WAIS-III (Wechsler intelekto matavimo skalės suaugusiems trečioji versija) – vienas plačiausiai pasaulyje naudojamų intelekto matavimo instrumentų. Vienas iš testo šališkumo šaltinių yra užduočių atlikimo skirtumai atskirose grupėse, lyginant asmenis, turinčius tokius pačius gebėjimus – skirtingas užduočių funkcionavimas. Tyrimo tikslas buvo įvertinti Lietuvoje adaptuojamos WAIS–III verbalinės testo dalies užduočių šališkumą. Užduočių funkcionavimas buvo tikrinamas lyginant tiriamųjų grupes pagal lytį (172 moterys ir 128 vyrai) ir išsilavinimą (209 tiriamiejis su viduriniu ir žemesniu išsilavinimu ir 89 tiriamieji su aukštesniuoju ir aukštuoju išsilavinimu). Užduočių atlikimas buvo analizuojamas iš viso šešiuose WAIS–III subtestuose (Paveikslėlių užbaigimo, Žodyno, Panašumų, Aritmetikos, Informacijos ir Supratingumo). Rasta, kad iš 148 analizuotų užduočių 20 skirtingai funkcionavo vyrų ir moterų grupėse bei 19 grupėse pagal išsilavinimą (daugiausia skirtumų rasta Žodyno ir Informacijos subtestuose). Daugiausia buvo užduoties sunkumo skirtumų, kurių skaičius buvo labai panašus ir lyginant vyrų ir moterų užduočių atlikimą, ir tiriamuosius pagal išsilavinimą. Rezultatai parodė, kad iš užduočių, kurios skyrėsi skiriamąja geba, yra žymiai daugiau, pagal gebėjimus geriau diferencijuojančių moteris nei vyrus ir asmenis su viduriniu ir žemesniu išsilavinimu. / WAIS–III (Wechsler Adult‘s Intelligence Scale - Third edition) – is one of the most widely used intelligence measuring scale in the world, which has also been adapted in Lithuania. A significant part of researches is related to scale‘s bias – one of it‘s sources is Differential item functioning in separate groups, when participants have the same abilities. The aim of this work was to assess the bias of verbal subtests items in Lithuanian WAIS-III version. Differential item functioning was tested comparing groups by sex (128 males and 172 females) and education (209 participants had a secondary and lower education, 89 had further and university education), in six WAIS-III subtests (Picture Completion, Vocabulary, Similarities, Arithmetic, Information and Comprehension). Data analysis showed that 20 items from 148 were functioning differently for males and females, and 19 items functioned differently in groups by education (the differences were mostly in Vocabulary and Information subtests). The biggest part of differences were of uniform DIF – the number was very similar in males and females groups, also in education groups. The bigger part of nonuniform DIF were more discriminating for females than males and participants with secondary and lower education.

This dissertation served two purposes. The first was to develop a method of detecting differential item functioning (DIF) within tests containing both dichotomously and polytomously scored items. The second was related to gender and aimed a) to investigate if those items that were functioning differently for girls and boys showed any characteristic properties and, if so, b) determine if these properties could be used to predict which items would be flagged for D1F. The method development was based on the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) method used for dichotmously scored items. By dichotomizing the polytomously scored items both types of item could be compared on the same statistical level as either solved or non-solved items. It was not possible to compare the internal score structures for the two gender groups, only overall score differences were detected. By modelling the empirical item characteristic curves it was possible to develop a MH method for identifying nonuniform DIF. Both internal and external ability criteria were used. Total test score with no purification was used as the internal criterion. Purification was not done for validity reasons, no items were judged as biased. Teacher set marks were used as external criteria. The marking scale had to be transformed for either boys or girls since a comparison of scores for boys and girls with the same marks showed that boys always got higher mean scores. The results of the two MH analyses based on internal and external criterion were compared with results from P-SIBTEST. All three methods corresponded well although P-SIBTEST flagged considerably more items in favour of the reference group (boys) which exhibited a higher overall ability. All 200 items included in the last 15 annual national tests in physics were analysed for DIF and classified by ten criteria The most significant result was that items in electricity were, to a significantly higher degree, flagged as DIF in favour of girls whilst items in mechanics were flagged in favour of boys. Items in other content areas showed no significant pattern. Multiple-Choice items were flagged in favour of boys. Regardless of the degree of significance by which items from different content areas were flagged on a group level it was not possible to predict which single item would be flagged for DIF. The most probable prediction was always that an item was neutral. Some possible interpretations of DIF as an effect of multidimen-sionality were discussed as were some hypotheses about the reasons why boys did better in mechanics and girls in electricity. / digitalisering@umu

