abstract: Researchers who conduct longitudinal studies are inherently interested in studying individual and population changes over time (e.g., mathematics achievement, subjective well-being). To answer such research questions, models of change (e.g., growth models) make the assumption of longitudinal measurement invariance. In many applied situations, key constructs are measured by a collection of ordered-categorical indicators (e.g., Likert scale items). To evaluate longitudinal measurement invariance with ordered-categorical indicators, a set of hierarchical models can be sequentially tested and compared. If the statistical tests of measurement invariance fail to be supported for one of the models, it is useful to have a method with which to gauge the practical significance of the differences in measurement model parameters over time. Drawing on studies of latent growth models and second-order latent growth models with continuous indicators (e.g., Kim & Willson, 2014a; 2014b; Leite, 2007; Wirth, 2008), this study examined the performance of a potential sensitivity analysis to gauge the practical significance of violations of longitudinal measurement invariance for ordered-categorical indicators using second-order latent growth models. The change in the estimate of the second-order growth parameters following the addition of an incorrect level of measurement invariance constraints at the first-order level was used as an effect size for measurement non-invariance. This study investigated how sensitive the proposed sensitivity analysis was to different locations of non-invariance (i.e., non-invariance in the factor loadings, the thresholds, and the unique factor variances) given a sufficient sample size. This study also examined whether the sensitivity of the proposed sensitivity analysis depended on a number of other factors including the magnitude of non-invariance, the number of non-invariant indicators, the number of non-invariant occasions, and the number of response categories in the indicators. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Psychology 2016

This study was conducted to estimate power of tests in Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in beef cattle experiments, determine sample size and classify the coefficient of variation. Data was collected from thesis and dissertations of the Program of Post-Graduation in Animal Science of Federal University of Santa Maria (PPGZ-UFSM) among the years of 1991 to 2012, in beef cattle production area using ANOVA. Power was estimated by assumption of non central F distribution to the alternative hypothesis in ANOVA. The number of replications for treatments was estimated by power of 80% and interval of [0,4 ; 2,0] to effect size. Classification of coefficient of variation was based on proposed by Garcia (1989) using mean and standard deviation, and Costa et al. (2002) using median and pseudo-sigma. Power of tests shows two frequency peaks of experiments with low and high power. The recommended average number of replication per treatments was among 7 and 10 replications. Classification of coefficient of variation was proposed by low, medium and high, differently from literature that considers the intervals low, medium, high and very high. / Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de determinar o poder do teste F em Análise de Variância (ANOVA) para experimentos com bovinos de corte, determinar o tamanho ideal de amostra e classificar o coeficiente de variação. Os dados foram utilizados de dissertações e teses publicadas do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zootecnia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (PPGZ-UFSM) nos anos de 1991 à 2012, na área de bovinocultura de corte empregando ANOVA. O poder do teste foi determinado assumindo distribuição F de Fisher não central sob hipótese alternativa para a estatística de teste F na ANOVA. O número de repetições por tratamentos foi estimado com base no poder do teste de 80% e o intervalo [0,4 ; 2,0] para o tamanho do efeito. A classificação do coeficiente de variação foi baseada nas metodologias propostas por Garcia (1989) usando média e desvio padrão, e Costa et al. (2002) utilizando mediana e pseudo-sigma. As estimações de poder do teste apresentaram picos de frequências de alto e baixo poder. O número médio recomendado de repetições por tratamentos oscilou entre 7 e 10 repetições. Foi proposta a classificação do coeficiente de variação em baixo, médio e alto, diferindo da classificação da literatura que considera os intervalos baixo, médio, alto e muito alto.

This thesis examines asset pricing and capital structure of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in three essays. Firm finance and asset pricing are areas of voluminous research in the literature. Most of this research observes firms trading on public stock exchanges. In my thesis, I examine privately-owned SMEs where relatively little research has been done. I use a proprietary database of over 16,000 SMEs that sold from 1990 to 2010, reporting market valuations and accounting information. My findings contribute to the literature on asset pricing and capital structure of private firms that benefits researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, and analysts. The first essay examines whether the size effect in returns found in traded stocks is present in SMEs. The size-effect literature generally observes listed firms and finds that smaller firms tend to have higher returns. Using the SME database, I document the size effect in private firms using market valuations. I also find the size premium is concentrated in smaller SMEs. In firms smaller than $2.5 million in market value, the size effect is nearly 13 times stronger compared to larger firms. The second essay explores the effects of investor sentiment and marketwide liquidity in SME returns. Prior studies find these factors have effects in returns of listed firms. I find that SME returns are negatively related to sentiment and liquidity. As sentiment or liquidity rise, SME returns tend to fall. This study also finds that the effects of sentiment and liquidity are concentrated in smaller firms and weaken or disappear in larger SMEs. Apparently investors in smaller SMEs are more influenced by sentiment and liquidity. I also find that sentiment and liquidity have conditional effects on the magnitude of the size premium. The third and final essay examines SME capital structure. Firm capital structure has been one of the most contentious issues in finance theory for over 50 years. Relatively little research examines private firm finance and no previous studies to my knowledge have examined SME capital structure using market-based leverage ratios. I examine relations between leverage and capital structure determinants suggested by theory using market-based and book-value leverage ratios. I find support for both the trade-off and pecking-order theories. This study also finds that SMEs tend to use short-term debt much more than long-term debt and firms appear to practice maturity matching where managers tend to match borrowing terms with asset life. Evidence also suggests that capital structure determinants suggested by theory have greater explanatory power for market-based leverage ratios than for ratios based on book values.

