Misophonia and hyperacusis are relatively unknown and misunderstood auditory sensitivityconditions. Misophonia is characterised by strong negative emotional reactions to sounds andsound patterns, depending on the meaning or context of the sound. Hyperacusis is characterizedby negative reactions to sounds, depending on the physical characteristics of the sounds (e.g.,frequency and intensity). Research often fails to distinguish misophonia from hyperacusis, andresearch on both conditions is scare. Moreover, there are insufficient tools available to assessand study misophonia and hyperacusis. The purpose of the current study was topsychometrically validate the Hyperacusis and Misophonia Discrimination Scale (HMDS).The goal of this self-report measure was to discriminate people with hyperacusis from peoplewith misophonia. Various analyses were used to assess the reliability and validity of thequestionnaire. A total of 249 participants completed the online questionnaire. Results indicatedan excellent reliability using Cronbach’s alpha and group and item comparisons showed thediscriminatory effectiveness of the HMDS. However, the results of a factor analysis indicateda complex underlying factor structure which did not provide a sufficient fit to the data,suggesting that the dimensions of the questionnaire require further refinement to effectivelydifferentiate between misophonia and hyperacusis. Based on the results, a revision to theHMDS is presented and future research should explore the psychometric properties of thisrevised scale as well as validate the HMDS with participants who have undergone a clinicalscreening in order to confirm their status. / Misofoni och hyperakusis är relativt okända och missförstådda tillstånd av auditiv känslighet.Misofoni kännetecknas av starka negativa känslomässiga reaktioner på ljud och ljudmönster,beroende på ljudets betydelse eller sammanhang. Hyperakusis kännetecknas av negativareaktioner på ljud, beroende på ljudets fysiska egenskaper (t.ex. frekvens och intensitet).Forskningen misslyckas ofta med att skilja misofoni från hyperakusis, och forskningen ombåda tillstånden är knapphändig. Dessutom finns det inte tillräckligt med verktyg för attbedöma och studera misofoni och hyperakusis. Syftet med den aktuella studien var attpsykometriskt validera Hyperacusis and Misophonia Discrimination Scale (HMDS). Måletmed detta självrapportmått var att skilja personer med hyperakusis från personer med misofoni.Olika analyser användes för att bedöma frågeformulärets tillförlitlighet och giltighet. Totalt249 deltagare fyllde i onlineformuläret. Resultaten visade på en utmärkt tillförlitlighet enligtCronbachs alfa och jämförelser mellan grupper och objekt visade på HMDS diskriminerandeeffektivitet. Resultaten av en faktoranalys indikerade emellertid en komplex underliggandefaktorstruktur som inte gav en tillräcklig passning till data, vilket tyder på att frågeformuläretsdimensioner kräver ytterligare förfining för att effektivt skilja mellan misofoni ochhyperakusis. Baserat på resultaten presenteras en revidering av HMDS och framtida forskningbör utforska de psykometriska egenskaperna hos denna reviderade skala samt validera HMDSmed deltagare som har genomgått en klinisk screening för att bekräfta sin status.

There is a paucity of research juxtaposing parental education level and teacher emotional support in a single study which examines their relative impacts on students’ academic achievements. Therefore, the first objective of this dissertation is to study the influence of parental education level, in comparison to the influence of teacher emotional support, on students’ math performance, by using more representative data and a rigorous statistical method. The second objective is to identify and examine how some important psychological traits (both affective and cognitive) mediate the effects of social factors on students’ math performance. The third objective is to examine whether those relationships are moderated by gender. Hong Kong’s survey data is extracted from the Program of International Students Assessment (2003) as organized by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), on the math performances of 4,478 students at the age of fifteen. Measurement invariance was first tested, and then followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Two structural models were tested by Structural Equation Modeling using Linear Structural Relations (LISREL) 8.5 which is computer software for SEM. Results indicated that first, parental education level affects children’s math scores by providing home education resources and enhancing children’s math self-efficacy, and second the Self Determination Theory is applicable in supporting the hypothesis that teachers affects their students’ math scores by providing a cooperative learning environment, which in turn, enhances students’ affective and cognitive factors. Three important mediators, namely cooperative learning environment, math self-efficacy, and home education resources are concluded as significant mediating factors upon the effects of parents and teachers on students’ math performance. The perceived support from parents and teachers are not significantly different across gender in Hong Kong. This is consistent with recent studies that differences favoring males in mathematics achievement are disappearing. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed in the final part of the dissertation.

