More graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathmetics (STEM) fields are needed to keep our nation’s preeminance in the global fields of technology and science. However, fewer than 40% of students who intend to major in STEM fields when entering college complete a STEM degree. Therefore, it is important to explore factors to improve student persistence in STEM fields at the college level as well as to understand the interrelationship between student motivation, academic achievement, and persistence. Motivation is strongly associated with student achievement and persistence; meanwhile, academic achievement can also affect persistence. Self-determination theory (SDT) represents a framework of several mini-theories to explore how social context interacts with people’s motivation. The three studies in this dissertation aim to investigate student motivation using instruments based on SDT and to explore the viability of the theory in a reform environment. In Study 1, the Academic Motivation Scale – Chemistry (AMS-Chemistry) was developed as an instrument based on the self-determination continuum to measure seven types of student motivation toward specific chemistry courses. Data gathered with AMS in college chemistry courses showed that AMS was a suitable candidate for modification. Based on expert panel discussions and cognitive interviews, AMS-Chemistry was developed. AMS-Chemistry was administered to university students in a general chemistry course as pre/post-test. Internal structure validity evidence was also collected. Results showed that students were more extrinsically motivated toward chemistry on average, and there was an overall motivational difference favoring males with a medium effect size. Correlation studies revealed that intrinsic motivation subscales were positively associated with student academic achievement at the end of the semester. Results also showed that students who persisted in class attendance scored significant differently on the set of motivation subscales. This study suggests that AMS-Chemistry is easy to administer and can be used to better understand students’ motivation status and how it might change across the curriculum. Faculty interested in promoting student intrinsic motivation may also use AMS-Chemistry to evaluate the impact of their efforts. In Study 2, AMS-Chemistry was used to examine student motivation and determine how motivation is related to academic achievement at different points in time in organic chemistry courses. This study was conducted in two organic chemistry courses where one course was primarily lecture-based and the other implemented flipped classroom and peer-lead team learning (Flip-PLTL) pedagogies. Descriptive statistics showed that students in both courses were more extrinsically motivated and their motivation moved in negative directions across the semester. Factorial multivariate analysis of covariance revealed a main effect of pedagogical approach. Students in the Flip-PLTL environment were significantly less lack of motivation toward chemistry at the end of the semester while controlling for the motivation pre-test scores; however, there was no evidence for sex main effect and interaction effect between sex and pedagogical approach. Correlation results revealed variable relationships between motivation subscales and academic achievement at different time points. In general, intrinsic motivation subscales were significantly and positively correlated with student academic achievement; Amotivation was negatively correlated with academic achievement. The findings in this study showed the importance of Flip-PLTL pedagogies in improving student motivation toward chemistry. In Study 3, students’ perceptions of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation were studied using instruments in accordance with SDT in first-year college chemistry courses. The interrelationships among the variables were also investigated. Students’ self-reported scores showed that they had positive perceptions with respect to the motivational variables where Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) was being implemented. Students’ written comments also provided evidence for their positive perceptions. Structural equation modeling results showed that it was viable to use SDT in the POGIL context, since the three basic needs explained a significant amount of variance in intrinsic motivation. The findings could help instructors become more aware of students’ perceptions of the learning environments in active learning settings, and therefore, instructors wishing to target student engagement are encouraged to implement active learning pedagogies, such as POGIL. The research studies presented in this work contribute to our understanding of motivation as an important factor influencing student persistence in STEM fields in both traditional classroom and different active learning environments at the college level. Each study provided psychometric evidence for the use of instruments based on SDT in college chemistry courses. Chemistry educators can use these assessments to understand the nuances of student motivation. Findings from these assessments can then be used to design strategies to help students learn and/or to be more motivated toward chemistry. Also, this work highlights the importance of looking at the motivation of different groups of students, such as the underrepresented students, because their response trends may be different. Being aware of students’ different needs will help chemistry educators to understand how we can better increase students’ intrinsic motivation in our chemistry courses.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / The aim of this research was to examine whether a significant relationship exists between ethical decision-making had an impact on HR employees within a retail organisation. The questionnaire for the South African Board for People Practices, and the Ethical Position Questionnaire was administered to a sample of 150 employees in a large retail organisation within the Western Cape - South Africa. The researcher used a non-probability sampling technique specifically, a convenience sampling approach. The results of this study indicate that there is a statistically significant correlation between moral awareness and decision-making amongst HR employees. However with regards to gender there seems to be no statistical significant relationship amongst HR employees and ethical decision-making. Similarly results also indicated that there was no significant relationship between ethical ideology and ethical decision-making. Notwithstanding the limited generalisability of this study, implications for research and practice are suggested and recommendations are made to facilitate improved functioning. / South Africa