Social science researchers are increasingly using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) to compare different groups' latent variable means. To ensure that a MG-CFA model is identified, two approaches are commonly used to set the scale of the latent variable. The reference indicator (RI) strategy, which involves constraining one loading per factor to a value of one across groups, assumes that the RI has equal factor loadings across groups. The second approach involves constraining each factor's variance to a value of one across groups and, thus, assumes that the factor variances are equal across groups. Latent mean differences may be tested and described using Gonzalez and Griffin's (2001) likelihood ratio test (LRT[subscript k]) and Hancock's (2001) standardized latent mean difference effect size measure ([delta subscript k]), respectively. Applied researchers using the LRT[subscript k] and/or the [delta subscript k] when comparing groups' latent means may not explicitly test the assumptions underlying the two factor scaling methods. To date, no study has examined the impact of violating the assumptions associated with the two scaling methods on latent mean comparisons. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance of the LRT[subscript k] and the [delta subscript k] when violating the assumptions underlying the RI strategy and/or the factor variance scaling method. Type I error and power of the LRT[subscript k] as well as relative parameter bias and parameter bias of the [delta subscript k] were examined when varying loading difference magnitude, factor variance ratio, factor loading pattern and sample size ratio. Rejection rates of model fit indices, including the x² test, RMSEA, CFI, TLI and SRMR, under these varied conditions were also examined. The results indicated that violating the assumptions underlying the RI strategy did not affect the LRT[subscript k] or the [delta subscript k]. However, violating the assumption underlying the factorvariance scaling method influenced Type I error rates of the LRT[subscript k], particularly in unequal sample size conditions. Results also indicated that the four factors manipulated in this study had an impact on correct model rejection rates of the model fit indices. It is hoped that this study provides useful information to researchers concerning the use of the LRT[subscript k] and [delta subscript k] under factor scaling method assumption violations. / text

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Background  Occupation-focused and occupation-based interventions can potentially promote occupational engagement among community-dwelling older people, but there is limited evidence to identify the most effective and cost-effective interventions. For independent-living older people, there is a lack of evidence to determine if occupation-focused and occupation-based interventions have an effect on their occupational engagement. For older people who need assistance because of bathing disabilities, there is limited evidence of the effects of occupation-focused and occupation-based interventions on their occupational engagement or for reducing or omitting their need for assistance. Finally, there is limited evidence to determine if occupation-focused and occupation-based interventions implemented for community-dwelling older people are cost effective. Aim The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the effects and cost effectiveness of occupation-focused and occupation-based interventions for two groups of community-dwelling older people, independent-living, community-dwelling older people and older people with bathing disabilities. Method Studies I and II were based on an exploratory randomized controlled trial. One hundred and seventy seven persons, 77–82 years, single living, and without need for home help were randomized to a no-intervention control group or to one of three occupational therapy interventions focused on promoting occupational engagement: an individual intervention, an activity group or a discussion group. In study I, effect sizes for leisure engagement and ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) tasks were estimated for each intervention in relation to the control group to identify the most effective intervention at 3 and 12 months after baseline. In study II, the effects on quality adjusted life years (QALYs) and the total costs for the intervention, social services provided by the municipality and health care were used evaluate cost-effectiveness. Study III was a quasi-experimental clinical trial and included 95 persons, 65+, who had applied for municipality-based home help with bathing. For participants in the intervention group, occupational therapists implemented occupation-focused and occupation-based interventions. No occupational therapy intervention was implemented for those in the control group, but they were allocated home help services if judged to need it based on an assessment by a municipality care manager. Evaluations of ADL ability, self-rated health and allocated home help were implemented at baseline and after 15 weeks. Study IV involved the use of decision-modeling based on a five state Markov model that included levels of dependency in ADLs, place of residency and death. Probabilities for transitions between states in the model, QoL scores and societal costs for each state were derived from previous research. Overall, the model was based on research indicating that more severe levels of dependency reduced QALY scores and increased societal costs. Previous trials have provided evidence that an occupation-focused and occupation-based intervention implemented to reduce bathing disabilities increased the probability of independence of home help. The Markov model was used to evaluate cost-effectiveness over 8 years for an intervention compared to no intervention. Results The results of study I indicated that each intervention had a small positive effect on minimizing a decline in leisure engagement and/or ADL, but no intervention was clearly superior. In study II, the results indicated that the interventions delivered in a group format positively affected self-rated health. The discussion group was the most cost-effective intervention. The results of study III indicated that the intervention had no effect on ADL ability or self-rated health. There was, however, a large difference in the allocation of home help at follow up, indicating that the intervention was effective in reducing dependency on home help for bathing. The results of study IV indicated that compared to no intervention, the intervention resulted in a positive accumulation of QALYs and lower costs for every year during the entire 8 year period. Conclusion This thesis provides evidence to support the implementation of occupation-focused and occupation-based interventions for independent-living, community-dwelling older people in order to reduce their decline in occupational engagement and improve their self-rated health; the interventions also have the potential to be cost effective. This thesis also provides evidence that an occupation-focused and occupation-based intervention implemented for older people with bathing disabilities was effective in promoting independence from home help for bathing. Finally, an occupation-focused and occupation-based intervention that increased the probability of being independent of home help for bathing had a positive impact on the long term accumulation of QALYs and reduced societal costs and, therefore, can be considered very cost effective.

