Question-order effects in social network name generators

Social network surveys are an important tool for empirical research in a variety of fields, including the study of social capital and the evaluation of educational and social policy. A growing body of methodological research sheds light on the validity and reliability of social network survey data regarding a single relation, but much less attention has been paid to the measurement of multiplex networks and the validity of comparisons among criterion relations. In this paper, we identify ways that surveys designed to collect multiplex social network data might be vulnerable to question-order effects. We then test several hypotheses using a split-ballot experiment embedded in an online multiple name generator survey of teachers’ advice networks, collected for a study of complete networks. We conclude by discussing implications for the design of multiple name generator social network surveys.     

Measuring social networks cross-culturally

This paper explores the reliability and validity of a cross-cultural survey approach to network measurement using data from two ethnic groups in rural West Africa. Over a 2-week test-retest period, no significant differences in network size were detected. Network composition was less stable over the same period, particularly among peripheral versus core network members. Comparisons with support networks identified through lifecycle interviews and 24 h recall support the construct validity of the survey approach in both ethnic groups.     

Interorganizational network findings from a nationwide cardiovascular disease prevention initiative

ObjectivesTo use network analysis in order to evaluate the effectiveness of interorganizational networks in implementing policy, systems, and environmental interventions for cardiovascular disease prevention throughout the United States.MethodsEvaluators conducted an interorganizational network (ION) survey to examine information sharing and joint planning within organizational relationships in 15 community-based cardiovascular disease prevention partnership networks. Density and betweenness centrality scores at the node- and network-level were calculated for each partnership network using UCINET© network analysis software. Common data patterns were then extracted using a multiple case study format.ResultsNetwork density scores ranged from 0.50 to 1.00 (M = 0.84, SD = 0.14) for information sharing and 0.43–1.00 (M = 0.77, SD = 0.15) for joint planning. Centralization indices ranged from 0.00 to 0.11 (M = 0.04, SD = 0.03), and 0.00-0.17 (M = 0.06, SD = 0.05), respectively. Overall, 73.33 % of communities were successful in meeting their partnership goals.ConclusionsWhen planning and implementing interorganizational networks, high betweenness centrality and more hierarchically structured networks were identified as the most salient partnership characteristics to programmatic success. The network findings were triangulated with previously published qualitative data to provide context. These findings provide valuable insight on how national networks can be designed and leveraged to implement systematic community health projects.     

Ökologische Validität durch Mixed-Methods-Designs

Due to their focus on variable-oriented comparisons and large-N samples, survey methods are prone to lack information on the context-specific, practical meaning of measured constructs. This issue is explicated via the concept of “ecological validity”. A sequential quantitative-qualitative mixed-methods-study on anti-American prejudice in Germany is presented to demonstrate how semi-structured qualitative interviews (n = 22) can compensate for lacking ecological validity in standardized prejudice measurements (CATI-survey, n = 808, summer 2011). Qualitative analyses provide context-sensitive insight into the rhetorical functions of anti-American speech. They are used to generate explanatory hypotheses for correlations between anti-American, anti-Semitic, and racist prejudice in the survey data. This complementarity of research methods is closely connected to an enhanced theoretical perspective: The combination of attitude-based and speech-act-theoretical concepts of prejudice helps to increase construct validity in the example study.     

Readings in Evidence-Based Social Work

Abstract

This article describes the development, validity, and reliability of the Parent Empowerment and Efficacy Measure (PEEM). Development was guided by theory and by challenges faced by Pathways to Prevention family support staff who required a short, practical, and reliable measure of parent empowerment. The measure's psychometric properties were tested using data from 866 parents of children aged 5 to 12, living in high to low socioeconomic status areas. Principal factor analysis revealed a strong general dimension with high internal consistency (α = 0.92) that correlated at 0.60 or more with three validation measures, as well as the existence of two hypothesised subfactors (correlated at 0.78): efficacy to parent and efficacy to connect, each with internal consistencies of 0.85+. Test–retest reliability (n = 200) was 0.84. PEEM exhibits excellent convergent and concurrent validity and is a reliable tool for use in planning services, monitoring participant progress, and evaluating program effectiveness.     

