Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / New scoring and test construction methods for emotional intelligence (EI) are suggested as alternatives for current practice, where most tests are scored by group judgment and are in ratings-based format. Both the ratings-based format and the proportion-based scores resulting from group judgments may act as method effects, obscuring relationships between EI tests, and between EI and intelligence. In addition, scoring based on standards rather than group judgments add clarity to the meaning of test scores. For these reasons, two new measures of emotional intelligence (EI) are constructed: (1) the Situational Test of Emotional Understanding (STEU); and (2) the Situational Test of Emotion Management (STEM). Following test construction, validity evidence is collected from four multi-variate studies. The STEU’s items and a standards-based scoring system are developed according to empirically derived appraisal theory concerning the structure of emotion [Roseman, 2001]. The STEM is developed as a Situational Judgment Test (SJT) with situations representing sadness, fear and anger in work life and personal life settings. Two qualitative studies form the basis for the STEM’s item development: (1) content analysis of responses to semi-structured interviews with 31 psychology undergraduates and 19 community volunteers; and (2) content analysis of free responses to targeted vignettes created from these semi-structured interviews (N = 99). The STEM may be scored according to two expert panels of emotions researchers, psychologists, therapists and life coaches (N = 12 and N = 6). In the first multi-variate study (N = 207 psychology undergraduates), both STEU and STEM scores relate strongly to vocabulary test scores and moderately to Agreeableness but no other dimension from the five-factor model of personality. STEU scores predict psychology grade and an emotionally-oriented thinking style after controlling vocabulary and personality test scores (ΔR2 = .08 and .06 respectively). STEM scores did not predict academic achievement but did predict emotionally-oriented thinking and life satisfaction (ΔR2 = .07 and .05 for emotionally-oriented thinking and .04 for life satisfaction). In the second multi-variate study, STEU scores predict lower levels of state anxiety, and STEM scores predict lower levels of state anxiety, depression, and stress among 149 community volunteers from Sydney, Australia. In the third multi-variate study (N = 181 psychology undergraduates), Strategic EI, fluid intelligence (Gf) and crystallized intelligence (Gc) were each measured with three indicators, allowing these constructs to be assessed at the latent variable level. Nested structural equation models show that Strategic EI and Gc form separate latent factors (Δχ2(1) = 12.44, p < .001). However, these factors relate very strongly (r = .73), indicating that Strategic EI may be a primary mental ability underlying Gc. In this study, STEM scores relate to emotionally-oriented thinking but not loneliness, life satisfaction or state stress, and STEU scores do not relate to any of these. STEM scores are significantly and meaningfully higher for females (d = .80), irrespective of gender differences in verbal ability or personality, or whether expert scores are derived from male or female experts. The fourth multi-variate study (N = 118 psychology undergraduates) distinguishes an EI latent factor (indicated by scores on the STEU, STEM and two emotion recognition ability measures) from a general cognitive ability factor (indicated by three intelligence measures; Δχ2(1) = 10.49, p < .001), although again cognitive ability and EI factors were strongly related (r = .66). Again, STEM scores were significantly higher for females (d = .44) and both STEU and STEM relate to Agreeableness but not to any other dimension from the five-factor model of personality. Taken together, results suggest that: (1) STEU and STEM scores are reasonably reliable and valid tests of EI; (2) EI tests assess slightly different constructs to existing measures of Gc, but more likely form a new primary mental ability within Gc than an entirely separate construct; and (3) the female superiority for EI tests may prove useful for addressing adverse impact in applied settings (e.g., selection for employment, promotion or educational opportunities), particularly given that many current assessment tools result in a male advantage.