The present article describes a method to quantify the magnitude of the differences between two measures and/or the degree of the effect of a variable about criteria, and it is named likethe effect size measure, d. Use it use in research and applied contexts provides a quitedescriptive complementary information, improving the interpretation of the results obtained bythe traditional methods that emphasize the statistical significance. Severa) forms there are of interpreting the d, and an example taken of an experimental research, is presented to clarify the concepts and necessary calculations. This method is not robust to sorne conditions that they candistort its interpretation, for example, the non normality of the data; alternative methods are mentioned to the statistical d. We ending with sorne conclusions that will notice about the appropriate use of it. / El presente artículo describe un método para cuantificar la magnitud de las diferencias entredos mediciones y/o el grado del efecto de una variable sobre un criterio, y es llamado lamedida de la magnitud del efecto, de su uso en contextos de investigación y aplicados proporciona un información complementaria bastante descriptiva, mejorando la interpretaciónde los resultados obtenidos por los métodos tradicionales que enfatizan la significación estadística. Existen varias formas de interpretar el estadístico d, y se presenta un ejemplo,tomado de una investigación experimental, para aclarar los conceptos y cálculos necesarios.Este método no es robusto a ciertas condiciones que pueden distorsionar su interpretación, por ejemplo, la no normalidad de los datos entre otros; se mencionan métodos alternativos alestadístico d. Finalizamos con unas conclusiones que advierten sobre su apropiado uso.

Traditional latent class analysis (LCA) considers entropy R2 as the only measure of effect size. However, entropy may not always be reliable, a low boundary is not agreed upon, and good separation is limited to values of greater than .80. As applications of LCA grow in popularity, it is imperative to use additional sources to quantify LCA classification accuracy. Greater classification accuracy helps to ensure that the profile of the latent classes reflect the profile of the true underlying subgroups. This Monte Carlo study compared the quantification of classification accuracy and confidence intervals of three effect sizes, entropy R2, I-index, and Cohen’s d. Study conditions included total sample size, number of dichotomous indicators, latent class membership probabilities (γ), conditional item-response probabilities (ρ), variance ratio, sample size ratio, and distribution types for a 2-class model. Overall, entropy R2 and I-index showed the best accuracy and standard error, along with the smallest confidence interval widths. Results showed that I-index only performed well for a few cases.

Effect sizes are the currency of psychological research. They quantify the results of a study to answer the research question and are used to calculate statistical power. The interpretation of effect sizes—when is an effect small, medium, or large?—has been guided by the recommendations Jacob Cohen gave in his pioneering writings starting in 1962: Either compare an effect with the effects found in past research or use certain conventional benchmarks. The present analysis shows that neither of these recommendations is currently applicable. From past publications without pre-registration, 900 effects were randomly drawn and compared with 93 effects from publications with pre-registration, revealing a large difference: Effects from the former (median r = 0.36) were much larger than effects from the latter (median r = 0.16). That is, certain biases, such as publication bias or questionable research practices, have caused a dramatic inflation in published effects, making it difficult to compare an actual effect with the real population effects (as these are unknown). In addition, there were very large differences in the mean effects between psychological sub-disciplines and between different study designs, making it impossible to apply any global benchmarks. Many more pre-registered studies are needed in the future to derive a reliable picture of real population effects.

