Recruitment and retention of public child welfare workforce is in crisis due to turnover caused by 1) dissatisfaction with job; 2) excessive stress and burnout, including vicarious trauma; and 3) a lack of support from supervisors and organizations. No instrument was found to evaluate the impact of supervisory support and the use of organizational and professional strategies. The Supervisory and Organizational Support (SOS) survey instrument was created in response to the need for reliable and valid instruments to measure issues related to child welfare workforce turnover. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the SOS survey instrument and was designed to address the following research questions: 1) Does the instrument have demonstrated content validity? 2) Does the instrument have demonstrated construct validity as developed through factor analysis techniques? 3) Does the instrument have demonstrated reliability? 4) To what extent do the instrument and its' subscales correlate with measures of theoretically related and unrelated variables? The results of this study with a sample of 387 employees in 18 Virginia Department of Social Services agencies provide good beginning evidence of content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity, and reliability of the SOS survey instrument. As such, the SOS survey can be used in studies of social services workforce turnover/ retention. However, to increase confidence in this recommendation, further research should address the implications and limitations of the current study and provide replication of the results with a different sample using confirmatory factor analysis. Finally, the SOS survey instrument may serve to assist in the evaluation of practice and policy efforts aimed at increasing worker retention. / Ph. D.

This research investigated the psychometric characteristics of self-actualisation, locus of control, sense of coherence and emotional intelligence as constructs of psychological wellness. Details of the intercorrelatedness of the various constructs will assist in understanding the nature of psychological wellness and its measurement. In the literature review a definition for psychological wellness was determined by studying various definitions and models of psychological wellness. During this investigation it was determined that the four constructs mentioned above were related to psychological wellness. An explorative factor analysis was conducted to address the empirical research questions. Three factors (psychological adjustment, self-actualisation and stress management) were extracted from the analysis. The descriptive statistics were analysed in terms of management responsibility, gender and race. The findings of the explorative factor analysis supported the theoretical definition of psychological wellness. It was found that self-actualisation played a key role in psychological wellness. Meaningfulness, although indicating a low loading on all three factors, must be present to provide meaning to day to day functioning. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Over the past two decades there has been an upsurge in interest in structural equation modelling (SEM). Applications abound in the social sciences and econometrics, but the use of this multivariate technique is not so common in public health research. This dissertation discusses the methodology, the criticisms and practical problems of SEM. We examine actual applications of SEM in public health research. Comparisons are made between multiple regression and SEM and between factor analysis and SEM. A complex model investigating the utilization of antenatal care services (ANC) by migrant women in Belgium is analysed using SEM. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the results found and on the use of SEM in public health research. Structural equation modelling is recommended as a tool for public health researchers with a warning against using the technique too casually. / Mathematical Sciences / M. Sc. (Statistics)

Le sujet de la présente étude est la violence scolaire, phénomène complexe et polysémique qui préoccupe légitimement le monde de l’éducation depuis plus de trente ans. À partir des analyses factorielles exploratoires, analyses de variance factorielle et finalement analyses multivariées de covariance, cette recherche vise plus précisément à dégager la relation entre le climat scolaire, le contexte scolaire et les différents rôles adoptés par les élèves du niveau secondaire lors d’une situation de violence scolaire. Les données de la présente étude ont été collectées par Michel Janosz et son équipe pendant l’année 2010, dans quatre établissements éducatifs provenant d’une commission scolaire de la grande région de Montréal. L’échantillon de départ est composé de 1750 élèves qui fréquentent des classes ordinaires et spéciales du premier et deuxième cycle du secondaire âgés entre 10 et 18 ans. Pour fins d’analyse, deux petites écoles ainsi que les classes spéciales ont été retirées. Il demeure donc 1551 élèves dans l’échantillon initial analysé. Les résultats des analyses permettent de constater d’une part, la relation significative existante entre les dimensions du climat scolaire et l’adoption des différents rôles lors d’une situation de violence scolaire, les climats d’appartenance et de sécurité étant les plus importants, et d’autre part d’observer des différences dans les perceptions que les élèves ont de la violence scolaire selon le niveau et selon l’école. / The present study pertains to a complex and polysemic phenomenon that has preoccupied people working in the field of education since at least thirty years, that is, school violence. Using factor analysis, analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of covariance, this research aims at exploring specifically the relationship between school climate, school context and the various roles adopted by students at the high school level when they face a situation in which school violence in present. Data for this study were collected by Michel Janosz and his team in 2010, within four schools, all in the same school board of the Montreal region. The original sample comprises 1750 students who attend both standard special classes, between 10 and 18 years of age. The analyses presented are based on a reduced sample where the special classes and the two small schools have been withdrawn. Therefore, the answers from 1551 student s are used. The results show that first, there is a significant relationship between the various dimensions of school climate and the different roles adopted by students facing a situation in which violence is present, perceptions of belonging and of security being the most important. Second, all things being equal, there are significant difference between schools, and school levels.

