Quantitative Psychology Commons^™

Examining Construct Stability Across Career Stage Cohorts, Deborah L. Kinney

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to evaluate construct stability of the same certification test taken at different points in a test taker's career, taking into account changes is experience over time. A single medical certification exam administration was used to analyze the construct stability of the certification exam across testing cohorts at varied stages in their medical careers. The Rasch model was used for item analysis to calibrate the difficulty hierarchy of the exam items for each cohort. Correlations between the item difficulty hierarchies for each cohort supported the overall construct stability of the certification exam. Individual item function …

A Construct Validity Study Of Differentiation Of Self Measures And Their Correlates, Mary Jane Maser

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

.

Prediction Of Air Traffic Controller Trainee Selection And Training Success Using Cognitive Ability And Biodata, Karen D. Fox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has experienced decreased return on investment caused by hiring too many air traffic controller specialists (ATCSs) who performed poorly in field training, thus failing to become certified professional controllers (CPCs). Based on Schmidt and Hunter's theory of job performance and biodata theory, this quantitative, archival study examined whether factors of cognitive ability and biodata could predict job performance status of 2 generations of ATCSs, poststrike (PS) and next generation (NG) controllers. For each generation of controllers, binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine if any of the independent variables---transmuted composite (TMC) score for PS …

Improving The Detection Of Narcissistic Transformational Leaders With The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire: An Item Response Theory Analysis, Dale Frederick Hosking Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Narcissistic transformation leaders have inflicted severe physical, psychological, and financial damage on individuals, institutions, and society. Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) has shown promise for early detection of narcissistic leadership tendencies, but selection criteria have not been established. The purpose of this quantitative research was to determine if item response theory (IRT) could advance the detection of narcissistic leadership tendencies using an item-level analysis of the 20 transformational leadership items of the MLQ. Three archival samples of subordinates from Israeli corporate and athletic organizations were combined (N = 1,703) to assess IRT data assumptions, comparative fit of competing IRT models, item …

When Does Fidelity Matter? An Evaluation Of Two Medical Simulation Methods, Nneka Joseph

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Job or task simulations are used in training when the use of the real task is dangerous or expensive, such as flying aircraft or surgery. This study focused on comparing two types of simulations used in assessments during a Clinical Performance Examination of third-year medical students: computer enhanced mannequins and standardized patients. Each type of simulation has advantages, but little empirical work exists to guide the use of different types of simulation for training and evaluating different aspects of performance. This study analyzed performance scores for different competencies as well as the reliability and validity of the different simulation types. …

Drug Courts Work, But How? Preliminary Development Of A Measure To Assess Drug Court Structure And Processes, Blake Barrett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The high prevalence of substance use disorders is well-documented among criminal offenders. Drug courts are specialty judicial programs designed to: 1) improve public safety outcomes; 2) reduce criminal recidivism and substance abuse among offenders with substance use disorders; and 3) better utilize scarce criminal justice and treatment resources. Drug courts operate through partnerships between the criminal justice, behavioral health and public health systems. Offenders participate in an intensive regimen of substance abuse treatment and case management while under close judicial supervision. Drug courts' effectiveness in reducing criminal recidivism and drug use has been documented through numerous primary studies as well …

Neurochemical Effects Of Amyloid-Beta Oligomers In Rats, John J. Panos

Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. Although the symptomology of Alzheimer’s disease is well defined, its precise etiology remains elusive. Animal models are invaluable for understanding the pathogenesis of this devastating disease. Knowledge of the neurochemical actions of amyloid-β oligomers in specific brain structures is essential for validating animal models of Alzheimer’s disease and for determining the most appropriate behavioral assays of memory. The specific aim of this project was to investigate the neurochemical effects of direct intracerebral infusion of amyloid-β oligomers in the rat. Experiment 1 investigated direct infusions of synthetic …

The Statistical Properties Of The Survivor Interaction Contrast, Joseph W. Houpt, James T. Townsend

Psychology Faculty Publications

The Survivor Interaction Contrast (SIC) is a powerful tool for assessing the architecture and stopping rule of a model of mental processes. Despite its demonstrated utility, the methodology has lacked a method for statistical testing until now. In this paper we briefly describe the SIC then develop some basic statistical properties of the measure. These developments lead to a statistical test for rejecting certain classes of models based on the SIC. We verify these tests using simulated data, then demonstrate their use on data from a simple cognitive task.