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Exposure to severe trauma and resulting PTSD affects individuals of all ages, cultures and geographical areas. Epidemiological surveys reveal that approximately one third of the general population is exposed to a traumatic event at some point in their lives. From the people exposed to a traumatic event about 10% will develop PTSD. Compelling evidence further suggests that the PTSD prevalence in South Africa is even higher,especially among the youth, and has thus been identified as a significant public health concern. In order to adequately address the diverse effects of PTSD,reliable and valid instruments diagnosing PTSD are required. It is a further imperative that these instruments are adapted to the specific context in which they will be utilized. This study thus focused on assessing the psychometric properties (factorial validity and internal consistency) of the Child PTSD Checklist in a sample of treatment-seeking children adolescents in the Western Cape. For the purpose of this study secondary data from a larger, longitudinal study investigating PTSD in children and adolescents was utilized.The preliminary study employed a quantitative research design in order to obtain data from the participants. The sample comprised of 200 children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 18 years that were selected from the Youth Stress Clinic. In terms of the psychometric properties the scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency(Cronbach’s alpha = 0.93). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a three factor structure(anxiety and avoidance, anger and dissociation, depressive symptoms) which accounted for 41,96 % of the total variance. In conclusion, the Child PTSD Checklist appears to be a promising tool for assessing PTSD in trauma-exposed youth in clinic settings, however further studies are needed to address its broader utility.

The aim of the current study is threefold: to develop a creativity questionnaire based on the main criteria for creativity as determined by means of a comprehensive literature survey; to administer this questionnaire, in combination with the Abbreviated Torrance Test for Adults (ATTA) and the 16PF for the purpose of determining respondents’ level of creativity in relation to their personality constellation; to determine whether a typical 16PF profile can be obtained for the purpose of identifying a creative individual. The sample consisted of fourth-year Psychology students at the University of Pretoria. Identified problems that motivated the research include, amongst others, a lack of research in this domain, and therefore a need for a reliable and valid measuring instrument for creativity. Creative individuals are often misinterpreted or misunderstood by the community as the result of a lack of knowledge. The purpose of the research will also be to reduce misconceptions such as these, by informing the reader about creativity as well as the individuals who possess this unique characteristic. Creativity is, however, an extremely broad concept which is very difficult to define, and only the main criteria for creativity were applied in the development of the Creativity Questionnaire. According to Ryhammar&Brolin (1999), creative individuals can be described as being motivated, persevering, intellectually inquisitive, having a need for self-actualisation, independent in thought and deed, confident, self-aware, and open to external and internal stimulation. Operationalisation of such criteria formed the basis of the Creativity Questionnaire. The dissertation reports on the development of a Creativity Questionnaire which can be used in a variety of areas, but will need further revision and refinement in terms of items included, validity and reliability. Therefore the current study should be considered as a pilot study for the testing and development of this questionnaire. The results of this investigation confirm and extend previous research in demonstrating a close association between creativity and specific personality traits. Creative subjects (as measured by the ATTA) indicated that they perceive themselves to be significantly more independent in thought, open to experience, dominant, individualistic and competent, than less creative subjects. Both subjects with average and high creativity levels indicated that they tend to be more resourceful, self-sufficient, and prefer to make their own decisions. These subjects tend to be more abstract thinking and bright. Both subjects with low creativity levels and subjects with high creativity levels indicated that they tend to be more spontaneous, socially bold, uninhibited and venturesome than subjects with average creativity levels. The latter subjects tend to be more restrained, sensitive to threats, timid and shy. Subjects with low creativity levels on the other hand, indicated that they tend to be more outgoing, participating, warm-hearted and easy-going than subjects with an average creativity level. The latter subject group tends to be more critical, detached and reserved. Subjects with low creativity levels also seem to be joiners, sound followers and group-dependent. These subjects also indicated that they tend to be more concrete thinking and less intelligent, than subjects with average and high creativity levels. / Dissertation (MA (Research Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Psychology / unrestricted