Submitted by SBI Biblioteca Digital (sbi.bibliotecadigital@puc-campinas.edu.br) on 2018-05-04T18:39:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ALINE DA SILVA BOSCHI MARTINS NEVES.pdf: 1713644 bytes, checksum: f8d45029bc62915e3c5e77690c011494 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-04T18:39:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ALINE DA SILVA BOSCHI MARTINS NEVES.pdf: 1713644 bytes, checksum: f8d45029bc62915e3c5e77690c011494 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-26 / Stress is one of the constructs emphasized when evaluating the health-disease process. However, because it is a latent variable, specific instruments are needed to measure it. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is an instrument that has been used to assess the perception of stress in the last month. Despite numerous validations in several countries, their psychometric properties have not been consensual. The main objective of this work was to investigate the internal structure of the PSS-10 and PSS-14 versions, through exploratory factorial (AFE) and network analysis. Thus, two studies were carried out: in Study I, PSS-10 and PSS-14 were analyzed through AFE and, in study II, the scales were analyzed through network analysis. We used: a) the PSS-10 with a sample composed of 686 participants, being 175 (27.3%) men and 466 (72.7%) women (n = 641), with a mean age of 33.9 SD = 11.3) years, ranging from 18 to 73 (n = 632); and (b) the PSS-14 was answered by 690 participants, of which 304 (44.1%) were men and 386 (55.9.7%) were women, with a mean age of 34.72 (SD = 12, 56), with a range of 18 to 65. In both analyzes, the psychometric properties of PSS-10 and PSS-14 were shown to be reliable and confirmed the two-dimensional structure of distress and coping. Also, the network analysis allowed to explore the PSS in the Brazilian context, allowing new association patterns to emerge from the analyzed samples. And, even AFE being a widely used technique in the construction and evaluation of psychometric tests, network analysis has shown to be a promising and much more comprehensive tool at the level of the symptom, accommodating the numerous processes of psychological constructions. In this study, the network analysis showed how the perception of control influences the outcome of stress. Thus, in addition to providing evidence of validity of the PSS-10 and PSS-14, this study demonstrated how much the network analysis has to contribute in the psychology and health area. / O estresse ? um dos construtos enfatizados quando se avalia o processo sa?de- doen?a. No entanto, por ser uma vari?vel latente, instrumentos espec?ficos s?o necess?rios para mensur?-lo. A Escala de Estresse Percebido (Perceived Stress Scale - PSS) ? um instrumento que tem sido utilizado para avaliar a percep??o do estresse no ?ltimo m?s. Apesar de in?meras valida??es em diversos pa?ses, suas propriedades psicom?tricas n?o t?m sido consensuais. O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi investigar a estrutura interna das vers?es PSS-10 e PSS-14, por meio de an?lise fatorial explorat?ria (AFE) e de rede. Assim, dois estudos foram realizados: no Estudo I, a PSS-10 e a PSS-14 foram analisadas atrav?s da AFE e, no estudo II, analisaram-se as escalas por meio da an?lise de rede. Foram utilizadas: a) a PSS-10 com uma amostra composta por 686 participantes, sendo 175 (27,3%) homens e 466 (72,7%) mulheres (n = 641), com m?dia de idade de 33,9 (SD = 11,3) anos, com amplitude de 18 a 73 (n = 632); e b) a PSS-14 que foi respondida por 690 participantes, dos quais 304 (44,1%) s?o homens e 386 (55,9,7%), mulheres, com m?dia de idade de 34,72 (SD = 12,56) anos, com amplitude de 18 a 65. Nas duas an?lises, as propriedades psicom?tricas da PSS-10 e PSS-14 demonstraram-se confi?veis e confirmaram a estrutura bidimensional de distress e coping. Ainda, a an?lise de rede permitiu explorar a PSS no contexto brasileiro, permitindo que novos padr?es de associa??o emergissem das amostras analisadas. E, mesmo a AFE sendo t?cnica muito utilizada na constru??o e avalia??o de testes psicom?tricos, a an?lise de rede demonstra ser uma ferramenta promissora e muito mais abrangente no n?vel do sintoma, acomodando os numerosos processos das constru??es psicol?gicas. Neste estudo, a an?lise de rede evidenciou o quanto a percep??o de controle influencia no desfecho do estresse. Assim, al?m de fornecer evid?ncias de validade da PSS-10 e PSS-14, este estudo demonstrou o quanto ? an?lise de rede tem a contribuir no ?mbito da psicologia e na ?rea da sa?de.

