Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Avoiding Cognitive Biases In Clinical Decision Making: Commentary On “Evidencebased Assessment As An Integrative Model For Applying Psychological Science To Guide The Voyage Of Treatment”, Anthony M. Tarescavage, Yossef S. Ben-Porath

2017 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Specific Learning Disability Assessment Of English Language Learners: An Investigation Of The Current Assessment Practices Of Utah School Psychologists, Jesika Lee Forbush

Theses and Dissertations

The landscape of education and the students served in schools has changed over the last few decades and is becoming more diverse (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). Methods of special education evaluation in schools are also changing to meet the needs of a dynamic population. Best practices for specific learning disability (SLD) identification recommend the use of effective evaluation methods that inform educational decisions. Many models of SLD identification have been proposed throughout the history of SLD classification. Though many school psychologists have relied on the discrepancy model of learning disability identification, many alternative evaluation methods are coming into …

The Measurement Properties Of The Spence Children's Anxiety Scale‐Parent Version In A Large International Pooled Sample Of Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Iliana Magiati, Jian Wei Lerh, Matthew J. Hollocks, Mirko Uljarevic, Jacqui Rodgers, Helen Mcconachie, Ann Ozsivadjian, Mikle South, Amy V. Van Hecke, Antonio Hardan, Robin Libove, Susan Leekam, Emily Simonoff

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Anxiety‐related difficulties are common in ASD, but measuring anxiety reliably and validly is challenging. Despite an increasing number of studies, there is no clear agreement on which existing anxiety measure is more psychometrically sound and what is the factor structure of anxiety in ASD. The present study examined the internal consistency, convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity, as well as the factor structure of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale‐Parent Version (SCAS‐P), in a large international pooled sample of 870 caregivers of youth with ASD from 12 studies in the United Kingdom, United States, and Singapore who completed the SCAS‐P. Most were …

Culturally Appropriate Assessment Of Functional Impairment In Diverse Children: Validation Of The Adhd-Fx Scale With An At-Risk Community Sample, Lauren Marie Haack, Alyson C. Gerdes

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: In an effort to reduce disparities in ADHD diagnoses and treatment across cultures, the current study sought to establish initial psychometric and cultural properties of the ADHD-FX: a culturally sensitive assessment measure of functional impairment related to ADHD for diverse families. Method: Fifty-four Latino parents (44 mothers and 10 fathers) of school-aged children completed the ADHD-FX, as well as several other measures assessing child behavior and parent acculturation. Results: The ADHD-FX demonstrated adequate reliability (as demonstrated by internal consistency and test–retest reliability), psychometric construct validity (as demonstrated by associations with theoretically related measures), and cultural validity (as demonstrated by …

Predicting Academic Performance On High-Stakes Tests: Development Of The Brief Behavior, Academic, And Social Screener (B-Bass), Trisha Danielle Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations

In order to develop the Brief Behavior, Academic, and Social Screener (B-BASS), an experimental measure for identifying students at risk for academic underachievement and for predicting performance on high-stakes tests, data were obtained from elementary teachers for 198 third- through fifth-grade rural elementary students in the Southeastern United States. Teachers provided ratings on items within the following global domains: cognitive ability, social/emotional traits, socioeconomic and family characteristics, and executive functions using a brief, practical, contextually appropriate format, one sensitive to local norms. Results reveal strong test-retest correlations (r indices > .95) and moderate to high inter-correlations among the items. Based …

Defining Problematic School Absenteeism Using Nonparametric Modeling, Kyleigh Kay Skedgell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Contemporary classification models of school absenteeism often employ a multitier approach for organizing assessment and treatment strategies. Researchers have yet to agree, however, on how to objectively define problematic school absenteeism and identify demarcation points for each tier. The present study aimed to inform a multitier approach by determining the most relevant risk factors for problematic school absenteeism. The most useful targets of assessment for problematic school absenteeism are also addressed. The present study examined problematic school absenteeism defined at three distinct cutoffs: 1%, 10%, and 15% of full school days missed. The present study evaluated interactions among several youth- …

Examining The Influence Of Demographic Differences On Children's Wisc-V Test Performance: A Canadian Perspective, Sarah E. Babcock

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Intelligence is a powerful correlate of human behaviours and characteristics, and has an important impact on many life outcomes including educational and career success, mental health, and longevity. Given the widespread influence, it is imperative that intelligence and intelligence tests are interpreted accurately. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of demographic differences on the intelligence test scores of Canadian children using the WISC-V. Drawing from the WISC V^CDN standardization data, the results suggest that ethnicity and socioeconomic status are significant predictors of IQ scores, and that differences in these variables significantly affect test performance. Further, …

Using O*Net To Develop A Framework Of Job Characteristics To Potentially Improve The Predictive Validity Of Personality Measures, Jeremy Burrus, Jason D. Way

