Development and Validation of the Multicontextual Interpersonal Relations Scale (MIRS)

Given that there is an increasing exploration of the role of beliefs about emotions in emotion regulation and psychotherapy, there is a need for a range of valid and reliable measures of beliefs about emotions. The Beliefs About Emotions Questionnaire (BAEQ) has been shown to be a promising measure of beliefs about emotions. However, to date, no study has attempted to replicate the original factor structure of the BAEQ in an English-speaking country. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the BAEQ in a nonclinical sample. Archival data of 1807 adult participants residing in Australia was divided into three equal groups of participants. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on the first sub-sample, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on the second sub-sample, and a second CFA was performed on the third sub-sample. Divergent validity was tested using the heterotrait-monotrait ratio and the concurrent validity was tested through correlations with the subscales of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R18). The first CFA failed to replicate the original factor structure of the BAEQ. An EFA supported five of the original six factors. A five-factor structure, including 30 out of the original 43 items, was confirmed in a second CFA. The final subscales (Shameful and Irrational, Overwhelming and Uncontrollable, Invalid and Meaningless, Useless and Damaging) demonstrated good construct validity, good internal consistency, and good concurrent and divergent validity. The results from this study support a briefer five-factor, 30-item version of the BAEQ (BAEQ-R) as a reliable and valid measure of beliefs about emotions that can be utilised in future research.

Background: The Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire [MACQ] assesses marijuana-related problems. This 8-factor (50-items) measure covers a broad array of multiple dimensions encompassing 50 negative consequences of gradient severity that are particularly relevant in the context of college. The present study aimed to validate the Spanish version of the 50-item Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire (S-MACQ) by analyzing the psychometric properties of internal, convergent, and concurrent validity and estimating internal consistency. We also examined the correlation between the brief (SB-MACQ) and the full S-MACQ and whether they similarly correlate with marijuana outcomes and marijuana-related variables. Method: College students from the two largest public universities of Cordoba city (Argentina) completed an online survey as part of a broader study focused on marijuana use and risky sexual behaviors. Only data from students that reported last-year marijuana use (n=470; 70.6% women; Mean age 22.67±3.52 years; 45.7% enrolled in psychology) were included in the study. We conducted independent samples t-tests to evaluate differences in the number of negative consequences (for the total scale and for each S-MACQ dimension) as a function of biological sex or frequency of use. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) was conducted to examine the factor structure of the S-MACQ. We conducted Pearson correlation analyses to examine the association between the number of marijuana-related consequences as measured by the S-MACQ and scores (a) in the CUDIT, a standardized measure of marijuana-related problems (i.e., convergent validity), (b) frequency and quantity of marijuana use (i.e., concurrent validity), (c) motives for marijuana use (i.e., concurrent validity). We examined the Pearson correlation between the SB-MACQ and the S-MACQ and then we estimated the difference between the Pearson correlation of the SB-MACQ and the S-MACQ with all the marijuana outcomes and marijuana-related variables. Results: Results from the CFA supported an 8-factor structure. The scores of the S-MACQ showed appropriate internal, concurrent and convergent validity, alongside with adequate internal consistency. The S-MACQ was largely correlated with the SB-MACQ and the correlations between these two versions and marijuana outcomes/marijuana-related variables did not significantly differ. Discussion: Findings supported the S-MACQ as a valid measure to assess marijuana-related problems in Spanish-speaking students. The instrument can be used to identify a broad diversity of marijuana problems in this population.

