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Empirically based methods of detecting retrospective malingering (i.e., the false assertion or exaggeration of physical or psychological symptoms reportedly experienced during a prior time period) are needed given that retrospective evaluations are commonplace in forensic assessments. This study's main objective was to develop and validate a focused, standardized measure of retrospective malingering. This objective was addressed by revising the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS), an established measure of current feigning. The SIRS' strategies were retained and its items modified to produce two new SIRS versions: The Retrospective Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (R-SIRS) and The Concurrent-Time Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (CT-SIRS). Forensic inpatients were used to test the R-SIRS (n = 25) and CT-SIRS (n = 26) which both showed good internal consistency and interrater reliability. The overall effectiveness of the R-SIRS and the CT-SIRS in the classification of malingerers and genuine patients was established in this initial validation study. Moreover, their classification rates were similar to those obtained by the SIRS. Pending additional validation, these measures are expected to increase the quality of forensic evaluations by providing the first standardized methods of assessing retrospective malingering.

The aim of this study is to explore different graders¡¦ concept of unknown and performance in solving equations in concrete situations. In recent years of early algebra research in the United States (Carraher, Schliemann, & Schwartz, in press), it was found that through systematic teaching, low and middle graders¡¦ algebra performance was better than the same or even higher graders without teaching. Therefore, semi-structured interview was adopted to collect data on three cases: a second-grader, a fifth-grader and a seventh-grader who were using textbooks that follow Grade one-nine Integrated Coordinate Curriculum in SY89. The interview questions included addition and subtraction CHANGE problems, as well as multiplication and division EQUAL GROUPS problems; with natural numbers below 20, and given in four types: one-step, two-steps mixed, relating two unknowns and comparing two unknowns. Data analysis was conducted by referring to three sources of data: protocols from interviews, children¡¦s problem-solving records and interviewer¡¦s observation records. Research findings were: all three cases that received guidance could use equations to express problems; ¡§Undoing¡¨ was the most frequently used problem-solving strategy; both second and fifth graders could simplify expressions by number properties in concrete situations; both fifth and seventh graders could check if answers were reasonable; the meaning of equal sign developed from ¡§finding the results of¡¨ to ¡§equality in measures¡¨; and, individual differences in ¡§trial and error substitution¡¨ among three cases. Such results were consistent to that of Carraher. It is suggested that, introducing early algebra in the elementary school is helpful to children¡¦s learning of formal algebra in the junior high school.

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the influence of interviewee social skill on the use and effectiveness of impression management (IM), as well as interviewers’ perceptions of the use of IM during the employment interview. One hundred and nine participants completed mock employment interviews for developmental purposes. An antecedent model whereby IM partially mediated the effect of social skill on interview performance was supported for observer-coded self-promotion. In contrast, a moderator model was supported for self-reported deceptive IM, as interviewees were more likely to positively influence their interview performance with the use of deceptive IM when they were high on social skill. In addition, although interviewers were mostly inaccurate in their perceptions of deceptive IM, social skill did not moderate the amount of agreement between self- and interviewer-ratings of IM. Implications for research and practice are discussed. / Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

Introduction: Innovations in modern medicine have led to the development of many effective laboratory tests for diagnosis and monitoring of disease. However, research suggests that 20-50% of tests may be inappropriately ordered. Test-ordering intervention development experts i.e. those staff at individual institutions who are tasked with designing different approaches to improving test-ordering practice, often have large datasets on the test-ordering practices within their jurisdiction as part of clinical care, but often have no clear guidance on how to choose which tests are worthy of intervention. These staff can include both clinicians and knowledge translation experts working in separately or in tandem to improve test-ordering behaviours at their institutions. The overall aim of this research is to build a prioritization framework to assist healthcare organizations in deciding which tests are worth targeting for intervention. Methods: The first stage of this project was a scoping review of the literature, the purpose of which was to determine the factors and processes used by intervention developers to choose which tests to target for intervention. Identification of these articles allowed for the descriptive analysis of the factors and processes reported in making the test-ordering decisions. The second stage involved semi-structured interviews with intervention development experts and contains information on their experiences with measuring and prioritizing among factors, as well as which processes they found to be most effective in making the decision on which tests to target for intervention. Results: By exploring all relevant guideline statements and related empirical studies, we gathered a wide range of factors to consider when deciding which test(s) to target for intervention. Overall, we identified 18 factors in our review and 30 in our interviews, highlighting the potential complexity of these decisions. While our studies were not the first to demonstrate that targeting tests is complex and that many factors must go into the decision of deciding which tests to target, our work has identified the most comprehensive range of factors available. We also explored processes reported by the studies that led to these decisions. Of the nine processes identified in our review, some were identified in a majority of cases (literature review, followed by clinical standard-implicit and consensus process), and other processes far more infrequently. Our interviews with relevant stakeholders demonstrated that the interviewees used 18 unique processes to decide which tests to target for intervention and helped to prioritize among the processes that are most effective in making these decisions. Conclusion: The current work prepares the way to develop a framework designed to help intervention developers choose which tests can most efficiently result in improved test-ordering processes. After additional interviews to ensure saturation of themes, we will be able to proceed with framework development, perhaps involving a consensus process of all relevant stakeholders. We hope to widely distribute our framework to assist intervention development experts working in a wide variety of milieus to help them decide which tests are worth targeting for intervention such that their respective institutions can provide the highest quality of care to patients.