Socially Desirable Responding On The Mmpi -2, Mcmi-Iii, And Pai In A Substance Abuse Treatment Setting, James Brian Rutland

Doctoral Dissertations

Objectively scored measures of psychopathology are increasingly relied upon to aid in the diagnosis of mental disorders and treatment planning, and three commonly used measures are the MMPI-2, MCMI-III, and PAI. A difficulty with such measures, however, is that response sets are subject to both intentional and unintentional distortion by examinees. Underreporting of psychopathology and attempts to present oneself in an overly favorable light can be particularly difficult to detect. Therefore, scales and other indices have been developed to identify underreporting and defensiveness. Paulhus (2002) has developed and refined a model for this phenomenon of underreporting, which he calls Socially …

Improving Irt Parameter Estimates With Small Sample Sizes: Evaluating The Efficacy Of A New Data Augmentation Technique, Brett P. Foley

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The 3PL model is a flexible and widely used tool in assessment. However, it suffers from limitations due to its need for large sample sizes. This study introduces and evaluates the efficacy of a new sample size augmentation technique called Duplicate, Erase, and Replace (DupER) Augmentation through a simulation study. Data are augmented using several variations of DupER Augmentation (based on different imputation methodologies, deletion rates, and duplication rates), analyzed in BILOG-MG 3, and results are compared to those obtained from analyzing the raw data. Additional manipulated variables include test length and sample size. Estimates are compared using seven different …

What Is Method Variance And How Can We Cope With It? A Panel Discussion, Michael T. Brannick, David Chan, James M. Conway, Charles E. Lance, Paul E. Spector

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

A panel of experts describes the nature of, and remedies for, method variance. In an attempt to help the reader understand the nature of method variance, the authors describe their experiences with method variance both on the giving and the receiving ends of the editorial review process, as well as their interpretation of other reviewers’ comments. They then describe methods of data analysis and research design, which have been used for detecting and eliminating the effects of method variance. Most methods have some utility, but none prevent the researcher from making faulty inferences. The authors conclude with suggestions for resolving …

Influence Of Acculturation On Neuropsychological Assessment In Middle Easterners, Eunice E. Kwon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Due to influx of immigrants in the United States, it has become essential in cross cultural research to consider cultural variables such as cultural orientation, cultural identity, and acculturation in order to better understand cultural influences on psychological processes and assessment outcomes (Cuellar, 1998). However, there are very few studies that have actually looked at how culture influences neuropsychological test performance (Feltcher-Janzen, Strickland, & Reynolds, 2000). Therefore, in order to better assess culturally diverse individuals and to validly interpret the findings, a conceptual model developed by Betancourt and collaborators (Betancourt & Fuentes, 2001; Betancourt, Hardin, & Manzi, 1992; Betancourt & …

Hierarchical Linear Modeling Of Drinking To Cope With Anxiety Among College Students, Bradley Wetzell, Matthew R. Pearson, James Henson

OUR Journal: ODU Undergraduate Research Journal

Previous research has assumed that drinking motives (reasons for drinking) remain fairly stable over time (traits). The current study examines how drinking motives of college students may vary over time (states). Weekly measures were completed by 125 undergraduates at Old Dominion University, which examined how average levels of anxiety interacted with anxiety coping motives to influence drinking. Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling, it was found that anxiety coping motives were less predictive for participants with elevated average anxiety levels, as opposed to participants with normal to low anxiety levels. Implications and possible explanations are discussed.

Research Mentor: Dr. James Henson, Department …

The Applicability Of The Megargee Classification System For The Mmpi-A, Joel Andrew Dillon

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Megargee (1977) originally developed a classification system for MMPI profiles for male offenders, and eventually expanded this system to also accommodate the MMPI profiles of female offenders (Megargee, 1992). Recently Megargee expanded and modified this system for use with the MMPI-2 (Megargee, Carbonell, Bohn, and Sliger, 2001). The purpose of the current study was to examine the utility of Megargee's systems as applied to adolescents in correctional facilities based on MMPI-A results. The Megargee classification criteria were modified for the purposes of this study, generally based on quite limited modifications to accommodate the lower profile ratings typically found for adolescents …

Psychometric Properties Of The Mmpi-A Harris-Lingoes And Si Subscales In A Forensic Sample, Ashley K. Winkleman