151 Background: Research has not thoroughly examined patient-level factors such as perceptions that could contribute to underutilization of palliative care, which may be due in part to a lack of existing measures for this purpose. Therefore, this investigation aimed to develop and validate a 9-item measure called the Palliative Care Preferences Scale (PCPS-9), which was comprised of three subscales: emotional, cognitive, and behavioral. Methods: Data were collected in three separate online studies of individuals with cancer (study 1: N = 633; study 2: N = 462) or one of the following non-cancer serious illnesses: COPD, heart failure, or kidney failure (study 3: N = 248). Analyses assessed various psychometric properties of the scale in cancer and non-cancer patients, including internal consistency reliability, confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), multigroup CFAs, and convergent validity associations with related constructs. Results: Across all three studies, results supported the internal consistency reliability for the total scale (αs from 0.76 to 0.83) and subscales: emotional (αs from 0.83 to 0.84), cognitive (αs from 0.60 to 0.77), behavioral (αs from 0.87 to 0.91). CFAs supported the three-factor model of the PCPS-9 (CFI ≥ 0.97, NNFI ≥ 0.96, RMSEA ≤ 0.07, SRMR ≤ 0.04), and a multigroup CFA supported the generalizability of its factor structure across cancer and non-cancer serious illness subgroups (ΔCFIs ≤ 0.006, ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.003). Finally, convergent validity analyses in studies 2 and 3 found that the PCPS-9 was significantly associated with related constructs, including a separate measure of palliative care preferences ( ps < 0.001) and a measure of palliative care knowledge ( ps < 0.001). Conclusions: Findings support the overall reliability and validity of the PCPS-9 in cancer and non-cancer serious illness samples and have implications for increasing palliative care utilization via clinical care and future research efforts.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the quality of life scale and new proposed factor structure for the quality of life scale-revised

Behavioral and cognitive regulation of emotions is crucial for adaptation and mental health. Measuring it with valid and reliable instruments is essential, especially in Peru. The objective of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Peruvian version of the Behavioral Regulation of Emotions Questionnaire (BERQ-PA) in a sample of 403 adults from Lima, aged between 18 and 59 years (M = 32.3, SD = 10.1; 65.8% women). Participants completed the BERQ-PA, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the validity of the internal structure. The BERQ-PA scores were correlated with those of the ERQ and GHQ-28 to check concurrent and convergent validity. Reliability was established by internal consistency analysis, and factorial invariance according to sex was evaluated using a multigroup CFA. The CFA confirmed the original five-factor model; however, two items had factor loadings lower than 0.40. For this reason, an alternative five-factor, 18-item model was evaluated that showed optimal fit indices (S-Bχ2 = 299, df = 125, χ2/df = 2.39, CFI = 0.959, TLI = 0.950, RMSEA = 0.048 [90% CI: 0.039-0.057], SRMR = 0.069). The alpha and omega coefficients of the five subscales were greater than 0.70, confirming reliability. The correlations between the BERQ, ERQ, and GHQ-28 subscales evidenced convergent and concurrent validity. Factorial invariance according to sex was confirmed. The BERQ-PA is a valid and reliable measure of the behavioral regulation of emotions, standing out for its usefulness for research, psychological assessment, and the assessment of interventions in the Peruvian context.

Research on children's emotional behaviour has been hampered by the lack of psychometric assessment scales. The present study reports on the construction and validation of a new self-report instrument to measure the emotional response styles of adolescents. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were carried out on the responses of three samples of adolescents aged between 11 and 14 years (total = 609) to an item pool derived from a scenario study. In addition to assessing reliability, the final form of the questionnaire was concurrently validated using a variety of related psychometric instruments as well as teacher ratings of pupils' behaviour. The factor analyses of the item pool yielded three independent factors labelled social anxiety, malevolent aggression, and social self-esteem. These categories correspond closely to the three dimensions that have emerged consistently from studies of children's temperament, labelled inhibited, undercontrolled and well-adjusted. The three factors comprising the final Emotional Behaviour Scale (EBS) all demonstrated satisfactory internal (coefficient alpha) and re-test reliability. Concurrent validation showed that the three factors were related in predictable ways to other related constructs, and comparisons with teacher ratings of pupils confirmed the relationship between the EBS subscales and children's actual social and emotional behaviour. The new scale offers a valid and reliable instrument for assessing adolescent emotional behaviour, and current work is aimed at extending the research to the assessment of young offenders.