Objetivo: O presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar a adaptação transcultural e verificar a confiabilidade, consistência interna, validade estrutural e a validade de construto do ProFiMap-neck em indivíduos com relato de dor cervical crônica. Método: Participaram deste estudo pacientes do sexo feminino com relato de dor cervical há mais de 3 meses durante o movimento ou repouso A amostra foi composta por 30 indivíduos (33,43±10,32 anos) para a etapa de teste da versão pré-final, 100 indivíduos (38,89±10,84 anos) para a confiabilidade e 180 indivíduos (37,49±11,86 anos) para a validadade de construto, para a análise da consistência interna e validade estrutural. O processo de tradução e retrotradução ocorreu em 5 etapas: 1) Tradução inicial para o português, 2) Síntese de traduções, 3) Retrotradução, 4) Comitê de especialistas, e 5) O teste da versão pré-final. Para validade de construto a pontuação do ProFitMap-neck foi correlacionada com a pontuação do Neck Disability Index (NDI), além disso, foram utilizados para fins de correlação a Escala de Ansiedade e Depressão Hospitalar (HADS-A e HADS-D), a Escala Tampa de Cinesiofobia e o Short Form - 36 (SF-36). Para a análise fatorial exploratória foi utilizada a Análise de Componentes Principais, o indice de Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) e % de variância cumulativa. Para a análise da consistência interna foi utilizado o coeficiente de ? de Cronbach. Para a confiabilidade foi utilizando o Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse (CCI). O coeficiente de correlação de Pearson foi utilizado para verificação das correlações. A magnitude da correlação foi graduada da seguinte maneira: R<0,29: pobre; 0,3<R<0,69: moderada; R>0,7: forte. Resultados: Durante o processo de teste da versão pré-final não foram relatadas dúvidas pela amostra de pacientes ao responder o instrumento. Para a escala de Sintomas/Intensidade do ProFitMap-neck versão português brasileiro foram verificados dois domínios (Escala de Sintomas/Intensidade Geral e Escala de Sintomas/Intensidade Equilíbrio) com porcentagem de variância cumulativa de 57,33% e índice KMO=0,66. Para a escala de Sintomas/Frequência do ProFitMap-neck foi verificado apenas 1 domínio com porcentagem de variância cumulativa de 56,20% e KMO=0,84. Para a escala de Limitação Funcional do ProFitMap-neck foram verificados 2 domínios (Postura e AVDs e Movimento e Percepção de Saúde) com porcentagem de variância cumulativa de 56,28% e KMO=0,57. Todos os itens apresentaram carga fatorial superior a 0,2. A análise de consistência interna demonstrou valores de alpha de cronbach adequados (alpha>0.70) para todos os domínios do ProFitMap-neck. Na reprodutibilidade foram verificados valores de CCI excelentes para todos os domínios e escalas (ICC>0,75). Nossos achados demonstraram correlações moderadas/fortes e negativas entre a pontuação total do NDI e as pontuações dos domínios e escalas Sintomas/Intensidade, Sintomas/Frequencia e Limitação Funcional do ProFitMapneck (R=-0,65, R=-0,56 e R=-0,71, respectivamente). Foram verificadas correlações no geral moderadas/fortes e positivas entre os escores das ferramentas SF-36 e ProFitMap-neck. Para as correlações entre Ansiedade, Despressão e Cinesiofobia e as Escalas do ProFitMap-neck versão português brasileiro foram verificadas correlações em sua maioria moderadas e fortes (-0,32<R<-0,82). Conclusão: O ProFitMap-neck versão português-Brasil