1,720,985 research outputs found
Use of social desirability scales in clinical psychology: a systematic review
No full textObjective: There is still an open debate about the utility of social desirability indicators. This report
systematically reviewed the use of social desirability scales in studies addressing social desirability
in clinical psychology. Method: A systematic review (January 2010–March 2015) was conducted,
including 35 studies meeting the inclusion criteria of being published in peer-reviewed journals and
describing quantitative findings about an association of social desirability with clinical psychology variables
using a cross-sectional or longitudinal design. Results: Social desirability was associated with
self-reports of various clinical-psychological dimensions. Most of the included studies treated social
desirability as a 1-dimensional variable and only 10 of 35 disentangled the impression management
and self-deception components. Although theoretical literature does not consider social desirability a
mere response bias, only 4 of the reviewed articles controlled for the possible suppressor effect of
personality variables on social desirability, while the majority focused upon the stylistic (response bias)
rather than the substantive (personality) nature of this construct. Conclusion: The present review
highlighted some limitations in the use of social desirability scales in recent clinical psychology research
and tried to offer a few suggestions for handling this issue
On the validity of the state-like component of global self-esteem: Relationships with implicit self-esteem and work-related variables using different Latent State-Trait models
No full textThe present PhD dissertation includes three studies, which are organized into two chapters: The first, containing two studies, and the second containing one study. Overall, they aim to investigate the validity of the state-like variance of Global Self-Esteem (GSE). Along with this substantive focus, there is a methodological link connecting the studies: Indeed, in all studies, I used models belonging to the Latent State-Trait framework.
Currently, GSE is one of the most studied variables in personality and social sciences research. Yet, the instability of GSE has also received much attention in recent years. Indeed, while several authors have reported a high percentage of trait variance in GSE, a large body of research has attested that GSE state variance is also significantly different from zero. This means that, as with most psychological constructs, GSE is composed by a stable and enduring “trait-like” component, as well as by an ephemeral and volatile “state-like” component. Given that these two GSE components are, by definition, orthogonal, they deserve to be studied with equal attention. However, most attention was given to the trait-like component of GSE; thus, in this dissertation we faced two debates surrounding the topic of the state-like variance of GSE.
In the first chapter, State-Trait Decomposition of Name Letter Test Scores and Relationships with Global Self-Esteem, I carried out two longitudinal studies (participants in both studies were students) to investigate whether state variance in GSE is a measure of implicit self-esteem. This objective led me to investigate the validity of the Name Letter Test (NLT) as an implicit measure of state GSE. The NLT is an implicit measure assessing the likeability of the letters of one’s own first and family names. For several years, it has been assumed that one’s score in NLT should be a manifestation of state GSE. However, no studies empirically verified this assumption. Our aim was to use adequate statistical tools, belonging to the Latent State-Trait framework, to ascertain whether the NLT is a valid instrument for assessing the state-like component of GSE.
In the second chapter, A Latent State-Trait Analysis of Global Self-Esteem in a Sample of Military Cadets: A Reconsideration of the State Component of Global Self-Esteem, I conducted one longitudinal study to attest the relevance of the GSE state-like component in organizational settings. Indeed, I noted that in organizational literature there is a great theoretical interest in state-like constructs, but surprisingly few studies used Latent State-Trait models, and therefore most of the evaluations about the trait- state-like components of the constructs were made simply by relying on theory. This procedure may be detrimental, because the literature demonstrated that almost every psychological construct may have both a significant trait variance and a significant state variance. Therefore, my aim was to show that, in organizational contexts, the state-like component of an enduring construct like GSE should be of interest for researchers and practitioners. In this study (again by using Latent State-Trait models), I verified whether the state component of GSE correlates with the state components of several work-related variables. This procedure allows the validity of the state-like component of GSE to be attested, and may therefore be a good starting point for reconsidering the importance of the state-like component of GSE in organizational studies.
