Direct Magnitude Estimation Scales in Public Opinion Surveys

Direct magnitude estimation scales, patterned after S. S. Stevens'swork in psychophysics, provide precise, reliable measures. Theuse of the scales in three surveys demonstrates that they canbe used in telephone surveys of a general population. Becausethe scales are relatively easy to construct, the researcheris able to go into the field more quickly than if he had developedscales through other methods. Since respondents arrange thestimuli on the scale, rather than have the researcher structurethe stimuli into categories for respondents, the measures arerelatively free of researcher predispositions and bias. Thescales' most important use is in providing measures that canbe used in theory building. Researchers should benefit fromdata that allow one to use powerful statistical techniques withoutviolating data assumptions.     

PERSONAL AUTHORITY IN THE FAMILY SYSTEM: DEVELOPMENT OF A QUESTIONNAIRE TO MEASURE PERSONAL AUTHORITY IN INTERGENERATIONAL FAMILY PROCESSES*

This paper reports a series of studies on the development of the Personal Authority in the Family System (PAFS) questionnaire. The PAFS questionnaire is designed to measure family processes based on aspects of current intergenerational family theory (Williamson, 1981, 1982b). Eight scales which measure concepts such as differentiation/fusion, intimacy/isolation, and personal authority/intimidation in the three-generational context comprise the questionnaire. Study 1 indicates that the scales have good internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. Correlations with other measures of family processes provide validity for some of the PAFS scales. Study 2 confirms the underlying factor structure of the PAFS questionnaire and supports the construct validity of the scales. Implications for intergenerational family theory and applications in research and clinical practice are discussed.     

Differences and similarities in men's and women's sexual self-schemas

In the last 10 years, researchers have developed separate rating scales for men and women that purport to measure a person's thoughts about their sexual self or sexual self-schema. While these scales are promising, there are some problems intrinsic to these measures. This study addresses these concerns and tests a combined measure for use among both men and women, while retaining internal consistency and a factor structure similar to the women's scale. Having both men and women complete the same scale permitted a comparison of how men and women think about their sexual selves. In this study, gender differences netted a small effect, with men scoring lower on both the loving/warmth and reserved/conservative factors compared to women. Results are discussed in terms of future research with this new scale and the meaning of gender differences along these dimensions.     

Differences and Similarities in Men's and Women's Sexual Self-Schemas

In the last 10 years, researchers have developed separate rating scales for men and women that purport to measure a person's thoughts about their sexual self or sexual self-schema. While these scales are promising, there are some problems intrinsic to these measures. This study addresses these concerns and tests a combined measure for use among both men and women, while retaining internal consistency and a factor structure similar to the women's scale. Having both men and women complete the same scale permitted a comparison of how men and women think about their sexual selves. In this study, gender differences netted a small effect, with men scoring lower on both the loving/warmth and reserved/conservative factors compared to women. Results are discussed in terms of future research with this new scale and the meaning of gender differences along these dimensions.     

Understanding weaknesses in bullying research: How school personnel can help strengthen bullying research and practice

School personnel (teachers, administrators, counselors, staff, and social workers) would greatly benefit from a stronger understanding of bullying dynamics. In order to heighten their understanding, we must strengthen bullying research. Despite more than 40 years of bullying research, a number of methodological weaknesses continue to plague the field of bullying. First, there is a lack of a common definition of bullying, making it difficult to compare results across studies. Second, some researchers use one-item measures of bullying, a practice that lacks content validity and fails to assess the entire scope of the bullying dynamic. Third, many measures fail to assess all forms of bullying. Fourth, researchers often fail to provide a definition of bullying or to even include the word “bullying” in their measures, thus conflating the measurement of bullying and aggression. Finally, most scales measure the prevalence of bullying and fail to assess the motivations for bullying or reasons why youth are bullied or bully others. The current article provides an overview of these five weaknesses present in bullying research, presents possible solutions, and discusses implications for school personnel.     

