Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Irrational Procrastination Scale: Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance Across Gender

The present paper reports on the preliminary validation of a Chinese version of Steel’s Irrational Procrastination Scale (IPS). To this end, the nine items of the IPS were translated into Chinese and data were collected from a sample of 2,361 mainland Chinese college students. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the dimensional structure of the IPS, and multigroup CFA (MG CFA) was carried out to evaluate the measurement invariance across gender. Results revealed that the Chinese IPS had adequate internal consistency reliability, adhered to the one-factor structure, and exhibited strong or scalar invariance across the two gender subgroups, thereby providing support for the internal construct validity of the scale. Additionally, the IPS scores were found to be strongly and negatively related to the Conscientiousness personality trait while showing weak correlations with the other traits, which provided some support for the convergent and divergent validity of the Chinese IPS. Study limitations and future research directions (e.g., expanding the empirical evidence for the scale’s criterion-related validity) are discussed.

Psychometric evaluation of a Fear of COVID-19 scale in China (Preprint)

BACKGROUND At the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, information about fear of COVID-19 was very limited in Chinese populations and there was no standardised and validated scale to measure the fear associated with the pandemic. OBJECTIVE This cross-sectional study aimed to adapt and validate a fear scale to determine the levels of fear of COVID-19 among the general population in mainland China and Hong Kong. METHODS An online questionnaire platform was developed for data collection; the study instruments were an adapted version of the eight-item Breast Cancer Fear Scale (‘the Fear Scale’) and the four-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4). The internal construct validity, concurrent validity, known-group validity, and reliability of the adapted Fear Scale were assessed, and descriptive statistics were used to summarise the participants’ fear levels. RESULTS A total of 2,822 study participants aged 18 or older were included in the analysis. The reliability of the adapted scale was satisfactory, with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.93.The item-total correlations corrected for overlap were >0.4, confirming its internal construct validity. Regarding concurrent validity, a small to moderate correlation between the Fear Scale and the PHQ-4 scores was found. Regarding known-group validity, we found that study participants who were recruited from Hong Kong had a higher level of fear than the study participants from mainland China. Older adults had a higher level of fear than the younger adults. Study participants who were separated/divorced/widowed had a higher level of fear than those who were single or married. Furthermore, having hypertension, liver diseases, heart diseases, cancer, anxiety and insomnia were associated with a higher fear level. The descriptive analysis found that more than 40% of the study participants reported that the thought of COVID-19 scared them. About one-third of the study participants reported that when they thought about COVID-19, they felt nervous, uneasy and depressed. CONCLUSIONS To conclude, the adapted Fear Scale is a valid and reliable scale for measuring the fear of COVID-19 among Chinese people. Our study stresses the need for more psychosocial support and care to help this population cope with their fears during the pandemic.

Psychometric evaluation of a Fear of COVID-19 scale in China (Preprint)

BACKGROUND At the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, information about fear of COVID-19 was very limited in Chinese populations and there was no standardised and validated scale to measure the fear associated with the pandemic. OBJECTIVE Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to adapt and validate a fear scale to determine the levels of fear of COVID-19 among the general population in mainland China and Hong Kong. METHODS An online questionnaire platform was developed for data collection; the study instruments were an adapted version of the eight-item Breast Cancer Fear Scale (‘the Fear Scale’) and the four-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4). The internal construct validity, concurrent validity, known-group validity, and reliability of the adapted Fear Scale were assessed, and descriptive statistics were used to summarise the participants’ fear levels. RESULTS A total of 2,822 study participants aged 18 or older were included in the analysis. The reliability of the adapted scale was satisfactory, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.93. The item-total correlations corrected for overlap were >0.4, confirming its internal construct validity. Regarding concurrent validity, a small to moderate correlation between the Fear Scale and the PHQ-4 scores was found. Regarding known-group validity, we found that study participants who were recruited from Hong Kong had a higher level of fear than the study participants from mainland China. Older adults had a higher level of fear than the younger adults. Study participants who were separated/divorced/widowed had a higher level of fear than those who were single or married. Furthermore, having hypertension, liver diseases, heart diseases, cancer, anxiety and insomnia were associated with a higher fear level. The descriptive analysis found that more than 40% of the study participants reported that the thought of COVID-19 scared them. About one-third of the study participants reported that when they thought about COVID-19, they felt nervous, uneasy and depressed. CONCLUSIONS To conclude, the adapted Fear Scale is a valid and reliable scale for measuring the fear of COVID-19 among Chinese people. Our study stresses the need for more psychosocial support and care to help this population cope with their fears during the pandemic.