Overall, the rationale of the whole dissertation was to highlight some limitations in previous research addressing the validity of the state-like component of GSE, in particular (a) how and why the relationship between the state-like component of GSE and Name Letter Test scores has not been properly investigated, and (b) how and why the relevance of the state-like component of GSE in organizational psychology literature has been underestimated for some considerable time. Yet, the aim of the whole dissertation was first of all to point out that those limitations were mostly due to the neglected use of Latent State-Trait models and then to provide clear and empirical solutions. Thus, throughout the dissertation I have provided an overview of the current literature regarding the state-trait decomposition of GSE, have widely explained the above-mentioned limitations of previous literature, and have offered different methodological solutions, in order to (a) fill the gaps of previous literature, (b) enhance researchers’ capabilities to deal with similar unresolved conflicts, and (c) offer insights for future studies
Il concetto di sé scolastico
No full textIl concetto di sé scolastico è importante per i risultati degli studenti. La ricerca ha dimostrato che influisce sul rendimento scolastico, sugli atteggiamenti nei confronti della classe, sul posizionamento nei test standardizzati. Gli studi hanno dimostrato la causalità tra bassi livelli di concetto di sé e percorsi scolastici più competitivi, ma pochi di questi sono riusciti a produrre risultati significativamente generalizzabili. Gli studi sul concetto di sé richiamano la storia del piccolo pesce pagliaccio Nemo che si addentra in mare aperto e viene catturato da un subacqueo: spinto dalla curiosità si ritrovò improvvisamente immerso in un grande acquario pieno di creature interessanti (ma decisamente intimidatorie!)
Manipulation of Intensive Longitudinal Data: A Tutorial in R With Applications on the Job Demand‐Control Model
Full text linkIntensive longitudinal designs (ILD) are increasingly used in applied psychology to investigate research questions and deliver interventions at both within- and between-individual levels. However, while relatively complex analyses such as cross-level interaction models are trending in the field, little guidance has been provided on ILD data manipulation, including all procedures to be applied to the raw data points for getting the final dataset to be analysed. Here, we provide an introductory step-by-step tutorial and open-source R code on required and recommended data pre-processing (e.g., data reading, merging and cleaning), psychometric (e.g., level-specific reliability), and other ILD data manipulation procedures (e.g., data centering, lagging and leading). We built our tutorial on an illustrative example aimed at testing the job demand-control model at the within-individual level based on data from 211 back-office workers who received up to 18 surveys over three workdays, supporting both the strain and (partially) the buffer hypotheses. Being the common starting point of many types of analyses, data manipulation is crucial to determine the quality and validity of the resulting study outcomes. Hence, this tutorial and the attached code aim to contribute to removing methodological barriers among applied psychology researchers and practitioners in the handling of ILD data
Promuovere a scuola le competenze non-cognitive: Risorse per la ricerca, la formazione e la consulenza [Promoting non-cognitive skills in school: Resources for research, training and counseling]
No full textThe paper presents three projects carried out to promote students’ non-cognitive skills. The first two, were addressed to secondary school students and teachers. The focus was on personality, psychological capital, motivation to learn, and self-concept. The third project was addressed to primary school teachers. This last project focused on the relationship between classroom assessment, learning outcomes and non-cognitive factors. The first project was carried out over three years and provided the theoretical and methodological foundations of the two subsequent projects, realized during one school year. The scope of the paper is to discuss the main results and essential theoretical and methodological elements that have characterized each initiative. Despite the differences, the three projects share several common elements.Il contributo presenta tre progetti mediante i quali promuovere le competenze non-cognitive degli studenti. I primi due sono stati rivolti agli alunni e ai docenti di scuola secondaria di primo e secondo grado e hanno avuto come focus le seguenti dimensioni: personalità, capitale psicologico, motivazione ad apprendere, concetto di sé. Il terzo progetto è stato rivolto ai docenti di scuola primaria. Il primo progetto è stato realizzato nell’arco di un triennio, ha avuto molteplici articolazioni, di fatto ha posto le basi teoriche, metodologiche e di contenuto dei due progetti successivi. Questi ultimi sono stati realizzati, invece, nell’arco di singoli anni scolastici. Nonostante tali differenze, le tre iniziative condividono un nucleo di elementi comuni. Lo scopo dell’articolo è discutere gli esiti, gli elementi comuni e le differenze che hanno caratterizzato ciascuna iniziativa
Positive orientation and interpersonal styles
