A German Adaptation of the Prosociality Scale

Introduction: This paper presents a German translation of the 16-item Prosociality Scale. We analyzed its factor structure based on theoretical assumptions regarding the inclusion of empathy as one element of prosociality or as its underlying construct. Methods and Results: We translated the items into German taking into account both the English and the Italian item wordings. The scale's factor structure was analyzed with three models testing (1) unidimensionality, (2) a four-factor structure with four items on each factor, and (3) a variant of a bifactor model with a general factor including all items and three residual factors with four items each. We analyzed construct validity using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Finally, we identified two 13-item versions with good model fit. Conclusion: The German Prosociality Scale is not unidimensional. Empathy seems to be the underlying construct of prosociality, but it can also be considered an element of prosociality.

Measuring Fear of Failure

Fear of failure (FF) is a multidimensional construct encompassing anticipated negative consequences deriving from potential failures in evaluative achievement contexts, such as education or sports. The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory (PFAI; Conroy et al., 2002 ) assesses five threat appraisals associated with FF and has been validated in various cultures, languages, and contexts. To date, there is no instrument measuring FF in an academic context in German. Thus, this study examined the psychometric properties of a German version of the PFAI in a sample of N = 326 university students. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a correlated five-factor structure that has already been established in previous validation studies as well as a bifactor structure. All dimensions demonstrated satisfactory internal consistencies and construct validity. Within the scope of this study, the German version of the PFAI was found to be a psychometrically sound measure to assess FF in an academic context amongst university students.

Lost in Translation or Just Too Pragmatic?

The Broader Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) is a measure to assess a set of personality and language characteristics reflecting the phenotypic expression of autistic traits in neurotypically developing individuals. This paper aims to evaluate the newly developed German version of the BAPQ (BAPQ-G) in terms of its factorial validity. We performed confirmatory factor analyses and correlations with other measures of the broader autism phenotype on three German samples ( N1 = 248, N2 = 289, N3 = 255). Associations with other constructs are in line with the assumptions, yet the anticipated factor structure of the BAPQ-G did not meet the cutoff criteria. These results are discussed along with recent findings regarding other cultural versions of the BAPQ.

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the German Version of the Family Expressiveness Questionnaire (FEQ-GR)

Background: This study aimed to develop a German version of the Family Expressiveness Questionnaire (FEQ; Halberstadt, 1983 , 1986 ), which investigates emotional expressiveness within the family context while growing up. While a theoretically derived four-factor structure was postulated, 2- and 3-scale versions have been applied in research. Methods: In Study 1 ( N = 650), these existing models were tested against each other. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for the solution that best fitted the data with half of the sample, and results were cross-validated in the other half. Construct validation was investigated in Study 2 ( N = 225). Results: An acceptable model fit for a three-factor solution was attained in Study 1. In Study 2, correlation patterns indicated a good convergent and discriminant validity. Reliability estimates in both studies were in an acceptable to excellent range. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the FEQ German version is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing expressiveness within the family.

Aware of the Future?

Introduction: Futures consciousness (FC) refers to the capacity that a person has for understanding, anticipating, and preparing for the future. A psychometric instrument, the FC scale, was recently developed to measure FC as an interindividual difference. However, this initial scale suffered from some shortcomings due to a few underperforming items. Objectives: In this paper, we present and validate the revised FC scale, which aims to address these shortcomings. Methods and Results: Data from a representative sample of N = 1,684 British participants demonstrated good psychometric properties of the revised scale (and better than the original) as well as good predictive validity. Specifically, individuals' scores were positively related to self-reported future-oriented behavior, such as engagement in civic collective action and general engagement in politics. The five-dimensional structure of the scale was also replicated. Conclusion: The revised FC scale proves a reliable tool that can be used by both researchers and practitioners.