Advancing Social Capital Measurement: Using General Social Survey Cycles to Develop an Efficient Survey Instrument

The General Social Survey (GSS) has provided significant insight about the state of societies around the world through the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). Although broadly applicable, in this study the context for developing a new social capital survey instrument covers the Canadian GSS since 1985. Questions in the GSS are often used by researchers who are interested in specific questions or themes for use in some form of re-sampling. Given significant social and relational themes, GSS cycles from 1985 to 2013 were reviewed using a social capital framework to produce a new Social Capital GSS survey instrument. A process of vetting and sorting questions led to development of a 41 question instrument that includes 16 demographic and context variables and 25 social network and trust variables. After testing and refinement, the instrument was used with a randomly sampled group across selected East Hamilton Census Tracts that are differentiated by median income and a standard deviation above and below respectively (n?=?97).     

Assessing the Validity and Reliability of the Perceptions of the Consent to Sex Scale

Although sexual assault prevention education tends to focus on consent promotion as a means to reduce rates of sexual assault, little is known about how college students consent to sexual activity. The current study aimed to better understand college students' consent via the systematic development of the Consent to Sex Scale (CSS), utilizing mixed methods via three phases and two waves of data collection. In Phase 1, qualitative data were collected from college students (n = 185) to provide a foundation for item writing. In Phase 2, closed-ended items were written for a quantitative instrument and reviewed by a team of experts. In Phase 3, a quantitative survey, including items written in Phase 2, was administered to college students (n = 685); the measure was assessed for its psychometric properties. Exploratory factor analysis was utilized, resulting in a five-factor solution. The CSS and corresponding factors demonstrated high internal consistency reliability and expected gender differences, supporting the construct validity of the measure. The CSS assesses college students' cues for indicating consent to sex, a construct not addressed by previous measures. The validated scale may be useful in future research to better understand how consent relates to other behaviors or constructs.     

Reliability and validity of egocentered network data collected via web: A meta-analysis of multilevel multitrait multimethod studies

Our goal in this article is to assess reliability and validity of egocentered network data collected through web surveys using multilevel confirmatory factor analysis under the multitrait multimethod approach.In this study, we analyze a questionnaire of social support of Ph.D. students in three European countries. The traits used are the frequency of social contact questions. The methods used are web survey design variants.We consider egocentered network data as hierarchical; therefore, a multilevel analysis is required. Within and between-ego reliabilities and validities are defined and interpreted.Afterwards, we proceed to a meta-analysis of the results of the three countries where within and between-ego validities and reliabilities are predicted from survey design variables which have to do with question order (by questions or by alters), response category labels (end labels or all labels) and lay-out of the questionnaire (graphical display or plain text). Results show that question order by questions, all-labeled response categories and a graphical display lay-out with images lead to a better data quality. Our basic approach consisting on multilevel and meta-analysis can be applied to evaluate the quality of any type of egocentered network questionnaire, regardless of the data collection mode.     

The Four Es 1-Year Later: A Tool for Predicting the Development of Gambling Problems

The Four Es is a 40-item scale measuring psychological risk for the development of problem gambling behavior. One-year follow-up interviews (n = 395) from a previously reported phone survey in Queensland, Australia (n = 2,577) (Rockloff & Dyer, 2006) tested the ability of the Four Es instrument to prospectively identify persons who would later develop gambling problems. Two groups of participants were selected for the 1-year follow-up interviews, including (1) persons who had gambling problems, high-risk alcohol abuse problems, and/or substance abuse problems (abuse group); and (2) a random selection of other persons from the original survey (random group). The results indicated that the “Excess” trait, which measures impulsive behavior, was predictive of relative increases in gambling problems for both groups over the 1-year period. Additionally, the Four Es questionnaire showed good psychometric properties in the surveys, with a test-retest reliability of r = .70 and a Cronbach’s alpha reliability of α = .90 and .92 in the original and follow-up interviews, respectively.     