This thesis addresses a topic which to date has not received any sustained attention within the field of health and social care. The thesis explores the understanding that lecturers in health and social care have of the nature of truth and how their conceptions of truth impact on their teaching and on their relationship with students. The study was conducted through interviews with nine lecturers, from five universities and several disciplines within health and social care, which allowed them to explore their understanding of truth in relation to their teaching. A phenomenological approach was employed, as this enabled the participants to describe the phenomenon of truth as it presented itself to them through their own lived experience and as it was imbricated in their teaching. In order to analyse the lived experience of the lecturers I used an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach because it is concerned with the interpretation of particular experiences of a phenomenon. One of the key findings that emerged from the analysis was that none of the lecturers believed that there was one version of truth but rather multiple truths or realities, often based on uncertainty rather than a certainty. The suggestion was that what was being taught in class was a theory of provisional validity rather than an absolute truth and this heavily influenced the way these lecturers saw their role within their students’ journeys towards their own versions of truth and authenticity. The study participants held that if students could become comfortable with questioning truth and accepting that more than one version of the truth exists, then they were enabled to deploy the art of critical evaluation and analysis within their own learning. Underpinning my analysis of my findings regarding the lecturers’ perceptions of their role in encouraging critical thinking and authenticity is the work of Barnet and Kreber. Barnet (2007) claimed that in order to become authentic, an element of critical thinking is required and Kreber (2013) builds on this when she suggests that authenticity is associated with being true to self in a critical social theory sense. Further key findings are very much related to the unique dimension of my study being placed within health and social care and include the connections between the nature of truth and matters such as: the participant’s identity as a health and social care professional and the influence this has on their teaching; how conceptions of truth impact on the health and social care knowledge base within the disciplines of the participants and how this discipline knowledge underpins their teaching; the relationship between the participants’ conceptions of the nature of truth and the professional attributes that feature in the participants’ teaching; and how the understanding of the nature of truth links into the health and social care curricula. The thesis concludes by discussing implications for theory and practice that appear to flow from the findings of this study.

xviii, 147 p. A print copy of this title is available from the UO Libraries, under the call number: KNIGHT LB1131 .P64 2008 / Identifying children with developmental delays or disabilities as early as possible is a growing concern and has increased focus on the development of valid, reliable screening tools. The previous editions of the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) have been investigated and found to be valid and reliable for screening children at risk for delay and in need of further evaluation. This study examined the psychometric properties of a newly revised third edition, including the utility of the addition of a "monitor" scoring category with preschool age children. Participants included 59 child/parent dyads ages 45-65 months with either no known risk factors ( n = 39) or one or more risk factors ( n = 20). Results from data analyses evaluating the psychometric properties were promising. Validity was investigated by examining concurrent validity using the Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2 nd Edition (BDI-2). Classifications (i.e., "typically developing" or "identified") of child's performance based on the domain scores of the ASQ were compared to the classifications of the child's performance based on total developmental quotient scores of the BDI-2. Percentage of agreement between classifications (91%) was computed. Based on BDI-2 and ASQ agreement, specificity was 91%, sensitivity 100%, and positive predictive value 20%. Reliability was examined with test-retest, inter-observer, and internal consistency. Intraclass correlations (ICC) and percent agreement were used to calculate test-retest and inter-observer reliability. ICC for test-retest ranged from .29 to a .88 when comparing individual domain scores from time one to time two. Percent agreement was calculated by comparing classifications at time one to classifications at time two, with 96% agreement. ICC for inter-observer reliability ranged from .22 to 1.00, with a percent agreement of 100%. Internal consistency means were calculated at: communication .66, gross motor.70, fine motor.52, problem solving .35, and personal-social .61. Results from the analyses addressing the utility of a "monitor" scoring category and using learning activities suggested that (a) parents and teachers found the activities easy to understand and use, and (b) the learning activities would be effective with a child scoring in this category. / Adviser: Jane K. Squires

The prominent use of DIBELS as a screening and placement tool has provided schools and districts the ability to implement interventions and best practices for students, particularly in the primary grades. Although many studies have highlighted the predictive validity of oral reading fluency (ORF) to anticipate reading performance, few have extended that research to examine the performance of ethnic and economic subgroups as compared to non-minority peers. Disaggregating the data to study specific populations can expose whether ORF's relationship with reading comprehension depends on group membership and ultimately improve the quality of the assessment. This study examines the predictive validity of DIBELS ORF for two types of comprehension scores within a racially and ethnically diverse second grade cohort.