The aim of this study was to do a structured analysis of the literature on biomarkers for major depressive disorder (MDD) and how these biomarkers may be modulated by physical activity (PA). This with implications for future treatment of mild to moderate MDD with PA. The method was quantitative and followed guidelines for conducting a simplified meta-analysis. The study analyzed 37 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that covered a total of 911 individuals doing PA. Articles on biomarkers that are previously well established in their relationship with MDD were collected in a structured way, following strict criteria. Results were achieved using statistical methods for calculating the average effect size (ES) and average mean difference (Δ%) for the biomarkers as a result of PA. BDNF showed an effect size of 0.81 ± 1.09 and an average mean difference of +61.7 ± 112.20 %. CRP showed an effect size of 0.35 ± 0.28 and an average mean difference of -18 ± 13.69 %. Cortisol showed an effect size of 0.09 ± 0.75 and an average mean difference of -2.9 ± 17.30 %. Serotonin showed an effect size of 0.39 ± 0.54 and an average mean difference of -11.53 ± 21.10 %. Testosterone showed an effect size of 0.59 ± 1.46 and an average mean difference of +6.50 ± 20.04 %. The conclusion was that PA had a large effect on BDNF and can be used as a diagnostic- and follow-up tool for patients with MDD treated with PA. PA has a small but consistent effect on CRP which therefore can be used in conjunction with other outcome measures to diagnose and follow up patients with MDD treated with PA. PA showed no effect on cortisol and can therefore be considered to be irrelevant as a diagnostic- and follow-up tool for patients with MDD treated with PA. PA had a small but relatively consistent effect on serotonin which therefore can be used in conjunction with other outcome measures to diagnose and follow up patients with MDD treated with PA. PA had a moderate and relatively inconsistent effect on testosterone which therefore can be used in conjunction with several other outcome measures to diagnose and follow up patients with MDD treated with PA. On the basis of these conclusions PA can be a valuable tool for improving some biomarkers for MDD (BDNF, CRP, serotonin & testosterone). Hopefully this study can provide a basis for further research as well as an addition to first line treatment for mild to moderate MDD with PA. / Syftet med studien var att genomföra en strukturerad analys av litteraturen på biomarkörer och depression (MDD) samt hur dessa biomarkörer kan påverkas av fysisk aktivitet (FA). Detta med implikationer för framtida behandling av mild till måttlig MDD med FA. Metoden var av kvantitativ ansats och följde riktlinjer för en förenklad metaanalys. Studien analyserade 37 randomiserade, kontrollerade studier (RCT) som tillsammans täckte in 911 individer som utförde FA. Artiklar på biomarkörer som tidigare kopplats starkt till MDD samlades in strukturerat enligt strikta kriterier. Resultat erhölls genom statistiska metoder för att beräkna den genomsnittliga effektstorleken (ES) och den genomsnittliga medelvärdesdifferensen (Δ%) för biomarkörerna som ett resultat av FA. BDNF uppvisade en effektstorlek på 0.81 ± 1.09 och en genomsnittlig medelvärdesdifferens på +61.7 ± 112.20 %. CRP uppvisade en effektstorlek på 0.35 ± 0.28 och en genomsnittlig medelvärdesdifferens på -18 ± 13.69 %. Kortisol uppvisade en effektstorlek på 0.09 ± 0.75 och en genomsnittlig medelvärdesdifferens på -2.9 ± 17.30 %. Serotonin uppvisade en effektstorlek på 0.39 ± 0.54 och en genomsnittlig medelvärdesdifferens på 11.53 ± 21.10 %. Testosteron uppvisade en effektstorlek på 0.59 ± 1.46 och en genomsnittlig medelvärdesdifferens på +6.50 ± 20.04 %. Konklusionen var att FA hade en stor effekt på BDNF, vilken därför kan användas för diagnostik och uppföljning av individer med MDD under behandling med FA. FA hade en liten men konsekvent effekt på CRP vilken därför kan användas tillsammans med andra mått för att diagnosticera och följa upp individer med MDD under behandling med FA. FA visade ingen effekt på kortisol som därför kan anses som irrelevant för diagnostik och uppföljning av individer med MDD under behandling med FA. FA hade en liten men relativt konsekvent effekt på serotonin vilken därför kan användas tillsammans med andra mått för att diagnosticera och följa upp individer med MDD under behandling med FA. FA hade en medelstor och relativt inkonsekvent effekt på testosteron och kan därför tillsammans med flera andra mått användas för att diagnosticera och följa upp individer med MDD under behandling med FA. Med bakgrund av dessa slutsatser kan FA vara ett värdefullt verktyg för att förbättra vissa biomarkörer för MDD (BDNF, CRP, serotonin & testosteron). Förhoppningsvis kan denna studie verka som en grund för vidare forskning samt utgöra en ett tillägg till standardiserad behandling för mild till måttlig MDD med FA.