Parents and grandparents of deaf children in Ecuador: concerns and expectations

Despite a growing number of anthropological studies of deaf communities, little attention has been paid to how socioeconomic and cultural factors influence the experiences and the concerns of hearing parents of deaf and hearing-impaired (DHI) children. This study draws on interviews with parents (and some grandparents) of DHI children in Ecuador, a country marked by profound inequality but also by considerable recent progress in poverty reduction and enhanced provisions for people with disabilities. Despite progress, many carers are nevertheless critical of the way in which new measures have been implemented, and of the schooling available to their child. They are also worried by their child’s vulnerability, the likelihood of discrimination, and the possibility of abuse.     

A COMPARISON OF THE McMASTER AND CIRCUMPLEX FAMILY ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS*

This study compared clinical rating scales and self-report scales from the McMaster and Circumplex models of family functioning. Forty-one families were given self-report measures, while clinicians assessed the families using clinical rating scales. There are three main findings: (a) The McMaster instruments have superior sensitivity (i.e., ability to correctly identify clinical families based on instrument scores); (b) there is greater correspondence between clinical rating scales and family member self-report inventories on the McMaster instruments; (c) there is lack of support for the curvilinear model of pathology suggested by the Circumplex model, as evidenced by unequal and linear distribution of scores on the Circumplex dimensions.     

Personal and social drinking motives, family drinking history, and problems associated with drinking in two university samples.

Two drinking motives scales, Negative Personal (NP) motives and Positive Social (PS) motives, derived from Mulford and Miller's Definitions of Alcohol Scales, and a Negative Family Models (NFM) scales designed to reflect family modeling of drinking-related problems were evaluated for internal consistency and association with college students' scores on a drinking-related Social Complications (SOCCOMP) scale. In both initial (n = 553) and cross-validation (n = 293) samples, all four scales demonstrated high internal consistency. Multiple regressions of NP, PS, and NFM scales, together with measures of quantity and frequency of drinking on SOCCOMP for both samples, yielded highly significant multiple R's, confirming the additive association of these measures with problem drinking outcomes. An unanticipated finding of positive associations between PS drinking motive and SOCCOMP is reported.     

Item-response-theory analysis of two scales for self-efficacy for exercise behavior in people with arthritis

Benefits of physical activity for those with arthritis are clear, yet physical activity is difficult to initiate and maintain. Self-efficacy is a key modifiable psychosocial determinant of physical activity. This study examined two scales for self-efficacy for exercise behavior (SEEB) to identify their strengths and weaknesses using item response theory (IRT) from community-based randomized controlled trials of physical activity programs in adults with arthritis. The 2 SEEB scales included the 9-item scale by Resnick developed with older adults and the 5-item scale by Marcus developed with employed adults. All IRT analyses were conducted using the graded-response model. IRT assumptions were assessed using both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The IRT analyses indicated that these scales are precise and reliable measures for identifying people with arthritis and low SEEB. The Resnick SEEB scale is slightly more precise at lower levels of self-efficacy in older adults with arthritis.     

Statusmasse light: Statusskalen bei unzureichenden Berufsangaben

Using prestige and SES measures requires information on the occupation performed. Because gathering and coding this information is time consuming and expensive, appropriate data are often missing. This article presents proxy-scales that may be used in this situation. These scales are derived from original status measures on the basis of commonly available variables. After presenting the derived status scales their validity is examined. It turns out that they capture approximately half of the variance of the original measures. Using a simple status attainment model, the utility of the derived status scales is demonstrated. Finally, we discuss how the scales may be adjusted to other data structures.     