Personnel Assessment and Decisions

It has long been theorized that we can improve prediction of job-related behavior from measures of personality by identifying job characteristics that allow for the expression of individual differences (e.g., Mischel, 1968). Using O*NET data, the current paper develops a framework for job characteristics that could improve the extent to which we can predict behavior from personality. More specifically, it investigates relationships between Work Styles, Generalized Work Activities, and Work Context variables. Job characteristics varied in importance as a function of four Work Styles composites: achievement, people orientation, stability, and attention to detail, and the relationships were largely …

What's More Important: Design Or Content? An Analysis Of The Impact Of Website Design And Argument Quality On Source Credibility, Luke David Salomone

Honors Program Projects

When evaluating information online or offline, two important aspects are considered by readers: the credibility of the source and the quality of the argument. It is well known that strong arguments are more persuasive than weak arguments of the same length (Petty and Cacioppo, 1984), and recent research has shown that in an online environment source credibility is determined by the reader in part by the design aspects of website (Lowry et al., 2013). Using a 2 (website quality: good vs bad) x 2 (argument quality: strong vs weak) ANCOVA with need for cognition (NFC) and disposition to trust as …

Training Parents In Descriptive Assessment And Function Identification, Makenzie Sip

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is often difficult for parents to address their child’s problem behavior. Children with special needs can display more frequent and intense problem behavior. Therefore, professionals need to help parents of children with special needs identify how to decrease their child’s problem behavior. Professionals help to decrease problem behavior by performing assessments called descriptive assessments to identify why the problem behavior is happening, and then using these assessments to create an appropriate plan of how to prevent and respond to the problem behavior. We examined if parents could be taught the skills necessary to perform descriptive assessments and then use …

A Comprehensive Computer Aided Tool For Evaluating Mid-Level Managers, Ryan Hankins

Honors Projects

This project is a case study for a tool which would test and evaluate users on managerial skills and industrial-organizational psychology concepts. The tool developed during this project is a proto-type for a virtual assessment center which would offer a lower cost alternative to in-person assessment centers. The virtual assessment center evaluates users on process skills and soft skills that have been shown to be associated with successful mid-level managers. The proto-type has a business game to measure process skills and two situational judgment tests to measure two dimensions related to soft skills. To implement the business game, the proto-type …

What's More Important: Design Or Content? An Analysis Of The Impact Of Website Design, Argument Quality, And Need For Cognition On Information Assessment, Luke David Salomone

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Author Abstract:

When evaluating information online or offline, two important aspects are considered by readers: the credibility of the source and the quality of the argument. It is well known that strong arguments are more persuasive than weak arguments of the same length (Petty and Cacioppo, 1984), and recent research has shown that in an online environment source credibility is determined by the reader in part by the design aspects of website (Lowry et al., 2013). Using a 2 (website quality: good vs bad) x 2 (argument quality: strong vs weak) ANCOVA with need for cognition (NFC) and disposition to …

A Statistical Examination Of Impaired Performances Across Concussion Screening Instruments, Kathryn Ann Ritchie

Master's Theses (2009 -)

It is well documented that healthy individuals routinely obtain impaired scores on neuropsychological tests, which confounds the differential diagnosis process. Relatively little is known regarding the rates at which healthy individuals obtain impaired scores on measures that are used to detect cognitive symptoms associated with sports related concussion (SRC). The current study generated expected rates of impaired performance on the Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics Sports Battery (ANAM), Immediate Post-Concussion and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), and Axon Sports (Axon) neurocognitive measures by conducting Monte Carlo analyses using data obtained from a large normative sample of amateur …

Teachers’ Experiences With A State-Mandated Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, Rachel E. Schachter, Tara M. Strang, Shayne B. Piasta

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

This study used an embedded mixed method design to examine teachers’ experiences with a state-mandated kindergarten readiness assessment during its inaugural year. Participants were 143 kindergarten teachers from one county in a Midwestern state. In general, teachers did not perceive the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment as useful for one of its intended purposes of guiding instruction. Our findings did not indicate an adversity to assessment in general. Rather, perceptions that the new KRA was less useful for practice seemed to stem from administration issues, problems with the content assessed by the KRA, and participants’ misunderstandings regarding the purpose of the KRA. …

Improving Assessment Of Race, Ethnicity, And Culture To Further Veteran Ptsd Research., Jane M. Onoye, Michele Spoont, Julia M. Whealin, Nnamdi Pole, Margaret Anne Mackintosh, James L. Spira, Leslie A. Morland

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objective: Racial and ethnic disparities in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its treatment have been documented for both civilians and military veterans. To better understand the presence of disparities and factors that might contribute to them, accurate assessment of race and ethnicity is critical; however there still remains unstandardized assessment and challenges to implementation. The authors highlight specific problems in the assessment of race and ethnicity in research, such as missing data, misclassification, classification categories too limited to reflect many peoples' social identities, and inappropriate aggregation of ethnoracial subgroups. Conclusions: A proposal is made for a minimal uniform assessment standard …

Role-Play Assessments As A Measure Of Parenting Skill, Scott A. Jensen, Carolynn Steiner