Determinants of residents’ support for Tourism development- A Pilot Study

The aim of this pilot study is to test the reliability and validity of the survey instrument designed to measure the residents’ support for tourism. Since the study uses an adapted questionnaire the need to assess the reliability and validity appears to be desirable. The questionnaire was distributed to altogether 70 residents of Huna Valley. Initially the content and face validity was authenticated by field experts and later on the internal construct validity was calculated through various measures. Hence inter-item correlation shows that all the variables are correlated to each other at significant level. Secondly, construct validity results show that all the constructs used by study are reliable and met the level of acceptability. Therefore, the results validated that modified instrument is valid and reliable in the context of the social lab selected i.e. residents of Huna Velly and a full large scale study can be carried out using this instrument.

A Rasch analysis of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT)

Burnout as a concept indicative of a work-related state of mental exhaustion is recognized around the globe. Numerous studies showed that burnout has negative consequences for both individuals and organizations but also for society at large, especially in welfare states where sickness absence and work incapacitation are covered by social funds. This underlines the importance of a valid and reliable tool that can be used to assess employee burnout levels. Although the Maslach Burnout Inventory is by far the most frequently used questionnaire for assessing burnout, it is associated with several shortcomings and has been criticized on theoretical as well as empirical grounds. Thus, there is a need for an alternative questionnaire with a strong conceptual basis and proper psychometric qualities. This challenge has been taken up by introducing the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), according to which burnout is conceived as a work-related state of exhaustion among employees, characterized by extreme tiredness, reduced ability to regulate cognitive and emotional processes, and mental distancing. Given that the BAT is a new measure of burnout, its psychometric properties need to be evaluated. This paper focuses on an evaluation of the internal construct validity of the BAT using Rasch analysis in two random samples (n = 800, each) drawn from larger representative samples of the working population of the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium). The BAT has sound psychometric properties and fulfils the measurement criteria according to the Rasch model. The BAT score reflects the scoring structure indicated by the developers of the scale and the BAT’s four subscales can be summarized into a single burnout score. The BAT score also works invariantly for women and men, younger and older respondents, and across both countries. Hence, the BAT can be used in organizations for screening and identifying employees who are at risk of burnout.

The use of the Multidimensional Condom Attitude Scale in Chinese young adults

Background Attitude towards condom use is an important predictor of consistent condom use. However, this topic is an understudied area in Chinese populations, and no validated Chinese instrument is available to capture condom attitude. To fill this research gap, the present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (MCAS) and assessed the attitudes towards condom use amongst Chinese adults aged 18–29 years old. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a total of 500 people aged 18–29 years old were randomly recruited in Hong Kong. The primary outcome was the attitude towards condom use as measured by the UCLA MCAS. Factor structure, internal construct validity, known-group validity and internal consistency were assessed. Results Instead of the five-factor structure designed by the original developers of the MCAS questionnaire, this study proposed a novel six-factor scale: (1) Reliability and Effectiveness, (2) Excitement, (3) Displeasure, (4) Identity Stigma, (5) Embarrassment about Negotiation and (6) Embarrassment about Purchase. The internal construct validity and reliability of the new scale were high. The revised MCAS could differentiate between subgroups, including gender, sexual orientation and sexual experience. In terms of attitudes, over 40% of the participants believed that condoms are not reliable, though the vast majority of the sample did not perceive any stigma related to condom use. In addition, more than half (55.4%) of the respondents felt embarrassed to be seen when buying condoms while a quarter (25.8%) felt uncomfortable buying condoms at all. Conclusions Overall, the psychometric analysis found that attitude to condom use is culturally specific. The study also highlighted the need for more public health campaigns and interventions to help people cope with the embarrassment of purchasing condoms.

