The aim of this article was to analyze the construct validity and reliability of the Love Attitude Scale (LAS, Hendrick & Hendrick, 1986). The sample consisted of 381 undergraduate students (61.7 % of them women) between the ages of 17 and 25 years old. The LAS and the I- PANAS - SF (adapted by Gargurevich, 2010) that evaluates positive and negative affect were applied. The exploratory factor analysis resulted in six factors (Eros, Ludus, Storge, Pragma, Mania and Ágape), that explained 47.87 % of the total variance. The correlations between the score of Eros and Pragma styles and positive affect were positive and significant; while Manía and Ludus styles had positive and significant relationships with negative affect. Reliability by the method of internal consistency of the six factors found was from .62 to .85; while the stability coefficients for test- retest method were .44 to .77. These results allow concluding that the LAS and their scores are valid and reliable to measure attitudes toward love in the college population of Lima. / El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la validez de constructo y la fiabilidad de la Escala de Actitudes sobre el Amor (Love Attitudes Scale [LAS]) de Hendrick & Hendrick (1986). La muestra estuvo compuesta por 381 estudiantes universitarios de Lima, Perú, (61.7 % mujeres) de entre 17 y 25 años de edad. Aparte del LAS, se aplicó el I-PANAS-SF adaptado por Gargurevich (2010), el cual evalúa el afecto positivo y negativo. Como resultados, el análisis factorial exploratorio del LAS arrojó una solución de seis factores (Eros, Ludus, Storge, Pragma, Manía y Ágape) que explicaron el 47.87 % de la varianza total. Las correlaciones entre las puntuaciones de los estilos Eros y Pragma y el afecto positivo fueron positivas y significativas; mientras que los estilos Manía y Ludus tuvieron correlaciones positivas y significativas con el afecto negativo. Utilizando el método de consistencia interna, la fiabilidad de los seis factores encontrados fue de .62 a .85; mientras que con el método testretest, los coeficientes de estabilidad fueron de .44 a .77. Estos resultados permiten concluir que el LAS y sus puntuaciones son una medida válida y fiable para medir las actitudes hacia el amor en la población de universitarios de Lima, Perú.

One of the fundamental underlying assumptions of selection procedures is that the information gathered from applicants is accurate, and thus, will predict performance on the job (Donovan, Dwight, & Schneider, 2014; Schmitt & Sinha, 2011). As self-report instruments such as paper-and-pencil tests and unsupervised online surveys become more prevalent in organizational selection contexts (Truxillo & Bauer, 2011) due to ease of use and cost efficiency, the concern of applicants faking responses to inaccurately portray themselves as more highly desirable is increasingly critical (Hough, Oswald, & Ployhart, 2001). Depending on the exact magnitude of the particular selection event, this compromise of validity may cost an organization just as much as they stand to gain from an accurate self-report selection tool. The aim of this study is to test the viability of a video game platform designed to aid personnel selection by reducing faking. This thesis first outlines the most widely assessed predictors of job performance and briefly review the state-of-the-science of personality research in the context of employee selection. Then, a review of faking, drawing upon a model of faking proposed by McFarland & Ryan (2000), describes the impact it has on employee selection based on personality tests. Drawing upon Malone’s (1981) theory of intrinsic motivation as well as Sweller’s (1994) theory of cognitive load, I proposed the use of a video game platform as a counter-measure to faking selection assessments. Results suggest that participants are less able to fake personality assessments when assessed via video games as compared to online surveys.

The purpose of the present dissertation was to evaluate the internal validity of symptoms of four common anxiety disorders included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition (text revision) (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000), namely, separation anxiety disorder (SAD), social phobia (SOP), specific phobia (SP), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), in a sample of 625 youth (ages 6 to 17 years) referred to an anxiety disorders clinic and 479 parents. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were conducted on the dichotomous items of the SAD, SOP, SP, and GAD sections of the youth and parent versions of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (ADIS-IV: C/P; Silverman & Albano, 1996) to test and compare a number of factor models including a factor model based on the DSM. Contrary to predictions, findings from CFAs showed that a correlated model with five factors of SAD, SOP, SP, GAD worry, and GAD somatic distress, provided the best fit of the youth data as well as the parent data. Multiple group CFAs supported the metric invariance of the correlated five factor model across boys and girls. Thus, the present study’s finding supports the internal validity of DSM-IV SAD, SOP, and SP, but raises doubt regarding the internal validity of GAD.