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

Various forms of assessments of parenting skill are used across studies including parent self-report, observations of parent and child interactions, and role-play assessments of parenting skill. Role-play assessments, though used in several studies, have not been sufficiently evaluated so as to understand their reliability and validity as measures of parenting skill. The current study compared repeated role-play assessments and parent– child interactions across 5 weeks for 4 parents. Consistency across role-play assessments was adequate (80%), but the variability of parent behavior with their own child across sessions (59% similarity) led to poor similarity with role-play assessments (63%). Findings suggest promise …

Hearing Loss And Verbal Memory Assessment In Older Adults, Christina G. Wong

Wayne State University Dissertations

Prior research has found that adults with hearing loss perform worse on cognitive testing than adults without hearing loss, and some studies have suggested that hearing loss is associated with dementia. Heavy emphasis on tests involving auditory stimuli for memory assessment may result in overdiagnosis of cognitive impairment in individuals with hearing loss. The present study compared visual and auditory versions of a verbal memory test among older adults with and without hearing loss. Forty-one adults with moderate-to-severe, sensorineural hearing loss (HL) and 41 age-matched adults with normal hearing (NH) participated. Age ranged from 55 – 80 years. They completed …

Invariant Two-Component Structure Of The Repeatable Battery For The Assessment Of Neuropsychological Status (Rbans), Elisabeth M. Vogt, Gregory D. Prichett, James Hoelzle

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status is a brief neurocognitive instrument used to evaluate cognitive functioning in clinical settings. Prior investigations of the factor structure have revealed subtle differences across samples. It was hypothesized that these differences are primarily the result of methodological decisions made by researchers. The present study utilized empirically supported extraction criteria (parallel analysis; minimum average partial procedure) and uniformly investigated 5 samples. RBANS data from 4 previously published studies (Carlozzi, Horner, Yang, & Tilley, 2008; Duff, Hobson, Beglinger, & O'Bryant, 2010; Duff et al., 2006; Wilde, 2006) were reanalyzed, and a new clinical …

A Review Of Contemporary Assessment Tools For Use With Transgender And Gender Nonconforming Adults, Grant P. Shulman, Natalie R. Holt, Debra A. Hope, Richard Mocarski, Joshua Eyer, Nathan Woodruff

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

There is increasing recognition of the need for culturally sensitive services for individuals who identify as transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC), and only recently have empirical studies appeared in the literature that inform best practices for TGNC people. Competent, culturally appropriate clinical services and research depend upon methodologically sound assessment of key constructs, but it is unclear whether appropriate self-report or clinician-rated assessment tools for adults exist. This article reviewed existing published measures to identify areas of strength as well as existing gaps in the available research. The search strategy for this systematic review identified any published article describing a …

Incremental Clinical Utility Of Adhd Assessment Measures With Latino Families, Margaret Grace, Theresa Lauer Kapke, Al Castro, Alyson C. Gerdes

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: This study examined the incremental clinical utility of parent and teacher reports of ADHD symptomatology and functional impairment in Latino youth, as well as parent and teacher agreement with the final clinical judgment on a diagnostic structured interview. Method: Participants included 70 Latino youth (47 males, 23 females; M age = 8.13 years, SD = 2.51 years) and their parents and teachers; 60 participants were diagnosed with ADHD. Correlations, percent agreement, kappas, and regressions were utilized. Results: Results demonstrated that teachers agreed with the final clinical judgment more often than did parents. Results additionally demonstrated that functional impairment did …

Confirmatory Factor Analysis Of The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire In Vegans And Omnivores, Sydney Heiss

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) has been shown to be a valid and reliable measure of eating-related pathology; however, the original four-factor structure has proven difficult to replicate in diverse samples of respondents. Based on the differences in dietary patterns in vegans that are often interpreted as indicative as greater eating disorder symptoms, proper measurement of eating disorder measures is especially important. The purpose of this study was to compare goodness-of-fit of five alternative models of the EDE-Q in a sample of vegans recruited from the community (i.e., individuals refraining from all animal products, n = 395) and undergraduate …

Attune With Baby: An Innovative Attunement Program For Parents And Families With Integrated Evaluation, Sara Beth Lohre

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Infants speak in their own language; sounds, screeches, cries, and howls that help them to communicate their caregiving needs. Unaware, parents may develop a checklist of caregiving approaches to the baby. The infant tells the adult directly what they need, and waits for the parent to respond. Infant talk may change from soft and quiet to loud and aggressive; coos and cries become crying and screams as the infant’s caregiver—communicating the intensity of emotion, urgency of their request, or their frustration with varied and sometimes inadequate, failed, or missing caregiving patterns the infant has no choice but to accept. When …

Multidimenional Assessment Of Parenting Across Three Developmental Stages, Justin Parent

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

BACKGROUND: The primary aim of the current study was to create a new measure of parenting practices, constituted by items from already established measures in order to advance the measurement of parenting practices in clinical and research settings. The current study utilized five stages designed to select only the best parenting items, establish a factor structure consisting of positive and negative dimensions of parenting, meaningfully consider child developmental stage, ensure strong psychometric properties, and provide initial evidence for the validity of the final measure.

METHODS: A total of 1,790 parents (44% fathers) were recruited online through Amazon's Mechanical Turk for …