An item response theory analysis of an item pool for the recovering quality of life (ReQoL) measure

Purpose ReQoL-10 and ReQoL-20 have been developed for use as outcome measures with individuals aged 16 and over, experiencing mental health difficulties. This paper reports modelling results from the item response theory (IRT) analyses that were used for item reduction. Methods From several stages of preparatory work including focus groups and a previous psychometric survey, a pool of items was developed. After confirming that the ReQoL item pool was sufficiently unidimensional for scoring, IRT model parameters were estimated using Samejima’s Graded Response Model (GRM). All 39 mental health items were evaluated with respect to item fit and differential item function regarding age, gender, ethnicity, and diagnosis. Scales were evaluated regarding overall measurement precision and known-groups validity (by care setting type and self-rating of overall mental health). Results The study recruited 4266 participants with a wide range of mental health diagnoses from multiple settings. The IRT parameters demonstrated excellent coverage of the latent construct with the centres of item information functions ranging from − 0.98 to 0.21 and with discrimination slope parameters from 1.4 to 3.6. We identified only two poorly fitting items and no evidence of differential item functioning of concern. Scales showed excellent measurement precision and known-groups validity. Conclusion The results from the IRT analyses confirm the robust structure properties and internal construct validity of the ReQoL instruments. The strong psychometric evidence generated guided item selection for the final versions of the ReQoL measures.

Internal construct validity of the Brazilian version of a tool for assessing the population’s knowledge of human papillomavirus

ABSTRACT: Objective: To verify the internal construct validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of a tool for measuring the general population’s knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV). Materials and methods: A cross-culturally adapted Brazilian Portuguese version of a measurement tool originally designed for English speaking populations was administered to 330 adults in Tubarão, Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil. After examining the overall suitability of the method, we performed investigations based on the item response theory and exploratory factor analysis. Results: Ten of the 29 items presented a low contribution to the construct and were excluded from subsequent analysis. The factor analysis yielded three factors, which explained approximately 51% of the variance variability. A different arrangement from the original measurement tool was found: general HPV knowledge, with six items; HPV vaccination knowledge, with five items; HPV transmission and testing knowledge, with eight items. Conclusion: The Brazilian Portuguese version under study presented a different behavior from the original measurement tool, but proved to be a reliable and valid instrument in assessing the Brazilian population’s knowledge about HPV.

Development and Construct Validity of the Work Instability Scale for People With Common Mental Disorders in a Sample of Depressed and Anxious Workers: A Rasch Analysis

Background: Sick leave due to common mental disorders, encompassing depression and anxiety disorders, is high. Capturing early signs of reduced function could aid adjustments of work tasks and environment and, thus, endorse a pro-active approach to occupational and health care interventions to prevent long-term sick-leave spells. However, few measurements exist to identify early signs of imbalance, and none that is illness-specific. The aim of this study was to develop a work instability scale for people with common mental disorders and to test the fundamental psychometric properties of the scale. Methods: Participants were working adults 18-65 years old with depression or anxiety. The scale development started with qualitative interviews (n = 27) which informed the drafting of a dichotomous, self-report questionnaire. Cognitive debriefing (n = 12) was used to check face validity and modify the draft. Internal construct validity of the draft was tested using Rasch analysis (n = 128). The work ability index was used as a comparator measure. Results: The initial 63-item draft showed poor fit to Rasch model expectations. Items displaying poor fit or local response dependency were stepwise removed, resulting in a unidimensional 34-item scale fitting the model expectations, and with no differential item functioning. Person-item threshold distribution showed that the scale is better suited to measure low to moderate work instability, than to measure high instability. Correlations between the newly developed scale and the work ability index showed a significant, moderately strong correlation. Conclusions: In the initial target sample, the 34-item scale showed acceptable fundamental properties and internal construct validity. Further validation of the scale in a larger sample, including tests for external validity, is warranted.