Social embeddedness in a harmonized Europe: the social networks of European migrants with a native partner in Belgium and the Netherlands

Although intra‐European migration is often considered relatively easy to realize given European citizens' right to freedom of movement, settlement in another European country can still be experienced as socially disruptive. Insights in the insertion processes of European migrants, nevertheless, remain rather scarce. In this study, we analyse the social networks of European nationals with a native partner in Belgium and the Netherlands. The analysis is based on survey data from the EUMARR project (n = 576). First, we study the size and composition of European migrants' local family and friendship networks, and the frequency of contact with these networks. Second, we connect intra‐EU movers' insertion routes to investments in transnational networks in their home country. The results reveal how size, composition and contact with the local and transnational network change over time. Children help to maintain contact with both the local and transnational family network and form a bridge for parents to meet own friends in the host country. Moreover, having own friends and own family around matters for contact frequency with the local networks.     

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.     

Predicting data quality of proxy reports in egocentric network studies

Egocentric network studies and many general population surveys rely on proxy reports about network contacts of study participants that are asked in name interpreter questions. A central concern is the extent to which proxy reports match the answers these contacts would give themselves if they would be directly interviewed. Based on the theory of survey satisficing, the present research proposes a theoretical framework that allows predicting when proxy reports are likely to match self-reports. Congruence is higher if respondents possess the motivation and ability to answer a proxy question effortfully, and if the task is not too difficult. Moreover, the theory of survey satisficing states that motivation, abilities, and task difficulty are not independent of each other, which provides an explanation for inconsistent findings in the literature. Results from two egocentric network studies study among German adults (N = 756) and among Dutch middle school students (N = 679), in which network contacts were also interviewed, are in line with these hypotheses. Design recommendations for egocentric network studies are provided.     

The impact of respondent attentiveness on reliability and validity

This study aims to assess whether respondent inattentiveness causes systematic and unsystematic measurement error that influences survey data quality. To determine the impact of (in)attentiveness on the reliability and validity of target measures, we compared respondents from a German online survey (N = 5205) who had passed two attention checks with those who had failed. Our results show that inattentiveness induces both random and systematic measurement error, which impacts estimates of the reliability and validity of multi-item scales. In addition, we conducted a sensitivity analysis, which revealed that the impact of inattentiveness on analyses can be substantial.     

Evaluating a Measure of ‘Social Orientation’ of Chinese Students in Social Work: Developing its Reliability and Validity

This study examines the reliability and validity of a measure of ‘social orientation’ indigenously developed from Chinese students of social work in Hong Kong. By administering two tests with Chinese social work students (n = 293 and n = 304) at associate degree level, the measure achieves strong internal consistency with r>0.75 and test–retest consistency with r>0.63. The instrument also has strong validity by attempting factor analysis of items generated from qualitative data in in‐depth interviews. The development of this indigenous measure of ‘social orientation’ will contribute to an understanding of the authoritarian, relationship and ‘other’ orientation of Chinese social work students. The authors propose that this will be a crucial factor in influencing the response of Chinese students towards different teaching and learning approaches in social work education.     

Multidimensional Resilience: Predictive and Construct Validity of the Individual,Family, and Community Resilience Profile

Few measures parallel the robust depth offered in the existing multidimensional and ecologically informed theories of resilience. This study sought to evaluate the test–retest reliability, construct, and predictive validity of the individual, family, and community resilience resource profile (IFCR-R). The IFCR-R measures a family’s access to resilience resources and protective factors across multiple ecological levels. Confirmatory factor analysis was used with a sample of n?=?810 low-income families. And 159 families completed multiple time point measures for test–retest reliability and predictive validity evaluation. Results of this study support the proposed multidimensional ecological structure of the IFCR-R and found that the IFCR-R offers an acceptable test–retest reliability and predictive validity for outcomes of mental and physical health.     

Investigating the factor structure and validity of the family empowerment scale for parents of children with emotional disturbance in middle school

Parent empowerment involves the ability of caregivers to meet the needs of their family while maintaining feelings of control and is particularly important for families of children at-risk. It is necessary to establish reliable and valid tools to measure parent empowerment. The purpose of this study was to examine the internal factor structure, score reliability, and convergent validity of the FES scores with caregivers of middle school youth who had an Individualized Education Plan for Emotional Disturbance (ED) or Other Health Impairment (OHI) due to emotional or behavioral needs. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the internal structure the FES. Score reliability was examined by computing coefficient alpha (Cronbach, 1951) for each subscale score and computing Coefficient omega and coefficient omega hierarchical for good-fitting factor models and bifactor models. Convergent validity was examined by generating composite scores for each subscale, followed by computing Pearson correlations between FES subscale scores and scores from the PAM, CGSQ and the SDQ. Results indicated that the hypothesized three-factor model fit the data adequately. FES scores were reliable based on coefficient alpha and omega, and evidence of convergent validity with measures of parent activation, caregiver strain, and child behavior were moderate to strong. The results support the use of the FES with parents of middle school youth who have ED and further validate the three factor structure identified in the initial measure development. Practical and clinical implications of these findings include support for the use of the FES with this particular group of parents.     