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine the internal and external psychometric properties of the Harris-Lingoes subscales. This was accomplished by use of both self-report and caregiver-rated external criterion measures. The present study employed an archival data set consisting of 760 adolescents (470 boys and 290 girls) who completed the MMPI-A at an outpatient adolescent treatment facility as part of a court-ordered psychological evaluation. Overall, a number of subscales demonstrated good internal consistency reliability (e.g., D4 and Hy3) whereas other subscales (e.g., Pd2) demonstrated unacceptable internal consistency reliability for both genders. Correlations with external self-report scores and caregiver …

The Static-99 And Additional Research-Based Risk Factors : A Statistical Theory To Improve Sex Offender Risk Assessment, Jeffrey C. Sandler

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Research has indicated that adjusting Static-99 risk assessments for sexual recidivism using unguided clinical opinion reduces the accuracy of the risk assessments. While progress has been made in the last decade toward identifying which variables (both internal and external to the Static-99) are associated with the likelihood of an offender sexually recidivating, very little guidance has been given on how to consider the variables external to the Static-99 within the context of a Static-99 risk assessment. The current study proposes a statistical theory for how to incorporate certain variables into such an assessment, and provides some preliminary analyses to support …

The Influence Of Treatment Team Cohesion In The Success Of In-Home Mental Health Treatment For Children And Adolescents With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Jaimie C. Orndorff

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Background: The author pursued this area of interest due to having had a positive experience working as a therapist within a high cohesion treatment team in an in-home setting. This experience with a high cohesion team seemed to lead to more successful results than other teams that were deemed low cohesion, in the same format. This experience led to a general curiosity about why the team this author was on was more effective. Additional research allowed this author to determine the possible link between cohesion, success of treatment and reduced risk for burnout, defined as a response to chronic job …

A New Perspective On Visual Word Processing Efficiency, Joseph W. Houpt, James T. Townsend

Psychology Faculty Publications

As a fundamental part of our daily lives, visual word processing has received much attention in the psychological literature. Despite the well established perceptual advantages of word and pseudoword context using accuracy, a comparable effect using response times has been elusive. Some researchers continue to question whether the advantage due to word context is perceptual. We use the capacity coefficient, a well established, response time based measure of efficiency to provide evidence of word processing as a particularly efficient perceptual process to complement those results from the accuracy domain.

Terrorism In Australia: Myth Or Reality? A Psychometric Study Into The Western Australian Public's Perception Of Terrorism, Richard Sargent

Theses : Honours

Terrorism is not a new concept as terrorist individuals and organisations since time immemorial have used the threat of violence or actual violence to generate fear in individuals, organisations and governments alike. Fear is a powerful weapon and it is used in order to gain political, ideological or religious objectives. The attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on the 11th September 2001 (9/11) highlighted the dangers of the inadequate intelligence, border security and immigration practices that led to this event. The attacks were a security wake up call not only for the United States of America but …

A Preliminary Study: Body Dysmorphic Disorder In Division I Women’S Collegiate Soccer Players, Tammy D. Jones

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) among collegiate athletes has not been clearly determined. The purpose of this study was to determine if there are symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder found in Division I women’s soccer players. The researcher hypothesized that there would be some symptoms found within the participants of sport and that there was a need to research this area further.

The study consisted of four participants who participated in semi-structured interviews. The subjects were asked a series of questions from the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD-YBOCS) to determine if they indicated …

Modeling Change Over Time: Conceptualization, Measurement, Analysis, And Interpretation, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The objective of this research report is to provide a state-of-the art review of the issues and methods relating to the modeling of change over time. The focus is on the quantitative assessment of the concept of change of time, which includes issues of conceptualization, measurement, data analysis, and interpretation. The rationale and motivation for this research originated from the author?s observations (specifically in the past decade in the capacities of journal editor, reviewer, symposium discussant, and workshop leader) on the need for a comprehensive and relatively non-technical reference on and integration of various issues in the modeling of change …

Comparison Of Rationally-Derived And Empirically-Derived Methods For Predicting Failure In Residential Treatment, Jennifer Pester Grattan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Patient-focused research methods have been used in adult mental health treatment to improve outcomes by tracking individual treatment response and comparing it with expected recovery patterns. One such approach has used rationally- and empirically-derived methods to analyze data from the OQ-45 and identify patients who are not responding as expected to treatment. Treatment is then adjusted, improving outcomes and lowering overall costs.