BackgroundDisordered thinking is a condition that can manifest in not only clinical cases (e.g., psychotic disorders), but also the wider general population. However, there is no current method to measure the specific cognitive processes experienced during such a condition. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a new self-report measure, the Disorganised Thoughts Scale (DTS), that can assess disorganised thinking in the general population.MethodsTo achieve this aim, a survey was developed and shared online with four independent samples, including a sample of Australians in the general population (N = 321) and three samples (N = 200 each) that were controlled for their substance use (i.e., frequent alcohol and cannabis use; non-frequent substance use). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and reliability analyses, were used to test the internal validity, whilst correlational analyses were implemented to examine the external validity.ResultsThe exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure (10 items each) measuring Positive thought disorder (i.e., accelerated, uncontrollable, and incongruent thinking) and Negative thought disorder (i.e., inhibited, disjointed, and disorientated thinking). This internal structure was confirmed with subsequent confirmatory factor and reliability analyses (α = 0.90 to 0.97) in the three substance-controlled groups. Concurrent validity was also supported, as the DTS exhibited strong correlations with established measures of general cognitive difficulties, specific self-regulatory dysfunctions, and psychopathological symptomology. Finally, the measure was also shown to be significantly higher in cohorts who exhibited a higher degree of psychological distress and who frequently used substances (i.e., alcohol and cannabis).ConclusionsOverall, this study provided preliminary evidence to suggest that the DTS is a sound measure of disorganised thought that is linked to psychopathology and substance use in non-clinical populations. The measure could be used in future research which seeks to better understand how thinking effects, and is affected by, various psychological conditions.

Objective: This study aims to develop a Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale (PMPUS) to determine the problematic mobile phone use by university students. Method: Study participants for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were 725 university students, for test-retest 126 university students. The psychometric characteristics of the scale were investigated using test-retest, internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha), item analysis, EFA, CFA, and criterion-related validity methods. Results: According to results obtained from exploratory factor analysis, it was determined that PMPUS had four subdimensions. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed this four-subdimension structure. Reliability data for the PMPUS found Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients of 0.92 for EFA and 0.93 for CFA, respectively. Test-retest coefficient for PMPUS was 0.85. Furthermore, a positive, high correlation (r=0.75) was found between PMPUS and Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS). Subscales of PMPUS also showed the required values for validity and reliability. Conclusion: According to the results, PMPUS is a reliable and valid scale with 26 items in four subdimensions.

Decentralization holds a significant role in the context of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), with its nature being not a fixed value but a comparative spectrum. Prior research investigating the measurement of decentralization in nations’ governance system provides a foundation for our current study. This research aims to integrate these insights to define dimensions and indicators, tailored explicitly for assessing decentralization levels within DAOs. Then, the article undertakes an examination of the suitability of traditional decentralization measurement approaches within the unique DAO context, employing confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) as our analytical tool based on a total of 44 DAOs. Hence, the results suggest that DAOs have three dimensions for measuring decentralization, ‘political decentralization as a participatory engagement’, ‘economic decentralization as a resource distribution’, and ‘administrative decentralization as the self-governing execution of decisions’. By substantiating the applicability of established decentralization measurement frameworks within the unique context of DAOs, the findings not only enhance the understanding of this emergent governance paradigm but also provide DAO practitioners, policymakers, and researchers with invaluable insights.

