1,721,033 research outputs found
ASSESSMENT OF THE PROXIMITY OF CLOTHING TO SELF SCALE FOR ADOLESCENTS IN THE ITALIAN CONTEXT
No full textThis paper presents the results of one of the first Italian works in the field of social psychology of dress. The work aims at investigating the psychometric properties of the Proximity of Clothing to Self (PCS) scale in the Italian context and at exploring the relationships of its subscales with gender, socioeconomic status, and average spending on clothing. The PCS scale was administered to a sample of 444 individuals attending the high school. The results showed that the Italian version of the PCS scale has a 4-factor 20-item structure. No significant differences emerged between the socioeconomic status, whereas gender was found to moderate the relationships between the score at the PCS scale and the average spending on clothing. Discussion
of findings and recommendations for future research are presented
Cross-cultural validation of a new abbreviated version of the EPQ-R.
No full textThe present work aims at providing evidence concerning the psychometric properties of a new abbreviated version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R) in a cross-cultural sample of native English speakers (recruited in three geographical areas: North America, Europe, and Oceania. The four-factor structure of the questionnaire was confirmed, as well as the satisfactory reliability and convergent validity of its scales. Moreover, item-level analyses showed that the items of the scales were simple structured, without misfit, and without cultural, age, and gender biases. On the whole, the results suggest the suitability of the new abbreviated version of the EPQ-R in English contexts
DscoreApp: A Shiny Web Application for the Computation of the Implicit Association Test D-Score
Full text linkSeveral options are available for computing the most common score for the Implicit Association Test, the so-called D-score. However, all these options come with some drawbacks, related to either the need for a license, for being tailored on a specific administration procedure, or for requiring a degree of familiarity with programming. By using the R shiny package, a user-friendly, interactive, and open source web application (DscoreApp) has been created for the D-score computation. This app provides different options for computing the D-score algorithms and for applying different cleaning criteria. Beyond making the D-score computation easier, DscoreApp offers the chance to have an immediate glimpse on the results and to see how they change according to different settings configurations. The resulting D-scores are immediately available and can be seen in easy-readable and interactive graphs, along with meaningful descriptive statistics. Graphical representations, data sets containing the D-scores, and other information on participants' performance are downloadable. In this work, the use of DscoreApp is illustrated on an empirical data set
Development of a scale for capturing psychological aspects of physical–digital integration: relationships with psychosocial functioning and facial emotion recognition
No full textThe present work aims at developing a scale for the assessment of a construct that we called “physical–digital integration”, which refers to the tendency of some individuals not to perceive a clear differentiation between feelings and perceptions that pertain to the physical or digital environment. The construct is articulated in four facets: identity, social relationships, time–space perception, and sensory perception. Data from a sample of 369 participants were collected to evaluate factor structure (unidimensional model, bifactor model, correlated four-factor model), internal consistency (Cronbach’s α, McDonald’s ω), and correlations of the physical–digital integration scale with other measures. Results showed that the scale is valid and internally consistent, and that both the total score and the scores at its four subscales are worthy of consideration. The physical–digital integration scores were found to be differently associated with digital and non-digital behaviors, individuals’ ability to read emotions in the facial expressions of others, and indicators of psychosocial functioning (anxiety, depression, and satisfaction with social relationships). The paper proposes a new measure whose scores are associated with several variables that may have relevant consequences at both individual and social levels
Shortening and personalizing psychodiagnostic assessments with decision tree-machine learning classifiers: an application example based on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9
No full textThe development of psychological assessment tools that accurately and efficiently classify individuals as having or not a specific diagnosis is a major challenge for test developers and mental health professionals. This paper shows how machine learning (ML) provides a valuable framework to improve the accuracy and efficiency of psychodiagnostic classifications. The method is illustrated using an empirical example based on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The results show that, compared to traditional scorings of the PHQ-9, that based on decision tree (DT) algorithms is more advantageous in terms of accuracy and efficiency. In addition, the DT-based method facilitates the development of short test forms and improves the diagnostic performance of the test by integrating external information (e.g., demographic variables) into the scoring process. These findings suggest that DT-algorithms and ML applications such as feature selection represent a valuable method for supporting test developers and mental health professionals, and highlight the potential of ML for advancing the field of psychological assessment
Rasch Models in the Analysis of Repgrid Data
No full textThe present work shows how useful clinical insights can derive from a Rasch analysis of repgrids. Rasch models allow meaningful comparisons not only within elements and within constructs, but also between them. In addition, they allow the identification of unexpected evaluations that should be further explored with the respondent. Large values of infit or outfit may suggest a lack of attention in completing the grid, uncertainties in the evaluation of elements on constructs, or critical issues regarding certain elements or constructs. Classical analysis procedures and a Rasch model are applied on real repgrid data. The results indicate that the Rasch model provides additional information beyond that resulting from classical analysis procedures
Development of a new abbreviated form of the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised
No full textThis work aims to develop a new version of the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised-Abbreviated (JEPQR-A) with improved measurement properties. Two studies were carried out and various analyses performed. In the first study, the 89 items of the full version of the questionnaire were administered to a sample of participants (N = 549) and the data analysed in order to select the 24 items with the best metric properties. An investigation of the parameters of the 2PL model, DIF statistics and item fit measures allowed the selection of 24 items that were unbiased, well discriminating and well fitting. In the second study, the reliability, factor structure and convergent validity of the new abbreviated questionnaire were evaluated on a different sample of participants (N = 234). The results suggest that the new version of the JEPQR-A outperforms the previous form
Enhancing Computerized Adaptive Testing with Batteries of Unidimensional Tests
No full textThe article presents a new computerized adaptive testing (CAT) procedure for use with batteries of unidimensional tests. At each step of testing, the estimate of a certain ability is updated on the basis of the response to the latest administered item and the current estimates of all other abilities measured by the battery. The information deriving from these abilities is incorporated into an empirical prior that is updated each time that new estimates of the abilities are computed. In two simulation studies, the performance of the proposed procedure is compared with that of a standard procedure for CAT with batteries of unidimensional tests. The proposed procedure yields more accurate ability estimates in fixed-length CATs, and a reduction of test length in variable-length CATs. These gains in accuracy and efficiency increase with the correlation between the abilities measured by the batteries
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