Faculty abstracts

Background. The Aging Males' Symptoms scale (AMS) is an internationally used scale to analyse health related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of this paper is to provide evidence that the Nigerian AMS scale measures HRQoL with similar accuracy as in other language versions. We also intended to show the severity of complaints of aging in males in advanced old age. More generally, we aim to demonstrate that the Nigerian AMS scale is an applicable, validated, sensitive instrument to measure HRQoL in Nigeria.

Material. We performed a representative survey in Nigeria to get data of the AMS scale in a group of males in old age. The survey was a household-based population sample conducted in March 2006. The Nigerian data were compared with existing data from other European countries. Only community-based data were used for this comparison.

Results and discussion. The internal structure of the AMS (factorial analysis) was sufficiently similar with the comparison group of other countries in Europe to conclude that the scale really measures the same phenomenon. The sub-scores and total score correlations were high (0.8–0.9) but lower among the sub-scales (0.4–0.8). This suggests that the domains are not fully independent. The reliability (consistency) was found to be good and almost identical with European countries.

Mean scores of the Nigerian AMS did systematically differ from data of other European studies. There were much higher because of older age. The same applies for the population reference values obtained in Nigeria. It is the first time that population norm values are available for very old age.

Conclusion. The Nigerian AMS scale is a standardized HRQoL scale that showed good psychometric characteristics (reliability, validity) similar to other international versions. We suggest that the results obtained with the Nigerian AMS scale should be used preliminarily as reference for ‘norm values’ for highest age, i.e. in absence of other data. Confirmation in future studies is needed.     

Boolean analysis of questionnaire data

The principle of Boolean analysis is to look for entailments between variables in a questionnaire. If all the respondents answering “yes” to the question X answers “yes” to the question Y, we note the entailment X → Y. Boolean algebra generalizes this approach. A questionnaire of n binary variables generates a set of 2ⁿ possible patterns of response. These patterns generate a Boolean algebra. If only some of the possible patterns are present, the bipartition in this set defines a Boolean equation, the solutions of which are entailments. Usually we use approximations of this structure to analyse a questionnaire. A presentation of the method is given here with application to sociological data.     

A study of sign adjustment in weighted signed networks

We analyse the adjustment of networks comprising of weighted positive (P) and negative (N) symmetric relations under the impact of various balancing rules. Five kinds of rules are studied: (1) a local minimal edge adjustment which is a special case of, (2) a local pressure based rule, (3) a local sign based rule, (4) a global rule and (5) rules varying on a local to global dimension. The convergence and convergent proportions of different 3-cycles and, thus the impact upon β(3) balance, under the different kinds of adjustment rule are studied both analytically and through simulation. The effects of network size (n), density (d) and the initial proportion of positive edges (α₀) upon the convergence of 3-cycles and, thus, balance and the eventual implications for the process of group formation are explored.     

Social network structure and the trade-off between social utility and economic performance

We put forward a computational multi-agent model capturing the impact of social network structure on individuals’ social trust, willingness to cooperate, social utility and economic performance. Social network structure is modeled as four distinct social capital dimensions: degree, centrality, bridging and bonding social capital. Model setup draws from socio-economic theory and empirical findings based on our novel survey dataset. Results include aggregate-level comparative statics and individual-level correlations. We find, inter alia, that societies that either are better connected, exhibit a lower frequency of local cliques, or have a smaller share of family-based cliques, record relatively better aggregate economic performance. As long as family ties are sufficiently valuable, there is a trade-off between aggregate social utility and economic performance, and small world networks are then socially optimal. We also find that in dense networks and trustful societies, there is a trade-off between individual social utility and economic performance; otherwise both outcomes are positively correlated in the cross section.