The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-IV), specifically the disruptive behavior module for preschool-age children. The participants were 128 children (M = 4.43 years, SD = .54; Girls = 63) of African American (n = 37), European American (n = 41), Latino American (n = 38), and Mixed Ethnic (n = 12) background from Western Massachusetts. The overall internal consistency, concurrent validity, and predictive validity of the ADHD and ODD subsections were examined. Gender and ethnicity were examined as potential moderators of those as well. The DISC-IV and a behavior rating scale for teachers were administered at the beginning of the school year and the administration of the rating scale occurred again at end of the school year. The DISC-IV ADHD and ODD subsections exhibited acceptable overall internal consistency. The concurrent validity of the ADHD subsection was also found, but not for the ODD subsection. Most importantly, both DISC-IV subsections exhibited overall predictive validity, above initial teacher ratings. Partially supporting our hypotheses, ethnicity moderated the concurrent validity of the DISC-IV ADHD subsection, with DISC-IV scores of African American children having a stronger association with teachers’ ratings; boys also exhibited a stronger association than girls although not reaching significance. Also approaching significance, the DISC ADHD subsection appeared to predict year-end teacher ratings better for African American children than for European American and Latino American children. Overall, the DISC-IV was found to be a psychometrically reliable and valid diagnostic instrument for preschool-age children.

Scholars contend that media accountability to the public and professional stakeholders has been improving in recent years because of the increased use of digital platforms. Since most studies related to online news media accountability have focused on developed countries, this research study examines the state of accountability in online news media in Nepal, where access to online media is very limited and audiences are barely aware of media's journalistic responsibilities. By employing case study research method with three data sources, this research study assesses the state of online media accountability in Nepal, key challenges for ensuring accountability in journalism created using digital platforms, and the role of audiences in making online news media accountable. The study finds that Internet accessibility, media literacy, and availability of resources are the primary challenges to making media accountable in Nepal. The study concludes by offering recommendations for future research and practical applications.

Informal caregiving is growing in demand and is far from a uniform experience. Some caregivers report burdensome effects, while others attest to a wide range of benefits associated with their role. In the context of informal caregivers of persons affected by chronic neurological conditions (CNCs), psychological resilience is increasingly being explored as a protective factor that may account for variability in the caregiver experience; however, multiple sclerosis (MS) caregivers are noticeably absent from this body of work. To synthesize current evidence concerning resilience conceptualizations, assessments, and health correlates within this population, this thesis included a systematic review of resilience in CNC informal caregivers in which MS caregivers were unrepresented. Following this review, a qualitative study was conducted in informal MS caregivers to ascertain MS caregivers’ conceptualizations and unique lived experiences of resilience. Twenty-four semi-structured interviews of Canadian MS informal caregivers were conducted. Informed by the socioecological model of resilience in caring relationships, transcripts were analyzed using flexible thematic analysis. In support of the conceptual ambiguity of resilience, caregivers did not concur on a single resilience conceptualization. Emergent themes contributed to the creation of a cyclical model of resilience that incorporates adversity in the form of continuous loss and obstructed health-related self-care, individual and community resources, and multilevel adaptive pathways. We use our model to prompt future research directions and inform the development of effective resilience-enhancing interventions for MS caregivers.

This diploma thesis focuses on the role of the television channel VTV4 in lives of Vietnamese immigrants in the Czech Republic. It tries to clarify what are the functions of VTV4 and what it represents for its audience. The thesis is divided into theoretical, methodological and analytical parts. The theoretical part is compiled from Czech and foreign literature. At the beginning of this section it presents theories explaining functions of mass media in society. Then it describes the characteristics of Vietnamese immigrants in the Czech Republic and their internal differentiation. One of the most important chapters of the thesis is also a chapter describing VTV4, which briefly introduces its objectives, history, and also its program. The core of the thesis is the qualitative research conducted through semi-structured interviews. The methodology of the research is explained in detail in the methodology section. The aim was to find out from informants, which roles VTV4 plays in their lives whereby great attention is paid to differences in perception between the so-called the first generation of Vietnamese immigrants and the second generation. The analytical part composes of responses of informants from both groups. This part also contains the interpretation and the evaluation of the data obtained from...