The meaning of patient satisfaction with prepaid primary health care in Israel

This paper reports the development of a self-administered Hebrew-language questionnaire for assessing patient satisfaction with primary care in Israel. Four scale measures of patient satisfaction were empirically constructed. These scales pertained to doctor conduct, doctor-patient communication, teamwork, and ease of access. In addition, a single direct question was used to measure overall satisfaction with the care. Ratings of all aspects of care were negatively skewed, with doctor-conduct and doctor-patient communication usually being the most satisfactory aspects and access the least satisfactory. It was shown that different practices, or the same practice at different points in time, can easily and meaningfully be compared, using mean satisfaction scores, measures of standard deviation, or percentages in each practice with ratings above (or below) the overall mean of all practices. The use of specific measures of patient satisfaction for comparison and intervention is discussed.     

The construction and psychometric properties of an instrument measuring support for sexual rights

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of an attempt to construct and examine the psychometric properties of an instrument that measures support for the 11 sexual rights formulated by the World Association of Sexology. Since international conferences held in the mid‐1990s, a new approach to sexual issues has been promoted by health professionals, sex educators, and human rights advocates. This approach emphasizes the empowerment of individuals and examines sexual health concerns within a human rights framework. Goals of a sexual rights approach have been to promote awareness and advocacy of sexual issues and especially to facilitate the work toward better sex education and sexual health services. Analysis of reliability and validity data from two university samples (n = 388 and n = 175) indicated that the majority of the sexual rights scales have acceptable psychometric properties. This paper concludes with a discussion of ways to improve the scales for future use and the need to validate the scales using samples that allow generalizability of findings.     

THE IMPACT OF HIGH-TECH CAPITAL ON PRODUCTIVITY: EVIDENCE FROM AUSTRALIA

This article examines the relationship between high-tech capital use and productivity. Using Australian data, some evidence is found of a positive relationship between high-tech capital use and productivity in the market sector, but there is much less evidence of excess returns. These results are robust to the use of a variety of different measures of high-tech capital. At the industry level however, the relationship is significant and positive for only some industries. This suggests that the benefits of investment in high-tech capital are not spread evenly across the economy. (JEL O3 )     

Testing the validity of social capital measures in the study of information and communication technologies

Social capital has been considered a cause and consequence of various uses of new information and communication technologies (ICTs). However, there is a growing divergence between how social capital is commonly measured in the study of ICTs and how it is measured in other fields. This departure raises questions about the validity of some of the most widely cited studies of social capital and ICTs. We compare the Internet Social Capital Scales (ISCS) developed by Williams [2006. On and off the ’net: scales for social capital in an online era. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(2), 593–628. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00029.x] – a series of psychometric scales commonly used to measure ‘social capital’ – to established, structural measures of social capital: name, position, and resource generators. Based on a survey of 880 undergraduate students (the population to which the ISCS has been most frequently administered), we find that, unlike structural measures, the ISCS does not distinguish between the distinct constructs of bonding and bridging social capital. The ISCS does not have convergent validity with structural measures of bonding or bridging social capital; it does not measure the same concept as structural measures. The ISCS conflates social capital with the related constructs of social support and attachment. The ISCS does not measure perceived or actual social capital. These findings raise concerns about the interpretations of existing studies of ‘social capital’ and ICTs that are based on the ISCS. Given the absence of measurement validity, we urge those studying social capital to abandon the ISCS in favor of alternative approaches.     

The construction and psychometric properties of an instrument measuring support for sexual rights

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of an attempt to construct and examine the psychometric properties of an instrument that measures support for the 11 sexual rights formulated by the World Association of Sexology. Since international conferences held in the mid-1990s, a new approach to sexual issues has been promoted by health professionals, sex educators, and human rights advocates. This approach emphasizes the empowerment of individuals and examines sexual health concerns within a human rights framework. Goals of a sexual rights approach have been to promote awareness and advocacy of sexual issues and especially to facilitate the work toward better sex education and sexual health services. Analysis of reliability and validity data from two university samples (n = 388 and n = 175) indicated that the majority of the sexual rights scales have acceptable psychometric properties. This paper concludes with a discussion of ways to improve the scales for future use and the need to validate the scales using samples that allow generalizability of findings.     