The purpose of this study is to examine the evidence underlying the claim that scores from CampusReady, a diagnostic measure of student college and career readiness, are valid indicators of student college and career readiness. Participants included 4,649 ninth through twelfth grade students from 19 schools who completed CampusReady in the 2012-13 school year. The first research question tested my hypothesis that grade level would have an effect on CampusReady scores. There were statistically significant effects of grade level on scores in two subscales, and I controlled for grade level in subsequent analyses on those subscales. The second, third and fourth research questions examined the differences in scores for subgroups of students to explore the evidence supporting the assumption that scores are free of sources of systematic error that would bias interpretation of student scores as indicators of college and career readiness. My hypothesis that students' background characteristics would have little to no effect on scores was confirmed for race/ethnicity and first language but not for mothers' education, which had medium effects on scores. The fifth and six research questions explored the assumption that students with higher CampusReady scores are more prepared for college and careers. My hypothesis that there would be small to moderate effects of students' aspirations for after high school on CampusReady scores was confirmed, with higher scores for students who aspired to attend college than for students with other plans. My hypothesis that there would be small to moderate relationships between CampusReady scores and grade point average was also confirmed. I conclude with a discussion of the implications and limitations of these results for the argument supporting the validity of CampusReady score interpretation as well as the implications of these results for future CampusReady validation research. This study concludes with the suggestion that measures of metacognitive learning skills, such as the CampusReady survey, show promise for measuring student preparation for college and careers when triangulated with other measures of college and career preparation.

In the current era of high stakes testing, educators use curriculum-based measures (CBMs) and large-scale benchmark assessments to inform instruction and monitor student performance. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, The No Child Left Behind Act, and Race to the Top all require annual testing in grades 3 through 8 in mathematics and reading. Therefore, educators need appropriate assessments to make valid inferences about instruction and students' current level of performance as well as risk. Consequently, construct validity is essential for both CBMs and large-scale tests to ensure they appropriately identify students' current level of performance in reading and math, particularly in making inferences about proficiency (Adequate Yearly Progress). This study of third grade students explored the construct validity of a state math test by correlating it with both math and reading CBMs and determining the sensitivity and specificity of the CBM in predicting performance on the state test. Results indicated a positive correlation and predictive relation between both CBM math and reading with the Oregon statewide benchmark assessment in mathematics at third grade. Regression analysis showed the strength of the predictive relation of CBM in the identification of students' current level of performance increased with the addition of CBM reading to the CBM math. A receiver operator characteristics analysis indicated that CBM math and CBM reading (passage reading fluency and vocabulary) consistently predicted students who were on target to meet grade-level benchmarks on the statewide assessment. The study adds to the construct validity research on math and reading CBMs. The results may inform assessment development and accommodations needed to assess math content without the reading construct interfering with the interpretation of the results. In addition, it may be useful for educators seeking to identify students who are "at risk" for making grade level progress in mathematics.

O comportamento de liderança do treinador pode maximizar a performance do atleta ou até prejudicá-la, considerando os pontos de vista técnico e interpessoal. Uma das escalas mais utilizadas para avaliar comportamento de liderança é a LSS, proposta por Chelladurai e Saleh (1980). Porém, os estudos realizados com esta escala não exploraram as subdimensões intrínsecas destes comportamentos, além disso, verifica-se uma carência de escalas elaboradas no contexto brasileiro que considerem as idiossincrasias culturais e que avaliem, precisamente, e de forma independente, suas dimensões. Os objetivos da tese foram: propor e testar a validade de um novo instrumento de medida de liderança do treinador no contexto esportivo brasileiro, baseado no Modelo Multidimensional de Liderança no Esporte, identificando em cada uma das escalas de medida, da bateria que avalia o comportamento de liderança no esporte, a sua estrutura subjacente e qualidades psicométricas. Participaram do estudo 572 