Despite the importance of anxiety measuring tools, there is no published data on the factor analytic structure of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) in South African adolescents. The present study was an attempt to examine the factor structure of the MASC in South African adolescents, the factor structure equivalence for boys and girls and the correlation between MASC scores and scores on the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Child PTSD Checklist Score, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to establish whether the MASC distinguishes between anxiety and other constructs. Available literature indicates that the MASC is invariant across gender and age and it shows excellent internal reliability and test-retest reliability (March Parker, Sullivan, Stallings & Comers, 1997). The MASC appears to measure separate dimensions of anxiety, which in turn makes it ideally suited to discriminate patterns of anxiety in children with anxiety disorders (Rynn et al., 2005). The MASC also correlates well with other measures of anxiety (Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale [RCMAS] and Screen of Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders [SCARED]), less so with measures of depression (Children's Depression Inventory [CDI:]) and not at all with measures of disruptive behaviour (March et al., 1997; Muris, Merckelbach, Ollendick & King, 2002). Several studies across the world have confirmed the four-factor structure of the MASC and found its subscales to be reliable in several studies across the world (Olason, Sighvatsson & Smari, 2004; Rynn et al., 2005). A sample of 1078 grade 10 adolescents was selected to participate in this study. The adolescents were from nine different schools, representative of the socio-economic status and ethnic diversity of the region in the Cape Town metropole (South Africa). Principal Components Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted on MASC scores using a varimax rotation. Item bias analysis were used to determine gender equivalence and Pearson's correlation statistics were used to explore the correlation of MASC scores to CTQ, BDI, and Child PTSD Checklist scores. The results of the study confirm the MASC four-factor structure and its subscales were found to be reliable. The MASC performed the best out of four scales measuring anxiety or depression. Analysis showed that the four-factor structure applies equally well for males and females. Younger adolescents scored higher than older adolescents on the MASC total scale and no differences on the MASC total scale were found when comparisons of race were made. Item bias analysis showed no statistically or practically significant eta-squared (IJ') value, indicating no gender bias. In general, results in this sample show that the characteristics of the MASC are similar to the original factor structure found by March et al. (1997). The MASC appears to measure separate dimensions of anxiety, which in turn should make it ideally suited to discriminate patterns of anxiety in subgroups of children with anxiety disorders. It can be concluded that the MASC shows to be a valid and reliable measure of anxiety for South African adolescents. It can be recommended that the MASC is a clinically useful and reliable self-report scale for assessing anxiety in children and adolescents. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

In an ever-changing world, people are constantly faced with the challenge of simultaneously managing multiple roles in their work as well as their home-sphere. It therefore becomes increasingly important to maintain a balance in these two life spheres. Unfortunately, a gap exists between the positive and negative side of work-home balance as most research focuses on the negative side. Recently, a much needed instrument was develop in the Netherlands, namely the Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING), which measures both the direction of influence (work→home and vice versa) and the quality of influence (negative vs. positive). The objectives of this study were to validate the Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING) for workers of the earthmoving equipment industry in a South African context, to determine its construct equivalence and bias for different language groups, and to determine differences regarding work-home interaction between different demographic groups. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Random samples (n = 330) were taken of workers in the earthmoving equipment industry across South Africa. The SWING and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Item bias analyses, exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach alpha coefficients, MANOVAs, ANOVAs and T-tests were used to analyse the data. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the SWING consists of four factors, namely Negative Work-Home Interference, Negative Home-Work Interference, Positive Work-Home Interference and Positive Home-Work Interference. All four factors showed acceptable internal consistencies. No evidence was found for uniform or non-uniform bias of the items of the SWING for different language groups. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations confirmed the construct equivalence of the work-home interface construct. There were also no differences regarding work-home interaction between different demographic groups, except for a practically significant difference (medium effect) between males and females with respect to negative Work-Home Interaction levels. Recommendations were made for further research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Emotional intelligence (EI) in organisations has grown immensely over the past two decades. Considerable research regarding this concept and the advantages it poses for the individual as well as the organisation has been conducted; however, one aspect that has not been explored sufficiently is the extent to which EI can be viewed as a culturally relevant concept. The presumption that emotions can be explained in the same way across different culture cannot be made; therefore measuring EI across cultures becomes important and challenging. Language can be viewed as a vehicle of culture, and emotions are shaped by the language spoken in the specific culture. A quantitative research design was used in this study. The sample consisted of mid-level miners from the Gauteng and North West Province (N = 357). Stratified sampling was used to include the West-Germanic (English and Afrikaans; n = 158) and Sotho group (North Sotho, South Sotho, and Setswana; n = 199). Questionnaires were distributed amongst the participants from the different mines, were completed within a set time, and collected immediately afterwards. The first objective of the study was to determine whether the Greek Emotional Intelligence Scale (GEIS) is a reliable test when measuring West-Germanic (English and Afrikaans) and Sotho (Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, and Setswana) languages. A four-factor model on the combined sample as well as the two language groups was tested. The four factor model of the West-Germanic group showed poor alphas. (Expression and Recognition of Emotions = 0.66; Caring and Empathy = 0.63; Control of Emotions = 0.80 and Use of Emotions to Facilitate Thinking = 0.62.) Several items from the expression and recognition scale cross-loaded on the other three factors, and it was decided to test a three-factor model. The three factor model indicated the best goodness-of-fit indices and showed acceptable alpha coefficients (Use of Emotion to Facilitate Thinking = 0.83; Caring and Empathy = 0.83 and Control of Emotions = 0.77). The second objective was to determine if the Greek Emotional Intelligence Scale is an equivalent measuring instrument when measuring the West-Germanic (English and Afrikaans) and Sotho (Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, and Setswana) languages. Goodness-of-fit was tested on the total population as well as the two language family groups. The four factors are Expression and Recognition of Emotions, Caring and Empathy, Control of Emotions and Use of Emotions. The model indices (GFI, CFI and RMSEA) were satisfactory on the total population as well as the Sotho groups, but there were problems noted when testing the goodness-of-fit for the West- Germanic language group. It was therefore decided to test a three factor model (Use of Emotions, Caring and Empathy and Control of Emotions). These problems could possibly be explained by the cultural differences between the two language groups. The final research objective was to investigate whether the items of the Greek Emotional Intelligence Scale are unbiased when measuring West-Germanic (English and Afrikaans) and Sotho (Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, and Setswana) languages. Firstly, ANOVAS were produced to determine the mean differences between the groups. There weren’t many differences, indicating none or little biasness between the groups. Then, the uniform and non-uniform biasness was tested by means of Ordinal Logistic Regression to asses Differential Item Functioning. The majority of the items did not have both uniform and non-uniform biasness. The few that did however, (41, 37, 36, 14 and 18) can be explained by the different ways in which cultures interpret emotions as proven in the literature. Recommendations were made for future research. / Thesis (MCom (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Emotional intelligence (EI) in organisations has grown immensely over the past two decades. Considerable research regarding this concept and the advantages it poses for the individual as well as the organisation has been conducted; however, one aspect that has not been explored sufficiently is the extent to which EI can be viewed as a culturally relevant concept. The presumption that emotions can be explained in the same way across different culture cannot be made; therefore measuring EI across cultures becomes important and challenging. Language can be viewed as a vehicle of culture, and emotions are shaped by the language spoken in the specific culture. A quantitative research design was used in this study. The sample consisted of mid-level miners from the Gauteng and North West Province (N = 357). Stratified sampling was used to include the West-Germanic (English and Afrikaans; n = 158) and Sotho group (North Sotho, South Sotho, and Setswana; n = 199). Questionnaires were distributed amongst the participants from the different mines, were completed within a set time, and collected immediately afterwards. The first objective of the study was to determine whether the Greek Emotional Intelligence Scale (GEIS) is a reliable test when measuring West-Germanic (English and Afrikaans) and Sotho (Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, and Setswana) languages. A four-factor model on the combined sample as well as the two language groups was tested. The four factor model of the West-Germanic group showed poor alphas. (Expression and Recognition of Emotions = 0.66; Caring and Empathy = 0.63; Control of Emotions = 0.80 and Use of Emotions to Facilitate Thinking = 0.62.) Several items from the expression and recognition scale cross-loaded on the other three factors, and it was decided to test a three-factor model. The three factor model indicated the best goodness-of-fit indices and showed