The Rational Experiential Inventory consist of two large scales (rational and experiential), each one with two subscales (ability and engagement). Their psychometric properties have been studied in several countries, but there are no reports in the Latin American context. In this study we analyzed the factor structure and internal consistency of the Rational Experiential Inventory, and assessed the relationships between processing styles and different personality dimensions in a sample of students from Argentina. The results show an underlying two factorstructure with good internal consistency values. Only one significant relationshipbetween experiential style and extraversion was observed. A version with fewer items was attained and, due to its adequate psychometric properties, this instrument may be used in future research studies. / El Rational Experiential Inventory comprende dos grandes escalas (racional y experiencial), cada una con dos subescalas (habilidad y preferencia). Sus propiedades psicométricas han sido estudiadas en varios países, sin existir, según nuestro conocimiento, estudios en el contexto Latinoamericano. En este estudio analizamos la estructura factorial y consistencia interna del Rational Experiential Inventory y evaluamos las relaciones entre los modos de procesamiento y distintas dimensiones de la personalidad en una muestra de estudiantes de Argentina.  Los resultados muestran una estructura subyacente de dos factores, con buenos valores de consistencia interna. Solo se observó una relación positiva entre el modo experiencial y extroversión. Se obtuvo una versión con menor cantidad de ítems con adecuadas propiedades psicométricas para ser utilizada en contextos de investigación. / O Rational Experential Inventory inclui dois grandes escalas (racional e experiencial), cada uma com duas subescalas (de habilidade e de preferência). Suas propriedades psicométricas têm sido estudadas em vários países, sem existir, segundo nosso conhecimento, estudos no contexto latino-americano. Neste estudo analisamos a estrutura fatorial e consistência interna do Rational Experential Inventory e avaliamos as relações entre os modos de processamento e diferentes dimensões da personalidade em uma amostra de estudantes da Argentina. Os resultados mostram uma estrutura subjacente de dois fatores, com valores adequados de consistência interna. Foi observada apenas uma relação positiva entre o modo experiencial e extroversão. Obteve-se uma versão com menos itens com propriedades psicométricas adequadas para uso em ambientes de pesquisa.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-01-28T14:23:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 danielalexandregouveagomes.pdf: 1397863 bytes, checksum: c8dd2724000b5ba816907d9cb9b77578 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-01-28T14:25:16Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 danielalexandregouveagomes.pdf: 1397863 bytes, checksum: c8dd2724000b5ba816907d9cb9b77578 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-28T14:25:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 danielalexandregouveagomes.pdf: 1397863 bytes, checksum: c8dd2724000b5ba816907d9cb9b77578 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-01-31 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O Transtorno de Ansiedade Social (TAS) é uma patologia muito comum nos dias atuais, figurando como o principal transtorno de ansiedade e uma das doenças mentais mais prevalentes na população mundial. É caracterizada por medo ou ansiedade excessiva e constante diante de situações sociais, que podem ser de desempenho, de interação ou de observação, em que o indivíduo apresenta temor em ser avaliado negativamente por outras pessoas, podendo ser exposto a humilhações e ao escrutínio. O objetivo do trabalho foi o desenvolvimento de um instrumento de rastreio dos sintomas do TAS, capaz de identificar os sujeitos com maior probabilidade de desenvolvimento da doença. O estudo dividiu-se em duas fases: primeiro tivemos a construção do instrumento, e segundo, a aplicação do mesmo em 297 pessoas. Foram aplicados um questionário sócio-demográfico, a Escala de Ansiedade Social de Liebowitz, o Mini Inventário de Fobia Social e a escala desenvolvida pelos autores. Os resultados preliminares mostraram excelentes índices de consistência interna e a análise fatorial foi considerada satisfatória. Houve associação entre a pontuação da escala e alguns indicadores sócio-demográficos, de acordo com a literatura científica da área. / The Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a very common condition presently, appearing as the primary anxiety disorder and one of the most prevalent mental diseases worldwide. It is characterized by constant and excessive fear or anxiety about social situations, which can be of performance, interaction or observation, in which a person has fear of being negatively evaluated by others, and may be exposed to humiliation and scrutiny. The objective of this work is the development of a screening instrument of the symptoms of SAD, which is able to identify as well subjects with greater likelihood of developing the disease. The study was divided into two phases: the first refers to the construction of the instrument and the second consists on the application of the test to 297 subjects. One socio-demographic questionnaire, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Mini Social Phobia Inventory and the scale developed by the authors. Preliminary results showed excellent internal consistency and factor analysis was considered satisfactory. There was an association between the scale score and some socio-demographic indicators, according to scientific literature in the area.