atletas, masculino = 410; feminino = 162, com idades variando de 13 a 35 anos ( = 15,79±3,17 anos), praticantes de modalidades individuais e coletivas. Dois instrumentos foram utilizados: um questionário Bio-Sócio-Demográfico e o segundo instrumento referente ao Comportamento de Liderança do Treinador, no qual cada dimensão foi composta por 10 itens formulados positivamente e com uma escala de concordância do tipo Likert, compreendida em 5 pontos, iniciando em “discordo fortemente” (1) até “concordo fortemente” (5). Cinco estudos foram conduzidos, testando separadamente cada dimensão: (1) treino e instrução, (2) comportamento democrático, (3) comportamento autocrático, (4) suporte social e (5) feedback positivo, no sentido de identificar quantos e quais são os fatores intrínsecos ou latentes em cada dimensão, verificando, também a adequação do modelo desenvolvido, inerente à escala de medida da dimensão aos dados disponíveis. Por fim, avaliou-se a confiabilidade dos resultados pelas medidas de precisão de cada uma das dimensões, em cada escala de medida. Os procedimentos estatísticos foram baseados em análises fatoriais exploratórias, confirmatória e modelagens de equação estrutural exploratória, assim como, cálculos de consistência interna, sendo todas as análises realizadas com base em matrizes policóricas. De modo geral, os resultados da bateria de testes para avaliar o comportamento de liderança do treinador evidenciaram variâncias explicativas das dimensões entre 35% e 57,12%, com índices de ajustamento absoluto, parcimonioso, comparativo e de correção considerados satisfatórios, demonstrando que os dados disponíveis se ajustam adequadamente aos modelos hipotéticos dos construtos avaliados. Os valores das medidas de precisão avaliadas foram satisfatórios, revelando que os itens em cada dimensão são consistentes entre si, representando uma medida precisa e de coerência interna do construto e de sua dimensão. Conclui-se o modelo de equação estrutural testado confirma, satisfatoriamente, a existência de cinco dimensões, com dois fatores de segunda ordem, consistentes e precisos na medida explicativa do Comportamento de Liderança do Treinador. / Coach's leadership behaviour can maximize the athlete's performance or even harm her, considering the technical and interpersonal viewpoints. One of the most widely used scales to evaluate leadership behaviour is LSS, proposed by Chelladurai and Saleh (1980). However, studies conducted with this scale have not explored the intrinsic subdimensions of these behaviors, in addition, there is a shortage of scales drawn up in the Brazilian context that consider our cultural idiosyncrasies and that they evaluate precisely and independently of their dimensions. The goals of the thesis were: propose and test the validity of a new trainer measurement instrument in the Brazilian sporting context, based on the multidimensional model of leadership in the sport, identifying in each of the measurement scales, the battery that evaluates leadership behavior in the sport, its underlying structure and psychometric qualities. Participated in the study 572 athletes, male = 410; Female = 162, with ages ranging from 13 to 35 years ( = 15,79±3,17), practitioners of individual and collective modalities. Two instruments were used: a bio-socio-demographic questionnaire and the second instrument for coach's leadership behaviour, in which each dimension was composed of 10 positively formulated items and with an agreement scale of type Likert, comprised of 5 points, starting "strongly disagree" (1) up to "strongly agree" (5). Five studies were conducted, testing separately each dimension: (1) training and instruction, (2) democratic behaviour, (3) autocratic behaviour, (4) social support and (5) positive feedback, in order to identify how many and what are intrinsic or latent factors in each dimension, checking, also the adequacy of the developed model, inherent to the scale of measurement of the dimension to the available data. Finally, the reliability of the results was evaluated by the precision measurements of each of the dimensions, on each measurement scale. The statistical procedures were based on exploratory factorials analyses, confirmatory and modelling structural equations, as well as internal consistency calculations, all analyses conducted based on policóricas matrices. Overall, the results of the test battery to evaluate the leadership behaviour of the trainer demonstrated the variances of the dimensions between 35% and 57.12%, with absolute, thrifty, compared and correction indices considered fairly satisfactory, demonstrating that the available data fits appropriately to the hypothetical models of the evaluated constructs. The values of the measured precision measurements were satisfactory, revealing that the items in each dimension are consistent with each other, representing an accurate measurement and internal coherence of the construct and its dimension. It is concluded that the model of structural equation tested satisfactorily confirms the existence of five dimensions, with two second-order factors, consistent and precise in the explanatory measure of the trainer's leadership behaviour.