Objectives In this study, the purpose of this study was to develop and verify the validity of an interpersonal relationship test tool for children with autism spectrum disorder perceived by teachers.
 Methods As for the research method, preliminary questions were formed through previous studies and DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, and finally 30 questions were derived through the Delphi technique. Consent was obtained from special school teachers, general kindergarten and elementary school teachers, and a total of 164 children, including 49 ASD children and 115 normally developing children, were evaluated by the teacher, and the results were analyzed. To do this, reliability and validity were performed.
 Results In order to derive the results, data were collected from teachers, and the internal consistency of the items was evaluated with Cronbach's α through the SPSS 20 statistical program, and the reliability of the result was .975, and exploratory factor analysis was conducted to confirm construct validity. With a three-factor structure, KMO=.935 is suitable for factor analysis, and RMSEA in confirmatory factor analysis is .098, moderate fit, TLI=.863, CFI=.873, a good value was not obtained, but it was confirmed as an acceptable level of fit. In addition, K-SCQ and criterion validity were confirmed to confirm a significant correlation.
 Conclusions In this study, I aimed to confirm the development and validation of interpersonal relationship tests for children with autism spectrum disorder perceived by teachers. The purpose of the interpersonal test designed by this researcher was not to screen for autism spectrum disorder, but to screen for children with autism spectrum disorder only through observation by teachers of children who have not reached typical development at school sites, daycare centers for preschoolers, or kindergartens. In addition, it was confirmed by the correlation between K-SCQ and interpersonal test results that it is a scale that can serve as an objective preliminary information for ASD diagnosis.In addition, this study, similar to the results of the Social Skills Q-Sort evoked by Locke and colleagues (2014), in a reference that is unique and often ignored in the school setting, provides insight into the interpersonal relationships of children with autism spectrum disorders with the peers they normally interact with. It is worthwhile to provide additional evidence for the imbalance.it collects information on the interpersonal characteristics of children with ASD and identifies strengths and weaknesses. In the interpersonal factor, which is one of the three factors of the interpersonal relationship test, there is a difference between normal children and children with autism spectrum disorder (T-test=-15.570), but this factor is 38.98 compared to the ASD child test result of 17.82. As a result, it is meaningful that it can be interpreted as a test that can apply interpersonal factors to all children with a lower result than other factors. The interpersonal test is meaningful in identifying the most important part of sociability and in selecting children who are socially alienated and face difficulties in interpersonal relationships. In addition, it can be said that it is useful in assigning the function of the sociality program of children with autism spectrum disorder as a pre- and post-measurement tool of the study.

Background and Aim: Couples’ sexual communication is one of the contributing factors to the quality of couples’ sexual relationships. The aim of the present study was to psychometrically evaluate the Persian version of the Dyadic Sexual Communication Scale (DSCS) among married women of reproductive age. Methods: In this psychometric study, translation was carried out using the back-translation method. The validity of the final version of the DSCS was performed using confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis. Concurrent validity was examined using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS) and Marital Intimacy Scale (MIS). Reliability was assessed by calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and Mplus software. Results: The participants comprised 400 married women with a mean age of 35.66 years living in Qazvin, Iran. Construct validity was confirmed based on confirmatory factor analysis (χ2[df]: 113.49 (65), Tucker-Lewis index: 0.980, Composite Reliability: 0.87, SRMSR: 0.065, RMSEA: 0.043, CFI: 0.983. Concurrent validity was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, and the DSCS was positively correlated with scores on the MIS (r=.64) and FSFI (r=.65) and negatively correlated with scores on the FSDS (r=-.61). The internal reliability of the Persian DSCS was very good (Cronbach’s alpha=.88). Conclusion: Based on psychometric testing, the Persian DSCS has good validity and reliability. Therefore, the tool can be used to assess women’s sexual communication in the context of sexual relationships. Future research should include males and compare and contrast results with females.