Titre : EVALUATION DE LA FRAGILITE EN ONCOLOGIE GERIATRIQUE : DEVELOPPEMENT ET VALIDATION D’UNE NOUVELLE ECHELLE DE DEPISTAGE.Mots clés : fragilité, sujet âgée, cancer, dépistage, développement, validation, analyse de survie.Résumé : Une évaluation gériatrique (EG) est recommandée pour tous les patients âgés atteints de cancer pour identifier d’éventuels problèmes de santé et ainsi optimiser la stratégie thérapeutique. Néanmoins, elle est très consommatrice de temps et de moyens. Plusieurs outils de dépistage ont été développés mais a) aucun ne dispose de propriétés diagnostiques adéquates en pratique clinique, b) ils ont le plus souvent été développés sur la base d’opinions d’experts sans développement statistique spécifique, et c) peu de données sont disponibles pour apprécier leur robustesse au changement de gold standard pour définir le concept de « fragilité ». Par conséquent, notre objectif était 1) de construire et valider un outil de dépistage performant de la fragilité et de le comparer à l’outil de dépistage G8 actuellement utilisé en oncogériatrie, 2) d’en tester la robustesse vis-à-vis de 6 définitions de référence de la fragilité et 3) d’en évaluer la valeur pronostique pour la mortalité à 1 et 3 ans. Les données étaient issues de deux cohortes prospectives de patients âgés atteints de cancer : ELCAPA (2007–2012: n=729 [développement]), et ONCODAGE (2008–2010: n=1304 [validation externe]). L’outil G8 modifié final (aire sous la courbe ROC [AUROC] : 91,6% ; Sensibilité=89% ; Spécificité=79%) comprenait 6 items indépendants : perte de poids, problèmes neuropsychologiques, statut fonctionnel, état de santé perçu, poly-prescription et existence parmi les antécédents d’une insuffisance cardiaque ou coronaropathie. Les travaux accomplis dans le cadre de cette thèse ont de plus permis de confirmer ses bonnes propriétés diagnostiques en validation externe (AUROC : 84,6% ; Sensibilité=82% ; Spécificité=69%), sa robustesse au changement de gold standard et sa valeur pronostique forte vis-à-vis de la mortalité. L’utilisation du G8 et G8 modifié devrait être encouragée en oncologie gériatrique. / Title : ASSESSMENT OF FRAILTY IN GERIATRIC ONCOLOGY: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A NEW SCREENING TOOL Key words: frailty, older person, cancer, screening, development, validation, survival analysis.Abstract: The comprehensive geriatric assessment (GA) is recommended in older cancer patients to inventory health problems and tailor treatment decisions accordingly. However, GA is time- and resource-consuming. Several screening tools have been developed but a) their diagnostic performance is insufficient, b) most instruments have been developed exclusively on the basis of experts’ opinions without any specific statistical psychometric development, and c) a wide variability of criteria have been used to define “frailty” as the gold standard, with no investigations of their influence on the diagnostic properties of screening instruments. Therefore, our objective was 1) to develop and validate a new screening tool for frailty that achieves high diagnostic accuracy, and to compare it to the G8 screening tool, currently used in oncogeriatrics, 2) to evaluate its robustness to modifications on the gold standard, for which 6 reference definitions were tested, and 3) to assess its prognostic value for 1- and 3-years mortality. We used two prospective cohorts of older patients with cancer: ELCAPA (2007–2012: n=729 [development]), and ONCODAGE (2008–2010: n=1304 [external validation]). The final modified-G8 (area under the ROC curve [AUROC]: 91.6%; Sensitivity=89%; Specificity=79%) included 6 independent items: weight loss, cognition/mood, performance status, self-rated health status, polypharmacy and history of heart failure or coronary heart disease. The work carried out in this thesis has also confirmed its good diagnostic properties in external validation analyses (AUROC: 84.6%; Sensitivity=82%; Specificity=69%), its robustness to modifications of the gold standard definition and its strong prognostic value for overall survival. The use of the G8 and modified-G8 should be encouraged in geriatric oncology.