acceptable alpha coefficients (Use of Emotion to Facilitate Thinking = 0.83; Caring and Empathy = 0.83 and Control of Emotions = 0.77). The second objective was to determine if the Greek Emotional Intelligence Scale is an equivalent measuring instrument when measuring the West-Germanic (English and Afrikaans) and Sotho (Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, and Setswana) languages. Goodness-of-fit was tested on the total population as well as the two language family groups. The four factors are Expression and Recognition of Emotions, Caring and Empathy, Control of Emotions and Use of Emotions. The model indices (GFI, CFI and RMSEA) were satisfactory on the total population as well as the Sotho groups, but there were problems noted when testing the goodness-of-fit for the West- Germanic language group. It was therefore decided to test a three factor model (Use of Emotions, Caring and Empathy and Control of Emotions). These problems could possibly be explained by the cultural differences between the two language groups. The final research objective was to investigate whether the items of the Greek Emotional Intelligence Scale are unbiased when measuring West-Germanic (English and Afrikaans) and Sotho (Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, and Setswana) languages. Firstly, ANOVAS were produced to determine the mean differences between the groups. There weren’t many differences, indicating none or little biasness between the groups. Then, the uniform and non-uniform biasness was tested by means of Ordinal Logistic Regression to asses Differential Item Functioning. The majority of the items did not have both uniform and non-uniform biasness. The few that did however, (41, 37, 36, 14 and 18) can be explained by the different ways in which cultures interpret emotions as proven in the literature. Recommendations were made for future research. / Thesis (MCom (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Despite the importance of anxiety measuring tools, there is no published data on the factor analytic structure of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC) in South African adolescents. The present study was an attempt to examine the factor structure of the MASC in South African adolescents, the factor structure equivalence for boys and girls and the correlation between MASC scores and scores on the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Child PTSD Checklist Score, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to establish whether the MASC distinguishes between anxiety and other constructs. Available literature indicates that the MASC is invariant across gender and age and it shows excellent internal reliability and test-retest reliability (March Parker, Sullivan, Stallings & Comers, 1997). The MASC appears to measure separate dimensions of anxiety, which in turn makes it ideally suited to discriminate patterns of anxiety in children with anxiety disorders (Rynn et al., 2005). The MASC also correlates well with other measures of anxiety (Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale [RCMAS] and Screen of Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders [SCARED]), less so with measures of depression (Children's Depression Inventory [CDI:]) and not at all with measures of disruptive behaviour (March et al., 1997; Muris, Merckelbach, Ollendick & King, 2002). Several studies across the world have confirmed the four-factor structure of the MASC and found its subscales to be reliable in several studies across the world (Olason, Sighvatsson & Smari, 2004; Rynn et al., 2005). A sample of 1078 grade 10 adolescents was selected to participate in this study. The adolescents were from nine different schools, representative of the socio-economic status and ethnic diversity of the region in the Cape Town metropole (South Africa). Principal Components Confirmatory Factor Analysis was conducted on MASC scores using a varimax rotation. Item bias analysis were used to determine gender equivalence and Pearson's correlation statistics were used to explore the correlation of MASC scores to CTQ, BDI, and Child PTSD Checklist scores. The results of the study confirm the MASC four-factor structure and its subscales were found to be reliable. The MASC performed the best out of four scales measuring anxiety or depression. Analysis showed that the four-factor structure applies equally well for males and females. Younger adolescents scored higher than older adolescents on the MASC total scale and no differences on the MASC total scale were found when comparisons of race were made. Item bias analysis showed no statistically or practically significant eta-squared (IJ') value, indicating no gender bias. In general, results in this sample show that the characteristics of the MASC are similar to the original factor structure found by March et al. (1997). The MASC appears to measure separate dimensions of anxiety, which in turn should make it ideally suited to discriminate patterns of anxiety in subgroups of children with anxiety disorders. It can be concluded that the MASC shows to be a valid and reliable measure of anxiety for South African adolescents. It can be recommended that the MASC is a clinically useful and reliable self-report scale for assessing anxiety in children and adolescents. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