When examinees with the same ‘ability’ take a test, they should have an equal chance of responding correctly to an item irrespective of group membership. This logic in assessment is known as measurement invariance. The lack of invariance of the item-, bundle-, and test-difficulty across different subgroups indicates differential functioning (DF). The aim of this study is to advance our understanding of DF by detecting, predicting and explaining the sources of DF by gender in a mathematics test. The presence of DF means that the test scores of these examinees may fail to provide a valid measure of their performance. A framework for investigating DF was proposed, moving from the item-level to a more complex random-item level, which provides a theme of critiques of limitations in DF methods and explorations of some advances. A dataset of 11-year-olds of a high-stakes National mathematics examination from England was used in this study. The results are reported in three journal publication format papers. The first paper addressed the issue of understanding nonuniform differential item functioning (DIF) at the item- level. The nonuniform DIF is investigated because it is a possible threat when common DIF statistics sensitive to uniform DIF may indicate no significant DIF. This study differentiates two different types of nonuniform DIF, namely crossing and noncrossing DIF. Two commonly used DIF detection methods, namely the Logistic Regression (LR) procedure and the Rasch measurement model were used to identify crossing and noncrossing DIF. This paper concludes that items with nonuniform DIF do exist in empirical data; hence there is a need to include statistics sensitive to crossing DIF in item analysis. The second paper investigated the sources of DF via differential bundle functioning (DBF) because this way we may get a substantive explanations of DF - without which we do not know if DF is ‘valid’ or ‘biased’. Roussos and Stout’s (1996a) multidimensionality-based DIF paradigm was used with an extension of the LR procedure to detect DBF. Three qualitatively different content areas: test modality, curriculum domains and problem presentation were studied. This paper concludes that DBF in curriculum domains may elicit construct-relevant variance, and so may indicate 'real' differences, whereas problem presentation and test modality arguably includes construct-irrelevant variance and so may indicate gender bias. Finally, the third paper considered item-person responses as hierarchically nested within items. Hence a two-level logistic model was used to model the random item effects, because otherwise it is argued that DF might be over-exaggerated and may lead to invalid inferences. This paper aimed to explain DF via DBF comparing single-level and two-level models. The DIF effects of the single-level model were found to be attenuated in the two-level model. A discussion of why the two different models produced different results was presented. Taken together, this thesis shows how validity arguments regarding bias should not be reduced to DF at item-level but can be analysed on three different levels.

The LOOK is an iPad-based application that measures sexual interest. It does this by recording the amount of time individuals take to view and rate the attractiveness of images of fully clothed people from differing age, gender, and racial demographics. Viewing-time measures, such as the LOOK, operate under the assumption that individuals view sexually attractive images longer than they view images that they deem unattractive or sexually non-preferred. Although there is research to show the efficacy of these kinds of tests, there is a lack of research supporting the assumption that viewing-time correlates strongly with reported ratings of sexual preferences. This study analyzed existing data from the LOOK to assess the nature of this correlation and how it varies across gender groups. The results of this analysis found that a moderately sized correlation did exist between time spent rating the image (Rate-time) and the subsequent rating of sexual attraction (Ratings) in most age and gender categories. However, for both men and women, these correlations were significantly weaker or were negative in target categories (those categories in which they rated the highest amount of sexual attraction). Additionally, cluster analysis indicated two clusters within both the male and female participant groups that had significantly different mean Rate-time, mean Ratings, and correlation coefficients. Given these results, the viewing-time theory that Rate-time is strongly associated with sexual attraction is questionable. A greater understanding of what viewing-time measures truly assess will require additional research.