Objective. This article reports on the test–retest reliability and sensitivity to change of a set of brief dimensional self-rating questionnaires for social anxiety disorder (SAD-D), specific phobia (SP-D), agoraphobia (AG-D), panic disorder (PD-D), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-D), as well as a general cross-cutting anxiety scale (Cross-D), which were developed to supplement categorical diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). Methods. The German versions of the dimensional anxiety scales were administered to 218 students followed up approximately 2 weeks later (Study 1) and 55 outpatients (23 with anxiety diagnoses) followed-up 1 year later (Study 2). Probable diagnostic status in students was determined by the DIA-X/M-CIDI stem screening-questionnaire (SSQ). In the clinical sample, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) diagnoses were assessed at Time 1 using the DIA-X/M-CIDI. At Time 2, the patient-version of the Clinical Global Impression— Improvement scale (CGI-I) was applied to assess change. Results: Good psychometric properties, including high test–retest reliability, were found for the dimensional scales except for SP-D. In outpatients, improvement at Time 2 was associated with significant decrease in PD-D, GAD-D, and Cross-D scores. Discussion. Major advantages of the scales include that they are brief, concise, and based on a consistent template to measure the cognitive, physiological, and ehavioral symptoms of fear and anxiety. Further replication in larger samples is needed. Given its modest psychometric properties, SP-D needs refinement. Conclusion. Increasing evidence from diverse samples suggests clinical utility of the dimensional anxiety scales.

The thesis is dealing with the topic of depression and measurement instruments, which may contribute to its diagnostics and assessment. Special attention is dedicated to the Beck Depression Inventory, second edition, and the aim of this thesis is to provide normative data acquired from a large sample of healthy adult participants coming from the Czech Republic (N = 450; aged 18 to 96 years). The Beck Depression Inventory, second edition (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996) belongs among the most famous and most often used measures of depression severity. A significant relationship was found between the BDI-II total score and gender and education level, but not age. Women tended to score significantly higher than men on average, and a negative correlation between the BDI-II total score and education was found. Therefore, the normative data were analysed and stratified according to these two demographic variables. Tables, presenting means, standard deviations, percentiles and standard scores are provided for the total unstratified sample as well as for demographically defined subgroups. In addition, internal consistency of the Czech version was high (alpha above .80). The item-total correlations, and factorial structure of the instrument were investigated and the results were compared with results...

The aim of the study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Adolescent- Risk of Addiction to Social Networks and Internet Scale (ERA-RSI) in Peruvian students. The sample was composed by 755 students (52.2% women), whose ages ranged from 13 to 24 years (M = 17, SD = 2.93) and attended private schools (62.2%) or universities (33.8%). The internal structure of the ERA-RSI, the invariance according to the level of instruction and sex, its relationship with other variables, and the reliability by internal consistency were analyzed. The results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicate a four-dimensional structure with adequate fit indices (χ2 / gl = 3.81, CFI = .91, TLI = .90, RMSEA = .061 [.058, .065], SRMR = .061) and which is invariant according to the level of instruction (school and university) and sex (men and women). In addition, good reliability is shown by internal consistency (ω = .74 to .83). For its part, convergent validity was performed with the Social Media Addiction Questionnaire (ARS) a positive, moderate to strong statistically significant correlation were found between the dimensions of both tests. In conclusion, the present adaptation of the ERA-RSI has, in general, adequate empirical evidence of validity and reliability and can be used in future research. / El objetivo fue analizar las evidencias de validez y confiabilidad de la Escala de Riesgo de Adicción-adolescente a las Redes Sociales e Internet (ERARSI) en estudiantes peruanos. Participaron 755 estudiantes (52.2% mujeres), con edades comprendidas entre los 13 a 24 años (M = 17, DE = 2.93) pertenecientes a escuelas (62.2%) o universidades privadas (33.8%). Se analizó la estructura interna de la ERA-RSI, la invarianza según nivel educativo y sexo, su relación con otras variables y la confiabilidad por consistencia interna. Los resultados del Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (AFC) indican una estructura de cuatro dimensiones con adecuados índices de ajuste (χ2 / gl = 3.81, CFI = .91, TLI = .90, RMSEA = .061 [.058, .065], SRMR = .061) y que es invariante según el nivel educativo (escolares y universitarios) y el sexo (hombres y mujeres). Además, se evidencia una buena confiabilidad por consistencia interna (ω = .74 a .83). Por su parte, la validez convergente se realizó con el Cuestionario de Adicción a las Redes Sociales (ARS) y se encontró, entre las dimensiones de ambas pruebas, correlaciones positivas, estadísticamente significativas y de magnitud entre moderadas y fuertes. En conclusión, la presente adaptación de la ERA-RSI cuenta, en general, con adecuadas evidencias empíricas de validez y fiabilidad y puede ser usada en futuras investigaciones.