Analysis of 0 to 10-point response scales using factorial methods: a new perspective

This paper analyses the implications of using survey response scales with 10 or more categories which are often analysed using factorial techniques such as principal components analysis. Although it is the type of metric that determines the choice of this method of analysis, these scales, despite being considered metric, lack some metric properties, such that a score of 10 in a satisfaction survey, for example, does not represent twice the satisfaction of a score of 5. Their ordinal nature also means they cannot be treated as purely categorical. Thus, having both metric and categorical properties, they allow the use of different factor analysis techniques. The second objective is to apply different factorial techniques to a given test item in order to detect potential differences in the analytical information obtained by each method. Finally, we will discuss their relative advantages and disadvantages for use with this type of survey question.     

Psychosocial correlates and depression in Vietnamese adolescents

This paper reports findings on depression in a sample of 38 Vietnamese adolescents. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the empirical use of psychosocial variables and stressful life event measures in predicting depression. Self-esteem (Esteem) and SLEs scales were entered in blocks and explained for 68 percent of the total variance in depression (CES-D scale). Esteem accounts for 30 percent of the overall variance. The SLE block contributes another 39 percent above and beyond in the prediction of depression. Death, PTSD, and Peer stress scales were significant predictors (p<.01). The mean CES-D depression score was 16.32 (SD=10.95). A cutoff score of 16 was used to classify those adolescents who were depressed from those who were not depressed (Radloff, 1977).     

Emotional abuse and emotional neglect subscales of the CTQ: Associations with each other, other measures of psychological maltreatment, and demographic variables

The goal of this study was to explore the conceptual distinctness between the constructs of emotional abuse and emotional neglect. This was achieved through a comparison of the emotional abuse and the emotional neglect subscales of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The two scales were compared with respect to each other, demographic variables, and other measures of psychological maltreatment. Two hundred and fifty three employees at a social service agency completed five scales of adult recall of childhood psychological maltreatment including the CTQ-EA subscale and the CTQ-EN subscale. Results revealed moderate associations between the two scales, strong associations with other measures of psychological maltreatment, and a mixed pattern of associations with demographic variables. Data suggest considerable but not complete overlap between these two subscales. Directions for future research are discussed.     

The Development and Validation of the Couple and Relationship Education Attitudes Index: Results from Two Studies

As relationship educators work to reach more participants for their programs, they often face challenges with recruitment and retention. The theory of planned behavior, along with research, posits that attitudes are often predictive of behavior, and that attitudes toward education and help-seeking can be varied by unique contexts. This paper reports on the development and validation of an index that measures attitudes toward couple relationship education (CRE). The two scales within this index (benefits of CRE & CRE is not a good fit) assess how comfortable individuals are with CRE. The results from two studies support the validation of the index and show how CRE attitudes are linked to relational factors and a measure of intentions to attend CRE, using the scales within the index. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

Strengths, uses and problems of global scales as an evaluation instrument

A global scale can provided means for integrating a variety of client/patient assessment techniques to complement each other in a useful manner. Global scales have been applied to service planning and evaluation as well as being useful for the on-going communication of clients' clinical/functioning status. Global scales are attractive to many service programs because of their apparent ease of implementation and their apparent face validity. Furthermore, there is an extensive body of literature describing global scales as hightly reliable and valid when properly implemented and maintained. The literature also suggests that there are some serious pitfalls. While initial implementation of a global scale is easy, the maintenance of a reliable, valid and useful scale appears to require their active use in treatment planning, treatment review and clinical supervision processes. It also requires that more extensive multidimensional ratings be made at intake, review and termination. Furthermore, staff training and development sessions two or three times a year are needed to surface and deal with differences in clinician ratings. Given these sorts of supports, then, a global scale has been demonstrated as a useful tool in service program management as well as clinical process and outcome studies, including studies of cost effectiveness. Since the major use of a global scale is as an integrating construct, a quantitative model is offered to describe the relationship between global scale ratings and multidimensional facets influencing the global ratings.