Comparing Perceptual Speed Between Educational Contexts

Perceptual speed is a basic component of cognitive functioning that allows people to efficiently process novel visual stimuli and quickly react to them. In educational studies, tests measuring perceptual speed are frequently developed using students from regular schools without considering students with special educational needs. Therefore, it is unclear whether these instruments allow valid comparisons between different school tracks. The present study on N = 3,312 students from the National Educational Panel Study evaluated differential item functioning (DIF) of a short test of perceptual speed between four school tracks in Germany (special, basic, intermediate, and upper secondary schools). Bayesian Rasch Poisson counts modeling identified negligible DIF that did not systematically disadvantage specific students. Moreover, the test reliabilities were comparable between school tracks. These results highlight that perceptual speed can be comparably measured in special schools, thus enabling educational researchers to study schooling effects in the German educational system.

Assessing Complex Problem-Solving Skills in Under 20 Minutes

Rationale: Assessing complex problem-solving skills (CPS) is of great interest to many researchers. However, existing assessments require long testing times making them difficult to include in many studies and experiments. Here, we propose a specific composition of microworlds based on the MicroDYN approach, which allows for valid estimation of CPS in a substantially reduced amount of time (<20 min). Methods: Based on the reanalysis of a sample of N = 232 university students who worked on 11 microworlds of increasing difficulty, we conducted multiple confirmatory factor analyses to test all possible combinations of microworlds, which were theoretically justified in advance. Results/Discussion: We demonstrate one best fitting set with five microworlds, which shows excellent factorial validity and relates to both conventional measures of intelligence and to school grades. We hope that this will allow other researchers to include CPS into their study designs even when testing time is limited.

Validation of the Chinese Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale in Depressed Patients in Hong Kong

To better understand and gauge the severity of anhedonia, the Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) was developed which focuses on assessing the four pleasure domains of anhedonia. Lacking any Asian data in the original study, a Chinese version of the DARS (C-DARS) was evaluated in this study. The scale was developed by backward and forward translations and reviewed by an expert panel and a focus group. One hundred fifty-one depressed patients were recruited. The internal consistency and test–retest reliability were confirmed (McDonald’s ω = .82); a confirmatory factor analysis showed a second-order model with adequate fit (RMSEA = .078, CFI = .945). Concurrent validity was examined by the correlations with the Chinese version of the Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale ( r = −.72, p < .001), while discriminant validity was examined with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale ( r = −.34, p < .001). The C-DARS was shown to be a psychometrically sound and valid measure of anhedonia severity ready for clinical use.

Structural Validity and Reliability of the Indonesian Version of PID-5

Many studies have evaluated the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) validity and reliability. Unfortunately, research on PID-5 in Southeast Asian countries is still limited. This study aimed to identify the structural validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of PID-5. We involved 963 participants, and 68 of these participants filled the PID-5 twice. Facets and domains showed a satisfactory test–retest reliability (median r for facets = .84; median r for domains = .88), and acceptable McDonald’s omega indices (median ω for facets = .85; median ω for domains = .79). The hierarchical factor structure suggested that five-factor solution was interpretable, and this model showed a high congruency to its original version (ϕ = .97). Unfortunately, we could not achieve a model fit of this five-factor model. We hypothesized that the cultural influence and sample characteristics might explain this poor model fit. Finally, cautious administration and interpretation of PID-5 in Indonesia are highly recommended.

Investigating the Structure of the Children's Concentration and Empathy Scale Using Exploratory Graph Analysis

The current paper investigates the structural validity of the Children's Concentration and Empathy Scale (CCES), which was designed based on Montessori's developmental theory to assess, using teacher ratings, the coherence of attention-related characteristics (concentration, empathy, and normalization) in children from 1.5 to 12 years old. The dimensionality analysis was carried out using exploratory graph analysis (EGA), and the stability of the items and factors were checked using a bootstrap version of EGA, and the results contrasted to exploratory factor analysis. The results point to a four-factor structure (emotion regulation, fantasy, task engagement, and empathy) after eliminating items with low replicability across bootstrapped samples. Beyond pointing to ways to improve the CCES, our paper presents a number of data analytical strategies that can be useful for studies investigating the structural validity of measurement instruments and demonstrates how EGA can effectively be used in the scale construction and validation process. Our manuscript and results are fully reproducible and are available on the Open Science Framework.