apresentou índices psicométricos adequados e, dessa forma, está disponível para ser empregado na prática clínica e pesquisa em pacientes com dor cervical crônica. / Objective: This study aimed to perform the cultural adaptation and verify the reliability, internal consistency, structural validity and construct validity of the Profile Fitness Mapping neck questionnaire (ProFiMap-neck) in individuals reporting chronic neck pain. Method: This study recruited female patients with neck pain for more than three months during motion or at rest The sample consisted of 30 individuals (33.43 ± 10.32 years) to test the pre-final version, 100 individuals (38.89 ± 10.84 years) for reliability and 180 individuals (37.49 ± 11.86 years) for construct validity, analysis of internal consistency and structural validity. The process of translation and back translation occurred in 5 steps: 1) Initial translation into Portuguese, 2) Summary of translations, 3) Back-translation, 4) Committee of Experts, and 5) The test of the pre-final version. Construct validity was verified correlating scores on ProFitMap-neck and Neck Disability Index (NDI), Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS-A and HADS-D), Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia and the Short Form - 36 (SF-36). Exploratory factor analysis was perfomed considering Principal Component Analysis, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin index (KMO) and percentange of cumulative variance. For the analysis of internal consistenc, we used ? Cronbach and for reliability Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to investigate correlations and the strength was graded as follows: R <0.29: poor; 0.3 <R <0.69: moderate; R> 0.7: Strong. Results: During the test of the pre-final version, volunteers did no report doubts. Structural validity retained two domains for Symptoms/Intensity ProFitMap-neck Brazilian Portuguese version (General Symptoms Intensity and Symptoms Intensity/ Balance) with cumulative percentage of variance of 57.33% and KMO=0.66. For the Scale Symptoms/Frequency of ProFitMap-neck we identified one domain, with cumulative percentage of variance of 56.20% and KMO = 0.84. For Functional Limitation of the ProFitMap-neck, we identified two domains (Posture and Movement and Diary Life Activities and Health Perception) with cumulative percentage of variance of 56.28% and KMO = 0.57. All items had factors loadings greater than 0.2. The internal consistency analysis revealed adequate alpha Cronbach values (alpha>0.70) for all ProFitMap-neck domains. We obtained excellent ICC values for all domains and scales (ICC> 0.75). Our findings showed moderate/strong and negative correlations between the total score of the NDI and the scores of the domains and scales Symptoms/Intensity, Symptoms/Frequency and Functional Limitation of ProFitMap-neck brazilian portuguese version (R = -0.65, R = -0.56 and R = -0.71, respectively). Correlations between the scores of the SF-36 and ProFitMapneck tools were in the majority moderate/strong and positive. For correlations between anxiety, depression and kinesiophobia and the scales of the ProFitMap-neck brazilian portuguese version were observaded moderate and strong values (-0.32 <R <-0.82). Conclusion: ProFitMap-neck portuguese-Brazil version showed adequate psychometric indexes and, therefore, it\'s available to be apllied in clinical practice and research in patients with chronic neck pain.