In an ever-changing world, people are constantly faced with the challenge of simultaneously managing multiple roles in their work as well as their home-sphere. It therefore becomes increasingly important to maintain a balance in these two life spheres. Unfortunately, a gap exists between the positive and negative side of work-home balance as most research focuses on the negative side. Recently, a much needed instrument was develop in the Netherlands, namely the Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING), which measures both the direction of influence (work→home and vice versa) and the quality of influence (negative vs. positive). The objectives of this study were to validate the Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING) for workers of the earthmoving equipment industry in a South African context, to determine its construct equivalence and bias for different language groups, and to determine differences regarding work-home interaction between different demographic groups. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Random samples (n = 330) were taken of workers in the earthmoving equipment industry across South Africa. The SWING and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Item bias analyses, exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach alpha coefficients, MANOVAs, ANOVAs and T-tests were used to analyse the data. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the SWING consists of four factors, namely Negative Work-Home Interference, Negative Home-Work Interference, Positive Work-Home Interference and Positive Home-Work Interference. All four factors showed acceptable internal consistencies. No evidence was found for uniform or non-uniform bias of the items of the SWING for different language groups. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations confirmed the construct equivalence of the work-home interface construct. There were also no differences regarding work-home interaction between different demographic groups, except for a practically significant difference (medium effect) between males and females with respect to negative Work-Home Interaction levels. Recommendations were made for further research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

This study compared three methods of detecting test item bias, the chi-square approach, the transformed item difficulties approach, and the Linn-Harnish three-parameter item response approach which is the only Item Response Theory (IRT) method that can be utilized with minority samples relatively small in size. The items on two tests which measured writing and reading skills were examined for evidence of sex and ethnic bias. Eight sets of samples, four from each test, were randomly selected from the population (N=7287) of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students enrolled in a large, urban school district in the southwestern United States. Each set of samples, male/female, White/Hispanic, White/Black, and White/White, contained 800 examinees in the majority group and 200 in the minority group. In an attempt to control differences in ability that may have existed between the various population groups, examinees with scores greater or less than two standard deviations from their group's mean were eliminated. Ethnic samples contained equal numbers of each sex. The White/White sets of samples were utilized to provide baseline bias estimates because the tests could not logically be biased against these groups. Bias indices were then calculated for each set of samples with each of the three methods. Findings of this study indicate that the percent agreement between the Linn-Harnish IRT method and the chisquare and transformed difficulties methods is similar to that found in previous studies comparing the latter approaches with other IRT methods requiring large minority samples. Therefore, it appears that the Linn-Harnish IRT approach can be used in lieu of other more restrictive IRT methods. Ethnic bias appears to exist in the two tests as measured by the large mean bias indices for the White/Hispanic and White/Black samples. Little sex bias was found as evidenced by the low mean bias indices of the male/ female samples and the fact that the male/female mean bias indices were lower than those of the White/White in 33% of the samples.

The objectives of this study were to validate the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), to determine the construct equivalence and item bias of these instruments for employees in an earthmoving equipment industry in South &ca of different language groups, to determine the correlation between the MBI-GS and the OLBI, and to investigate the relationship between burnout and various demographic characteristics. A random sample of 326 employees in an earthmoving equipment industry of eight provinces in South Africa was taken. The MBI-GS, the OLBI and a biographical questionnaire were used as measuring instruments. Cronbach alpha coefficients, inter-item correlation coefficients, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and exploratory factor analysis were used to analyse the data The results showed that three factors of the MBI-GS and two factors of the OLBI exist for different language groups. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations confirmed the construct equivalence of the three factors of the MBI-GS and the two factors for the OLBI for different language groups. No evidence was found for uniform or non-uniform bias of the items of the MBI-GS or the OLBI for different language groups. Results indicated that no differences with respect to levels of burnout exist between various demographic characteristics. Recommendations were made for further research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.