The self-compassion conceptualization developed by Neff (2003a, b) and its corresponding 26-item inventory (SCS) has gained interest in recent years. SCS have proven good validity and reliability, but its suggested six-factor model cannot always be replicated. Recent studies have shown a more promising two-factor model for the SCS. The aim of this study was to test the structural validity of a translated Swedish SCS in university students (n = 464; 22% men). The results showed good construct validity, test-retest and internal reliability (ICC = .97; α = .86). Partial confirmatory factor analysis could not confirm the six-factor model but did support the two-factor model consisting of a positively worded (self-compassionate attitude) and a negatively worded (self-critical attitude) factor. The modified scale (SCS-Swe22) showed good reliability and construct validity (ICC = .96; α = .89). Despite promising results, additional work is required to secure the structural construct of SCS-Swe22.

<p>The power of positive attitudes toward science is that they influence science achievement by reinforcing higher performance. Interestingly, there continue to be gender disparities in attitudes toward science across many countries. Males generally have more positive attitudes toward science than females. Although most research related to attitudes toward science have been based on the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Student Questionnaire, there remains a dearth of evidence validating the TIMSS science attitudes items and measurement equivalence across genders. </p><p>The goals of this research were as follows: (1) to build support for the structural validity of the TIMSS items, and (2) to investigate whether the instrument measures the same latent construct (attitudes toward science) across genders. The present study followed two steps of statistical analyses. As a first step, two modeling methods (confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling) were conducted to identify the best-fitting model for the instrument. Second, after determining the model of choice, we tested several nested invariance models progressively. </p><p>This study found (1) the latent factor structure of the TIMSS items and (2) strong measurement invariance across genders. This result indicated that the instrument is well designed by the <i>a priori</i>specification and measures the same latent variable for both female and male students. This study provides support for the multidimensional approach to measuring science attitudes and shows the flexibility of ESEM over CFA by demonstrating that the ESEM approach provided better representation of the underlying factor structure. </p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Industrial Psychology) / Organizations exist for the primary aim of meeting particular objectives: innovation and advancement, customer satisfaction, profit making and delivery of quality goods and services. These goals are mostly channelled with the intent of demonstrating high performance crucial for the continued existence of the organization especially in these rapidly changing global economies. This target, however, cannot be achieved without the aid of employees in the organization. A plethora of previous studies have proven that efficiency, productivity, high performance and stability on the job can be better achieved when the employees are dedicated, committed to their work roles and experience work engagement. The experience of work engagement on the part of the employees is not a random event; it depends on a myriad of factors that include authentic leadership. Leaders have a cumulative change effect on their followers; hence, leaders in an organization can be termed as core drivers of employee engagement. Hence, it becomes imperative to seek to understand what authentic leadership as a construct has to offer to the workplace.

Callous – unemotional (CU) traits are a key factor in understanding the persistence and severity of conduct problems. The factor structure of CU traits has been primarily examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in childhood and adolescent samples, yet little research has examined the structure of CU traits in preschool. Further, current CFA models have yielded poor – to – marginally acceptable fit, suggesting the need for a more nuanced approach in understanding the structure of CU traits in early childhood using an interitem approach (i.e., network analysis). Within a sample of 109 preschool children (M age = 4.77, SD = 1.10), CFA results supported a two – factor structure of the ICU, comprised of “callous” and “uncaring” factors. Results of the network analysis identified seems cold and uncaring as most central to the CU network. Results from the CFA demonstrated that CU traits can be assessed in preschool children using 12 of the original 24 items from the ICU, which is consistent with a small portion of research. Further, results of the network analysis suggested that seems cold and uncaring may be useful in screening for psychopathic traits in preschool children. Clinical implications, including ICU measure refinement, are explored.

This study translated, cross-culturally adapted and validated an instrument's scores for use in public high schools in San Salvador, El Salvador. The original instrument consisted of items developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge and five dimensions of attitudes (Abstinence, Peer-pressure, Condom use, Drug use, and Threat of HIV) in grades 7 to 12 in the United States. Items were translated into Spanish using the back-translation method. The instrument was cross-culturally adapted using guidelines proposed by Guillemin, Bombardier, and Beaton (1993). A cross-culturally equivalent version of the original instrument was obtained using three different Salvadorian review panels and two pretests with Salvadorian high school students. An expert panel of HIV Salvadorian professionals validated the content and established its cultural acceptability for public school use. A total of 483 students from 30 randomly selected public high schools in El Salvador participated in a series of validation studies. Confirmatory factor analysis of the translated instrument was used to evaluate the factorial validity of the five-factor attitudinal model. As part of the validation process, the translated Abstinence and Condom use subscales from the CDC were correlated with similar translated subscales from Basen-Engquist et al.'s (1999) published study as a measure of concurrent validity. Finally, internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was determined with 483 students and test-retest reliability was obtained with a subsample of 39 students. Six major conclusions were: (1) The methodology used was successful in cross-culturally adapting the instrument. (2) HIV/AIDS content was rated as culturally acceptable and valid for use in public high schools of El Salvador. (3) The reliability of the scores from the knowledge section was moderate (test-retest reliability coefficient = .49 and coefficient alpha = .57). (4) Reliability (coefficient alpha) of the five attitudinal subscales was inconsistent: .55 (Peer-pressure), .58 (Abstinence), 0 (Condom use), .24 (Drugs), and .30 (Threat of HIV). (5) Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for a 4-factor attitudinal model (Peer-pressure, Abstinence, Drug use, and Threat of HIV). (6) Concurrent validity of the translated CDC Abstinence subscale was strong. The results provided support for the methodology to cross-culturally adapt an instrument. The psychometric properties from the knowledge section and the attitudinal component related to abstinence were acceptable but additional research is needed before the Spanish instrument can be used with confidence in El Salvador.