In the world of work, psychological instruments are often used for the purposes of selection and development (Van de Vijver & Rothmann, 2004). According to Van der Merwe (1999), psychological tests are commonly used to determine whether employees have the necessary skills for a specific job. However, much controversy still exists about the use of such instruments, particularly in the multicultural South African context, as not all psychometric tests accommodate individuals from different cultures and different socio-economic and educational backgrounds. The objective of this study was to assess the structural validity of the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQi) developed by Bar-On. The EQi measurement consist of 133 items and was completed by a total of 1 104 participants in the South African insurance sector drawn by means of convenient sampling. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed, from which only nine factor loadings resulted out of an anticipated fifteen. Overall, the factor loadings did not provide a good representation of the Bar-On theoretical model. In addition, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test if the data fitted the Bar-On EQI theoretical model. The results suggest a poor fit and therefore the structural validity of the EQI can be questioned for the respondents from an insurance company. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Human Resource Management / MCom / Unrestricted

Objective: To test the construct validity of a low cost, low fidelity vitreoretinal surgical simulator Design: Construct validity study. Six microsurgical dexterity tasks, performed on a low cost vitreoretinal surgical simulator, were graded using a scoring rubric designed to assess microsurgical dexterity. Tasks one and two were dominant hand exercises, tasks three-five required bimanual dexterity and task six assessed visualization through a retinal viewing system The scores of a novice group (Ophthalmology residents who had never performed a pars planar vitrectomy) were compared to an expert group (Vitreoretinal surgeons who had performed in excess of 20 pars planar vitrectomies). Scores were graded via video recordings of the tasks, by blinded independent graders using a scoring rubric. Participants: The novice group of surgeons included 8 ophthalmology residents training at the Groote Schuur hospital department of Ophthalmology. The expert group of surgeons included 5 vitreoretinal surgeons working at the Groote Schuur hospital department of Ophthalmology, and 2 vitreoretinal surgeons working in the private sector in Cape Town, South Africa. Results: Expert surgeons performed significantly better( P=< 0.05) than the novice surgeons across all six microsurgical dexterity tasks. Greater differences were seen in bimanual tasks(tasks three-five) and in task six that was designed specifically to assess the surgeon's ability to ensure good visualisation through a retinal viewing system. Conclusions: The microsurgical dexterity tasks performed on This low cost, low-fidelity vitreoretinal surgical simulator can distinguish between novice and expert retinal surgeons demonstrating significant construct validity. Its use can be encouraged in the training of novice vitreoretinal surgeons.

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Introduction and objectives: COVID-19 has generated negative consequences for people's mental health. This is the case of Peru, one of the Latin American countries most affected by the pandemic. In this sense, the objective of the study was to translate and validate the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) into Spanish. Material and method: The participants were 704 university students of health sciences (Mage = 23.39 years, SD = 3.45) who were administered the CAS in Spanish, the Mental Health Inventory-5 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 item. The CAS was translated into Spanish using the forward and backward method. Reliability and evidence of validity based on internal structure and relationship with other variables were examined. Results: The factor analysis confirmed the one-dimensional factor structure of the CAS (χ2 = 7.62, df = 5, p = .18, χ2 / gl = 1.52, CFI = .99, RMSEA = .03 [90% CI. 00,. 06]; SRMR = .02, WRMR = .52); In addition, the factor loadings were large and significant (from. 68 to. 87). The five CAS items showed acceptable corrected total test item correlations (from. 64 to. 74). Reliability due to internal consistency was good (ω = .89; αordinal = .89). The validity evidence based on the relationship with other CAS variables was supported by the positive correlation with depression (r = .52, p < .01) and negative with subjective well-being (r = -.50, p < .01). Furthermore, depression mediates the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and subjective well-being (bootstrap value = -. 24, 95% CI = -. 28, -. 20). Conclusion: The Spanish version of the CAS has evidence of validity and reliability to measure anxiety by COVID-19 in a sample of Peruvian university students.

The Institute for Test Research and Test Development (ITT) has provided complimentary Vocabulary Size Tests (VST) in 15 languages to language learners and their teachers, measuring their own or their learners’ receptive and productive vocabulary sizes. This report examines in detail and on a large empirical basis the validity and reliability of these tests.