A presente tese de doutorado trata da proposição de uma bateria de testes de medida de conteúdos pedagógicos (CP) no contexto de competições esportivas infantojuvenis. Foram considerados os CP do esporte mais citados pela literatura especializada: o desenvolvimento das habilidades motoras (HM), estratégico-tático (ET), socioeducativo (SE), de autonomia (Au), afetivo-social (AS) e democratização (De). A avaliação do quanto as competições esportivas contribuem para o desenvolvimento destes CP passa pela proposta de um novo instrumento de medida. Deste modo, esta tese teve como objetivo demonstrar as primeiras evidências de validade de uma bateria de testes de medida do favorecimento ao desenvolvimento de CP no esporte infantojuvenil, a qual é composta por seis escalas independentes, relativas a cada um dos CP: HM, ET, SE, Au, AS, De. Para tanto, no primeiro artigo, foi realizado uma revisão integrativa sobre estudos que apresentaram evidências de validade de instrumentos relacionados aos CP selecionados. Foi identificada a inexistência de modelos multidimensionais que avaliassem CP ou que tivessem a competição como elemento central da análise. No segundo artigo, foi elaborada a primeira versão da Bateria de Testes Gonçalves- Balbinotti de Favorecimento ao Desenvolvimento de Conteúdos Pedagógicos (BTGB-CP) e foram realizados cálculos de validade de conteúdo dos itens e da escala total para as dimensões Clareza de Linguagem (CL) e Pertinência Prática (PP), bem como medida a Dimensionalidade Teórica (DT) de cada item segundo a opinião de juízes-avaliadores bateria ficou reduzida a 59 itens com índices de validade de conteúdo (CVCCL = 0,942; CVCPP = 0,953) e concordância entre juízes (KDT = 0,822) satisfatórios. No terceiro artigo, foram estimadas as estruturas internas, testadas a estabilidade das estruturas internas e, por fim a fidedignidade de cada uma das seis escalas. Para tanto, foram executadas Modelagens de Equação Estrutural Exploratórias (ESEM) utilizando matrizes de correlação policóricas e foram computadas as consistências internas segundo os cálculos Alpha padronizado. Os resultados se mostraram satisfatórios conforme a estabilidade de suas respectivas estruturas e consistências internas. Por fim, no quarto artigo, foi proposto um novo modelo teórico-explicativo multidimensional, o qual foi testado a partir dos dados disponíveis. As correlações entre construtos demonstram a pertinência do modelo, a qual é suportada pelos índices de medida da estabilidade da estrutura do modelo segundo os dados disponíveis. Esta tese contribui, primeiramente, por demonstrar evidências de validade de seis escalas inéditas, as quais preenchem lacunas na avaliação de conteúdos pedagógicos. Ainda, contribui no ponto de vista teórico ao apresentar um detalhado modelo teórico-explicativo do construto geral relativo ao favorecimento ao desenvolvimento de CP no contexto esportivo infantojuvenil. / The present doctoral thesis deals with the proposition of a battery of measurement tests of pedagogical contents (PCs) in the context of youth sporting competitions. There were only considered the most evoked PCs of sports in the specialized literature: motor skills (MS), strategic/tactical (ST), socio-educative (SE), autonomy (Au), affective-social (AS) developments and democratization (De). The evaluation whether sporting competitions contribute to the development of these PCs comes after the proposition of a new measurement instrument. Thus, this thesis aimed to demonstrate the first evidences of validity of a battery of measurement tests of PCs’ development favoring in youth sports, which is composed by six independent scales, one for each PC: MS, ST , SE, Au, AS, De. Therefore, in the first article, an integrative review regarding studies, which presented evidences of validity of instruments related to the PCs, was carried out. It was identified a lack of multidimensional models which could evaluate PCs or that had sporting competitions as a central element of the analysis. In the second article, the first version of the Gonçalves-Balbinotti Battery of Tests of Pedagogical Contents’ Development Favoring (BTGB-CP) was elaborated and there were held the content validity calculations for each item and for the whole scale according to Language Clarity (LC), Practical Pertinence (PP) as well as Theoretical Dimensionality (TD) dimensions according to judges’ opinions. The battery was reduced to 59 items with satisfactory content validity (CVCLC = 0,942; CVCPP = 0,953) and judges agreement (KDT = 0,822) indices. In the third article, there were estimated the internal structures, tested the internal structures’ stability and the reliability of each one of the six scales Therefore, Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) using polychoric correlations were held and computed the internal consistency according to standardized Alpha. Results were satisfactory according to their respective internal structures and consistencies, indicating the relevance of the scales use. Lastly, in the fourth article, it was proposed a new theoretical-explanatory multidimensional model, which was tested based on the available data. Correlations between constructs demonstrate the model relevance, which is supported by the indices related to the model structure stability obtained with the available data. This thesis contributes, first, by demonstrating validity evidences of six new scales, which fill blanks regarding the evaluation of PCs. Furthermore, contributes from the theoretical point of view by presenting a detailed theoretical-explanatory model of the general construct related to PCs’ development favoring in the context of youth sports.