BackgroundXerostomia is commonly experienced by older individuals. We sought to develop and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the Summated Xerostomia Inventory (K-SXI) among older adults residing in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Korea.MethodsIn this secondary data analysis study using cross-sectional data, a cross-cultural adaptation process was conducted for the Korean version before data collection. Data collection was conducted from July 2021 to January 2022, targeting 544 older adults in 16 LTCFs. Data analysis included intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for test–retest reliability, and Cronbach’s α for internal consistency reliability. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to verify construct and convergent validity. Test–retest analysis was performed 6 weeks after baseline. Convergent and concurrent validities were assessed with age group and the xerostomia standard single question, respectively.ResultsA total of 544 older adults participated in this study. The mean of total K-SXI score was 11.70 (standard deviation, 4.96) points. The ICC value was calculated to be 0.90, and Cronbach’s α of K-SXI was 0.92. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a single factor, explaining 74.8% of the total variance, however, some goodness-of-fit indices of the single factor model were found to be unsuitable in confirmatory factor analysis. The convergent and concurrent validity were supported.ConclusionThe present study provides evidence supporting the validity and reliability of the K-SXI for measuring xerostomia in institutionalized older adults in Korea.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop a culturally adapted version of the Systematic Treatment Selection-Innerlife (STS) in China. Methods: A total of 300 nonclinical participants collected from Mainland China and 240 nonclinical US participants were drawn from archival data. A Chinese version of the STS was developed, using translation and back-translation procedures. After confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the original STS sub scales failed on both samples, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was then used to access whether a simple structure would emerge on these STS treatment items. Parallel analysis and minimum average partial were used to determine the number of factor to retain. Results: Three cross-cultural factors were found in this study, Internalized Distress, Externalized Distress and interpersonal relations. Conclusions: This supported that regardless of whether one is in presumably different cultural contexts of the USA or China, psychological distress is expressed in a few basic channels of internalized distress, externalized distress, and interpersonal relations, from which different manifestations in different culture were also discussed.

Since its introduction in 1983, the Greek NHS is under an almost constant reform, aiming improvement on the efficiency and the quality of provided services. The national program of psychiatric reform "Psychargos" introduced new models of therapeutic approach to the care of the mentally ill, that required expansion of the existing roles and development of new roles of the healthcare staff. Consequently, the efficient management of the healthcare workforce in Greek mental facilities was identified as a primary determinant of the successful implementation of the program. Primary objective of this study was the development of a research framework for the assessment of job satisfaction in Greek Mental Health Hospitals. Among the objectives was the evaluation of the capacity of the underlying motivators and hygiene factors and the identification of potential correlations of the global job satisfaction and the motivation and retention factors with the demographic, social and occupational characteristics of the employees. A custom questionnaire was developed, based on Herzberg two-factor theory, after a systematic review of the relevant literature. The instrument was constructed by two parts and 37 items. Ten items addressed the sociodemographic characteristics of the subjects, while the remaining 27 items were distributed in 11 subscales which addressed the global satisfaction index and the "retention" and the "motivation" variables. The instrument was validated by means of the Cronbach alpha for each subscale and by confirmatory factor analysis. The study was conducted at the Public Mental Hospital of Chania (PMHC). From the 300 employees of the PMHC, 133 subjects successfully responded to the questionnaire (response rate, 44.3%). In accordance to former surveys, subjects presented average scores in the global satisfaction index (GSI). The professional category of the employee was identified as the primary determinant of the GSI. Nurses presented statistically significant lower scores in comparison to the rest of the employees. Strong Pearson correlations were detected between GSI and "working conditions", "interpersonal relations", "organization", "salary" and "supervision" factors. The retention factors presented stronger impact on GSI in comparison to the motivation ones. The results of the study indicate that the proposed instrument presents satisfactory validity and reliability for the assessment of job satisfaction in Greek mental NHS hospitals.

ABSTRACTThis cross-sectional study analyzed the factorial structure of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) in a sample of 304 Spanish-speaking HIV-positive adults. Participants completed the PTGI and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out through structural equations modeling, with a Varimax rotation. Factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 were extracted, and items with loadings higher than .5 on a factor and lower than .4 on the rest were retained. Two confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to test a hierarchical model and a bifactor model. Reliability analyses were conducted. EFA suggested a three-factor model keeping 11 of the original 21 items. The three factors that emerged were changes in philosophy of life, in the self and in interpersonal relationships. CFAs suggested that only the bifactor model fitted the data. The three factors as well as the global scale showed good reliability. The factor structure of PTGI’s scores in our data is consistent with the three dimensions theorized by Tedeschi and Calhoun, which speaks in favor of the construct validity of this measure.