<p>This study formed part of a larger project that is concerned with the adaptation of a test of cognitive academic language proficiency, the Woodcock Mu&ntilde / oz Language Survey (WMLS). The WMLS has been adapted from English into isiXhosa and the present study is located within the broader study that is concerned with establishing overall equivalence between the two language versions of the WMLS. It was primarily concerned with the Verbal Analogies (VA) scale. Previous research on this scale has demonstrated promising results, but continues to find evidence of some inequivalence. This study aimed to cross-validate previous research on the two language versions of the WMLS and improve on methodological issues by employing matched groups. It drew upon an existing dataset from the larger research project. The study employed a monolingual matched two-group design consisting of 150 mainly English speaking and 149 mainly isiXhosa learners in grades 6 and 7. This study had two sub aims. The first was to investigate item bias by identifying DIF items in the VA scale across the isiXhosa and English by conducting a logistic regression and Mantel-Haenszel procedure. Five items were identified by both techniques as DIF. The second sub aim was to evaluate construct equivalence between the isiXhosa and English versions of the WMLS on the VA scale by conducting a factor analysis on the tests after removal of DIF items. Two factors were requested during the factor analysis. The first factor displayed significant loadings across both language versions and was identified as a stable factor. This was confirmed by the Tucker&rsquo / s Phi and scatter plot. The second factor was stable for the English version but not for the isiXhosa version. The Tucker&rsquo / s phi and scatter plot indicated that this factor is not structurally equivalent across the two language versions</p>

<p>In the majority of the schools in South Africa (SA), learners commence education in English. This English milieu poses a considerable challenge for English second-language speakers. In an attempt to bridge the gap between English as the main medium of instruction and the nine indigenous languages of the country and assist with the implementation of mother-tongue based bilingual education, this study focuses on the cross-validation of a monolingual English test used in the assessment of multilingual or bilingual learners in the South African context. This test, namely the Woodcock Mu&ntilde / oz Language Survey (WMLS), is extensively used in the United States in Additive Bilingual Education in the country. The present study is a substudy of a broader study, in which the original WMLS (American-English version) was adapted into SA English and Xhosa. For this specific sub-study, the researcher was interested in investigating the scalar equivalence of the adapted English version of the Verbal Analogies (VA) subscale of the WMLS across English first-language speakers and Xhosa first-language speakers. This was achieved by utilising differential item functioning (DIF) and construct bias statistical techniques. The Mantel-Haenszel DIF detection method was employed to detect DIF, while construct equivalence was examined by means of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) utilising an a priori two-factor structure. The Tucker&rsquo / s phi coefficient was used to assess the congruence of the construct across the two language groups</p>

<p>This study formed part of a larger project that is concerned with the adaptation of a test of cognitive academic language proficiency, the Woodcock Mu&ntilde / oz Language Survey (WMLS). The WMLS has been adapted from English into isiXhosa and the present study is located within the broader study that is concerned with establishing overall equivalence between the two language versions of the WMLS. It was primarily concerned with the Verbal Analogies (VA) scale. Previous research on this scale has demonstrated promising results, but continues to find evidence of some inequivalence. This study aimed to cross-validate previous research on the two language versions of the WMLS and improve on methodological issues by employing matched groups. It drew upon an existing dataset from the larger research project. The study employed a monolingual matched two-group design consisting of 150 mainly English speaking and 149 mainly isiXhosa learners in grades 6 and 7. This study had two sub aims. The first was to investigate item bias by identifying DIF items in the VA scale across the isiXhosa and English by conducting a logistic regression and Mantel-Haenszel procedure. Five items were identified by both techniques as DIF. The second sub aim was to evaluate construct equivalence between the isiXhosa and English versions of the WMLS on the VA scale by conducting a factor analysis on the tests after removal of DIF items. Two factors were requested during the factor analysis. The first factor displayed significant loadings across both language versions and was identified as a stable factor. This was confirmed by the Tucker&rsquo / s Phi and scatter plot. The second factor was stable for the English version but not for the isiXhosa version. The Tucker&rsquo / s phi and scatter plot indicated that this factor is not structurally equivalent across the two language versions</p>

<p>In the majority of the schools in South Africa (SA), learners commence education in English. This English milieu poses a considerable challenge for English second-language speakers. In an attempt to bridge the gap between English as the main medium of instruction and the nine indigenous languages of the country and assist with the implementation of mother-tongue based bilingual education, this study focuses on the cross-validation of a monolingual English test used in the assessment of multilingual or bilingual learners in the South African context. This test, namely the Woodcock Mu&ntilde / oz Language Survey (WMLS), is extensively used in the United States in Additive Bilingual Education in the country. The present study is a substudy of a broader study, in which the original WMLS (American-English version) was adapted into SA English and Xhosa. For this specific sub-study, the researcher was interested in investigating the scalar equivalence of the adapted English version of the Verbal Analogies (VA) subscale of the WMLS across English first-language speakers and Xhosa first-language speakers. This was achieved by utilising differential item functioning (DIF) and construct bias statistical techniques. The Mantel-Haenszel DIF detection method was employed to detect DIF, while construct equivalence was examined by means of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) utilising an a priori two-factor structure. The Tucker&rsquo / s phi coefficient was used to assess the congruence of the construct across the two language groups</p>