The bus industry is plagued by high accident costs and risks of passenger injuries. A bus simulator may offer a method of reducing accident rates by delivering targeted training to bus drivers who are most at risk. The first part of this thesis describes the design of the UK's first bus simulator, the fidelity of which was based on a thorough analysis of bus crashes. The second part describes the first studies in a multi-staged method to evaluate the training effectiveness of the simulator: face validity, effects of bus driver experience and stress on simulated performance and simulator sickness. This approach ensured that the ABS has a reasonable level of fidelity, is capable of eliciting behaviourally valid responses from bus drivers and is the first step is achieving training transfer effectiveness. The final study investigated the occurrence of self-bias in bus drivers. The conclusions drove the design of simulated scenarios to be used for bus driver training. Keywords: Bus, Simulator, Fidelity, Validity, Accidents, Driving, Stress, Training

Este estudo objetivou realizar a tradução e adaptação cultural do instrumento Global Appraisal of Individual Needs - Initial, e calcular seu Índice de Validade de Conteúdo. Foi realizado um estudo do tipo metodológico, que obedeceu aos procedimentos internacionais recomendados pela literatura. O instrumento foi traduzido para o português em duas versões, que foram analisadas e deram origem à síntese das traduções, sendo esta submetida à avaliação de um Comitê de quatro juízes doutores especialistas na área de álcool e outras drogas. Após a incorporação das sugestões desses juízes ao instrumento, este foi retrotraduzido, sua versão em português e sua retrotradução para o inglês foram ressubmetidas à avaliação dos juízes e também dos desenvolvedores do instrumento original, sofrendo novamente alterações que resultaram na versão final do instrumento, o Avaliação Global das Necessidades Individuais - Inicial. O Índice de Validade de Conteúdo do instrumento foi de 0,91, considerado válido pela literatura. Concluiu-se que o instrumento Avaliação Global das Necessidades Individuais - Inicial é um instrumento adaptado culturalmente para o português falado no Brasil, entretanto o instrumento não foi submetido a testes com a população-alvo, o que sugere que sejam realizados estudos futuros que testem sua confiabilidade e validade. / This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the instrument Global Appraisal of Individual Needs - Initial, and calculate its Content Validity Index. We conducted a study of methodological type, following the procedures recommended by the international literature. The instrument was translated into Portuguese in two versions, which were analyzed and originated the synthesis of the translations, which was evaluated by a committee of four judges with PHD degree, specialists in the field of alcohol and other drugs. After incorporating the suggestions of those judges to the instrument, it was backtranslated, and its Portuguese version and its back-translated into English were re-submitted to the same judges and also the developers of the original instrument, undergoing changes again, resulting in the final version of the instrument the Global Assessment of Individual Needs - Home. The Content Validity Index of the instrument was 0.91, considered valid by the literature. We concluded that the Global Assessment of Individual Needs - Initial is a culturally adapted instrument for the Portuguese spoken in Brazil, however, the instrument has not been tested with the target population yet, which suggests future researches to test its reliability and validity.