No full textThis study examined the longitudinal reciprocal relationships between positive orientation (i.e. the common latent variable at the core of self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism) and anxious and avoidant relationship styles in young adulthood. Four hundred and sixty-seven youths (52% girls) were assessed three times, at intervals of 4 years. The results showed that, while positive orientation was negatively associated with anxious and avoidant styles at each time of measurement, the model in which positive orientation significantly contributed to both anxious and avoidant styles fitted the data better than did alternative models. Self-esteem, life satisfaction and optimism did not show any relevant impact on interpersonal styles after controlling for positive orientatio
An introduction to growth mixture models for organizational research. Presentazione al Verona SGM2016 Advanced Modeling: New methods for studying individual differences and dynamics in organizations (European Association of Work and Organizational Psychology), Verona, Italia
No full textSecond-Order Growth Mixture Modeling in Organizational Psychology: An Application in the Study of Job Performance Using the Cusp Catastrophe Model
No full textIn recent years, research in organizational psychology has witnessed a shift inattention from a mostly variable-focused approach, to a mostly person-focused approach. Indeed, it has been widely recognized that the study of a sample’s heterogeneity is a meaningful and necessary task of researchers dealing with human behavior in organizational contexts. As a consequence, there has been growing interest in the application of statistical analyses able to uncover latent sub-groups of individuals. The present contribution was conceived as a tutorial for the application of one of these statistical analyses, namely second-order growth mixture modeling, and to illustrate its inner links with concepts from non-linear dynamic models. Throughout the paper, we provided (a) a discussion on the relationships between growth mixture modeling and the cusp catastrophe model; (b) Mplus syntaxes and output excerpts of a longitudinal analysis conducted on job performance (N = 420 employees rated once a year for four consecutive years); (c) an overview of two important topics regarding the correct implementation of growth mixture modeling (i.e., optimal number of classes and local maxima)
State-Trait decomposition of name letter test scores and relationships with global self-esteem
No full textThe Name Letter Test (NLT) assesses the degree that participants show a preference for an individual's own initials. The NLT was often thought to measure implicit self-esteem, but recent literature reviews do not equivocally support this hypothesis. Several authors have argued that the NLT is most strongly associated with the state component of self-esteem. The current research uses a modified STARTS model to (a) estimate the percentage of stable and transient components of the NLT and (b) estimate the covariances between stable/transient components of the NLT and stable/transient components of selfesteem and positive and negative affect. Two longitudinal studies were conducted with different time lags: In Study 1, participants were assessed daily for 7 consecutive days, whereas in Study 2, participants were assessed weekly for 8 consecutive weeks. Participants also completed a battery of questionnaires including global self-esteem, positive affect, and negative affect. In both studies, the NLT showed (a) high stability across time, (b) a high percentage of stable variance, (c) no significant covariance with stable and transient factors for global self-esteem, and (d) a different pattern of correlations with stable and transient factors of affect than global self-esteem. Collectively, these results further undermine the claim that the NLT is a valid measure of implicit self-esteem. Future work is needed to identify theoretically grounded correlates of the NL
Evaluating Intervention Programs with a Pretest-posttest Design: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Full text linkA common situation in the evaluation of intervention programs is the researcher’s possibility to rely on two waves of data only (i.e., pretest and posttest), which profoundly impacts on his/her choice about the possible statistical analyses to be conducted. Indeed, the evaluation of intervention programs based on a pretest-posttest design has been usually carried out by using classic statistical tests, such as family-wise ANOVA analyses, which are strongly limited by exclusively analyzing the intervention effects at the group level. In this article, we showed how second order multiple group latent change modeling (SO-MG-LCM) could represent a useful methodological tool to have a more realistic and informative assessment of intervention programs with two waves of data. We offered a practical step-by-step guide to properly implement this methodology, and we outlined the advantages of the LCM approach over classic ANOVA analyses. Furthermore, we also provided a real-data example by re-analyzing the implementation of the Young Prosocial Animation, a universal intervention program aimed at promoting prosociality among youth. In conclusion, albeit there are previous studies that pointed to the usefulness of MG-LCM to evaluate intervention programs (Curran & Muthén, 1999; Muthén & Curran, 1997), no previous study showed that it is possible to use this approach even in pretest-posttest (i.e., with only two time points) designs. Given the advantages of latent variable analyses in examining differences in interindividual and intraindividual changes (McArdle, 2009), the methodological and substantive implications of our proposed approach are discussed
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