This mixed methods case study examined the effect of reduced fear of negative evaluation and self focus on behaviors related to shyness in a church environment. A sample of 239 members, regular attenders, and visitors completed a survey, consisting of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-Straightforward (BFNE-S) Scale; two checklists measuring perceived acceptance and levels of comfort in situations known to be difficult for shy people; and extended response questions regarding thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in six church situations. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed the BFNE-S (General and Context-specific) had acceptable fit compared with previous studies, and descriptive statistics were similar to those of previous studies. Lower self-reported levels of fear of negative evaluation and higher levels of perceived comfort, but not acceptance, in the church setting were found to be statistically significant, although the effect size was negligible. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed no statistically significant difference for gender or race for individuals in the church setting compared to the non church setting. A multiple regression failed to reveal a statistically significant relationship between depth and breadth of involvement in church activities and reduced fear of negative evaluation. The Clark-Wells (1995) model of social phobia explained 62% of self-reported behaviors, thoughts, and feelings of individuals with high levels of shyness when in social situations in the church setting. A statistically significant difference was found between focus of attention and quality of thought scores for individuals with minimal to low levels of shyness and high levels of shyness. To explore further the validity of scores obtained with the BFNE-S, it would be useful to conduct a study in different environments and seek to understand individuals in those environments with high and low fear of negative evaluation. Future research regarding the church setting should utilize a sample with fewer long-term members and regular attenders. Additionally, future studies could probe how religious beliefs help people cope with difficult situations, in particular shyness.

The purpose of this research is to build city competitiveness evaluating models through structural equation model(SEM) by using data of 5 cities and 14 counties of Taiwan. According to literature review, the research choses three dimensions for city competitiveness: economic, living environment and education. Belongs to three dimensions, there are 18 indexes to evaluate city competitiveness. By using five steps Confirmatory factor analysis(CFA), the explained variance of three dimensions are more than 50%, which economic model is 58%, living environment model is 61% and education model is 62%. Although fitness indexes of two order confirmatory factor analysis are under 0.9, but composite reliability(CR) 0.9486 is more than 0.7, and average variance extracted(AVE) 0.6307 is more than 0.5, these mean the model of research is representative to some extent. Finally, the research offered some suggestions for future researchers.

Intelligence testing has had a relatively long and controversial history, beginning with what is generally considered the first formal measure of intelligence, the Binet-Simon Scales (1916). Questions regarding possible cultural bias in these measures arose virtually simultaneously (e.g. Burt, 1921; Stern, 1914). Over the course of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, an abundance of intelligence measures have been developed, with many of them having several revisions, but the issue of test bias remains an important one, both in the professional literature and in the popular press (Reynolds & Lowe, 2009). A current intelligence measure in use, the Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition (DAS-II, Elliott, 2007), is a test with growing popularity for assessment of children and youth, not only for its ease of use, but also for its appeal to young children and its nonverbal composite (among other things). Consequently, it is essential that there be empirical evidence supporting the use of the DAS-II as an appropriate measure of cognitive abilities for children of varying backgrounds. The test publishers conducted extensive research with a representative sample during test development in an effort to ensure that the measure met adequate reliability and validity criteria; however, the issue of test bias, particularly regarding cultural or racial/ethnic groups, was not explicitly addressed. This issue was raised and examined with the original DAS by Keith, Quirk, Schartzer, and Elliott (1999), but with the significant changes made from the first edition to the second, there is no guaranty that the evidence from the earlier would necessarily apply to the latter. The current study investigated whether the DAS-II demonstrates systematic construct bias toward children and youth of any of four ethnic groups: Black, Hispanic, Asian, and White. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis using data from the DAS-II standardization sample was used to assess whether criteria for increasingly strict levels of invariance were met across groups. Outcomes of this research contribute to an existing body of literature on test bias, as well as provide evidence regarding cross-group construct validity in the DAS-II. Ultimately the results of this study can be used to evaluate the appropriateness of the DAS-II for clinical use with certain ethnic groups and will help to emphasize further the importance of exploring these issues with all standardized tests. / text