Similar but less extensive research has shown analogous methods can be used with children and adolescents. This would be particularly useful in residential treatment, which is an expensive and inadequately researched approach. This study used archival data gathered …

Study Of The Four Factor Theory Of Women’S Sexual Function, Julie M. Merrell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Tiefer, Hall, and Tavris (2002) described factors comprising four categories of female sexual function. They suggested that unique factors need to be examined to understand sexual function in women. Socio-cultural, political, or economic factors, partner and relationship factors, psychological factors, and medical factors were described as aspects of women’s lives that can be the source of sexual dysfunction. In a previous study, Merrell (2007) utilized Tiefer et al’s (2002) four factor model of sexual functioning to examine female sexual functioning looking specifically at body shame, relationship satisfaction, positive and negative affect, sexual self-schema, and overall health. Based on the results …

Exploring Erotic Plasticity As An Individual Difference Variable: Theory And Measurement, Lorraine Benuto

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Baumeister's theory of female erotic plasticity is supported by a significant body of data suggesting that female sexuality is more malleable and more greatly influenced by cultural and contextual factors than male sexuality. Sex differences notwithstanding, it is reasonable to theorize that erotic plasticity might also vary across individuals. Based on a thematic/conceptual organization of relevant current literature, we explored erotic plasticity as optimally encompassed by six dimensions: (1) changes in sexual attitudes over time, (2) changes in sexual behaviors over time and across context, (3) fluidity of sexual behaviors along a same-sex/opposite-sex continuum (evidence of attraction and/or sexual involvement …

Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument Long-Term Outcomes And Scale Stability, Elise Christina Simonds Bisbee

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-2 (MAYSI-2; Grisso & Barnum, 2006) was developed in 1998 to offer an efficient measure for identifying adolescents within the juvenile justice system in need of further psychiatric evaluation, treatment, or specialized care. Since the instrument's publication, several studies have evaluated the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the MAYSI-2. The current study adds to the literature examining the reliability and validity of this measure. Specifically, the current study sought to evaluate the long-term characteristics and predictive utility of the MAYSI-2 scale scores. This study utilized a sample of 8,929 boys (n = 6.780) and …

Development And Validation Of The Cultural Competence Of Program Evaluators (Ccpe) Scale, Krystall Dunaway

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

As part of its Guiding Principles for Evaluators, the American Evaluation Association (AEA) requires that evaluators develop cultural competencies, yet no measure of cultural competence currently exists in the field. Using items from cultural competence measures used in fields such as counseling and nursing, in conjunction with the creation of qualitative questions, the researcher developed the Cultural Competence of Program Evaluators (CCPE) scale. The main goal of this study was to validate the CCPE, and a subsidiary goal was to assess differences in level of cultural competence among program evaluators based on various demographic variables such as minority status, age, …

Accuracy Of A Rationally-Derived Method For Predicting Failure In Residential Treatment, Jennifer Pester Grattan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Recent studies of adult mental health treatment have used patient-focused research methods to improve outcomes, by tracking treatment response and comparing it with expected recovery patterns. One such line of research has used rationally-derived and empirically-derived methods to analyze data gathered by the OQ-45 and identify patients who are not responding as expected to treatment. This allows for adjustment of treatment, which results in improved outcomes and lower overall costs.

Similar but less extensive research has provided evidence that these approaches may also improve outcomes in outpatient treatment for children and adolescents. These approaches might be particularly useful in residential …

Organizational Justice Perceptions In China: Development Of The Chinese Organizational Justice Scale, Katherine M. Fodchuk

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Research analyzing fairness perceptions within organizations has gained the attention of cross-cultural theorists as the criteria used to judge fairness varies across cultures. Review of the literature indicates that researchers use translated Western measures of organizational justice on Eastern samples despite evidence of cultural variation in justice criteria. This dissertation addresses some of the gaps in the current research by developing and validating an indigenous measure of Chinese organizational justice perceptions. A preliminary qualitative study revealed numerous justice rules used by Chinese employees to determine whether a workplace decision was fair. The qualitative results were used to develop the Chinese …

What Makes Stephen F. Austin State University Students Happy?, Tyler Bishop, Nicole Kurr, Jennifer Mcfarland, Brandon Rogers

Undergraduate Research Conference

When we began our research we believed most people would be happier owning a pet, attending church, or exercising. However, we determined this was not the case, instead concluded students have different things that make them happy. In addition, after reviewing our results we were surprised that holding all else constant, having a hobby, owning a pet, attending church, and exercising will increase a student’s level of happiness.

Student Engagement Scale: Development And The Underlying Factor Structure, Patricia Isabel QuiñOnes Pareja

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this thesis show the strong effects attributed to student engagement on a range of educational issues, the need for a scale to measure the construct of student engagement is great.