Japan. Methods Postpartum mothers (n = 543) and fathers (n = 350) were surveyed at 5 days, 1 month, and 4 months postpartum. All participants were randomly divided into two subgroups, one for exploratory factor analyses (EFAs) and another for confirmatory factor analyses. Measurement invariance of the best model was tested using the entire sample, between fathers and mothers, and across the three observation periods. Results A three-item structure (items 1, 6, and 8) extracted through EFAs showed acceptable configural invariance. This model was accepted for scalar invariance between fathers and mothers and for metric invariance across the three time points. Conclusions This study showed that the three-item MIBS-J could be used reliably among Japanese parents in the first four postpartum months. Currently, all 10 MIBS-J items are used in clinical and research settings at various time points during the perinatal period. Our findings suggest that the MIBS-J with only three items is sufficient for diagnosis of postnatal bonding disorder, at least during the first four postpartum months.

Evidence of validity of the instrument interRAI emergency screener for psychiatry for the brazilian contexto

Objective: The aim of this study was to carry out the translation and present the evidence of validity of the Brazilian version of the interRAI Emergency Screener for Psychiatry (ESP). Method: this is a cross-sectional study conducted in a municipal hospital in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. A total of 161 patients were evaluated in the first 24 hours of emergency arrival using ESP. Exploratory factor analyses of the sections of the instrument and reliability analyses were conducted using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's Omega. Results: the analyzes suggested a factorial structure adequate to the purpose of the instrument, with two sections (Mental State Indicators and Harm to Self and Others) having a two-factor solution, contrary to the expected one-factorial expectation. However, the two-factor sections have theoretical interpretability and consistency. The factor loadings of the items were adequate, all with values equal to or greater than 0.30. The interpreted factors showed internal consistency, assessed by Cronbach's Alpha and McDonald's Ommega indices, with values ranging between 0.60 and 0.94. Conclusion: the Brazilian version of the interRAI Emergency Screener for Psychiatry (ESP) demonstrates adequate psychometric properties through the internal structure of the instrument. Future studies should investigate the relationship of the scores produced by the instrument with clinical diagnosis and with covariates relevant to mental health outcomes.