Fred B. Bryant

Predicting Kindergarten Academic Skills: Interactions among Child Care, Maternal Education, and Family Literacy Environments.

Abstract This investigation used structural equation modeling to examine sources of childrens reading, vocabulary, general information, mathematics, and letter recognition skills upon entrance to kindergarten. Potential predictors included ethnicity, gender, child IQ, family literacy environment, maternal education, and months in child care centers. Family literacy environment had positive causal links with four of five academic measures. Greater number of months in child care centers was associated with higher mathematics scores among children from less educated mothers who scored low on a measure of family literacy environment. In contrast, no effects of child care were found for children from mothers with more education. Implications include the need for strong parental involvement in childrens development and subsidized child care for children in need.

Principles and Practice of Scaled Difference Chi-Square Testing

We highlight critical conceptual and statistical issues and how to resolve them in conducting Satorra–Bentler (SB) scaled difference chi-square tests. Concerning the original (Satorra & Bentler, 2001) and new (Satorra & Bentler, 2010) scaled difference tests, a fundamental difference exists in how to compute properly a models scaling correction factor (c), depending on the particular structural equation modeling software used. Because of how LISREL 8 defines the SB scaled chi-square, LISREL users should compute c for each model by dividing the models normal theory weighted least-squares (NTWLS) chi-square by its SB chi-square, to recover c accurately with both tests. EQS and Mplus users, in contrast, should divide the models maximum likelihood (ML) chi-square by its SB chi-square to recover c. Because ML estimation does not minimize the NTWLS chi-square, however, it can produce a negative difference in nested NTWLS chi-square values. Thus, we recommend the standard practice of testing the scaled difference in ML chi-square values for models M 1 and M 0 (after properly recovering c for each model), to avoid an inadmissible test numerator. We illustrate the difference in computations across software programs for the original and new scaled tests and provide LISREL, EQS, and Mplus syntax in both single- and multiple-group form for specifying the model M 10 that is involved in the new test.

Development and validation of a short-form, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine

Background:Although prior studies used the 66-item Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM instrument) for literacy assessment, researchers may require a shorter, validated instrument when designing interventions for clinical contexts. Objective:To develop and validate a very brief literacy assessment tool, the REALM-Short Form (REALM-SF). Patients:The model development, validation, and field testing validation samples included 1336, 164, and 50 patients, respectively. Setting:General medicine and subspecialty clinics and medicine inpatient wards. Design:For development and validation samples, indicator variables for REALM instrument items were evaluated as potential predictors of REALM instrument score by stepwise multiple regression analysis with subsequent bootstrap and confirmatory factor analysis of selected items. Pearson correlations compared REALM-SF and REALM instrument scores and kappa analyses compared grade level assignments. For the field testing validation sample, Pearson correlations compared Wide Range Achievement Test and REALM-SF scores. Results:The REALM-SF included 7 items with stable model coefficients and 1 underlying linear factor. REALM-SF and REALM instrument scores were highly correlated in development (r = 0.95, P < 0.001) and validation (r = 0.94, P < 0.001) samples. There was excellent agreement between REALM-SF and REALM instrument grade-level assignments when dichotomized at the 6th grade (development: 97% agreement, K = 0.88, P < 0.001; validation: 88% agreement, K = 0.75, P < 0.001) and 8th grade levels (development: 94% agreement, K = 0.78, P < 0.001; validation: 84% agreement, K = 0.67, P < 0.001). REALM-SF and Wide Range Achievement Test scores were highly correlated (r = 0.83, P < 0.001) in field testing validation. Conclusions:The REALM-SF provides researchers a brief, validated instrument for assessing patient literacy in diverse research settings.

A meta-analysis of research on hindsight bias

We conducted a meta-analysis of research on hindsight bias to gain an up-to-date summary of the overall strength of hindsight effects and to test hypotheses about potential moderators of hindsight distortion. A total of 95 studies (83 published and 12 unpublished) were included, and 252 independent effect sizes were coded for moderator variables in 3 broad categories involving characteristics of the study, of measurement, and of the experimental manipulation. When excluding missing effect sizes, the overall mean effect size was Md = .39 with a 95% confidence interval of .36 to .42. Five main findings emerged: (a) effect sizes calculated from objective probability estimates were larger than effect sizes calculated from subjective probability estimates; (b) effect sizes of studies that used almanac questions were larger than effect sizes of studies that used real-world events or case histories; (c) studies that included neutral outcomes resulted in larger effect sizes than studies that used positive or negative outcomes; (d) studies that included manipulations to increase hindsight bias resulted in significantly larger effect sizes than studies in which there were no manipulations to reduce or increase hindsight bias; and (e) studies that included manipulations to reduce hindsight bias did not produce lower effect sizes. These findings contribute to our understanding of hindsight bias by updating the state of knowledge, widening the range of known moderator variables, identifying factors that may activate different mediating processes, and highlighting critical gaps in the research literature.

The Relationships Among Self-Esteem, Stress, Coping, Eating Behavior, and Depressive Mood in Adolescents

The prevalence of adolescent overweight is significant, almost 25% in some minorities, and often is associated with depressive symptoms. Psychological and psychosocial factors as well as poor coping skills have been correlated with unhealthy eating and obesity. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among self-esteem, stress, social support, and coping; and to test a model of their effects on eating behavior and depressive mood in a sample of 102 high school students (87% minority). Results indicate that (a) stress and low self-esteem were related to avoidant coping and depressive mood, and that (b) low self-esteem and avoidant coping were related to unhealthy eating behavior. Results suggest that teaching adolescents skills to reduce stress, build self-esteem, and use more positive approaches to coping may prevent unhealthy eating and subsequent obesity, and lower risk of depressive symptoms.

Dimensions of subjective mental health in American men and women

Confirmatory factor analyses were used to map dimensions of subjective mental health underlying 25 indexes of well-being and distress assessed in a 1976 national representative survey of adults. Partially confirming hypotheses, six dominant factors (Unhappiness, Lack of Gratification, Strain, Feelings of Vulnerability, Lack of Self-Confidence, and Uncertainty) emergedfor both men and women. Comparative analyses revealed that the six-factor model derived for men fit the data of both sexes, equally well. Thus, this model provides a means of assessing mens and womens self-evaluations comparably. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated the divergent validity of the dimensions in the model by differentially relating certain demographic and behavioral measures to the various factors. Four critical theoretical issues were discussed as underlying measures of subjective mental health: affective orientation (positive vs. negative), object offocus (world vs. self), time referent (past vs. present vs. future), and mode of reaction (spontaneous vs. reflective).

School Desegregation and Black Achievement

Meta-analytic techniques were used to explore overall conclusions and variables moderating treatment effects in the research literature on school desegregation and black achievement. Studies were classified on the basis of the threats to their validity as either accepted or rejected for the analysis. For the initial analysis quasi-experimental studies were accepted, yielding an average effect size of .45. The better-designed studies had an average effect size of .34, which was reduced to .16 when adjusted for pretest differences. The National Institute of Education (NIE) convened an expert panel that reviewed and reanalyzed these results. An average pretest-adjusted effect size of .14 was found for the 19 studies selected for analysis by the NIE panel. An average effect size of .20 was found for the better-designed studies that had no selection problems. This is equivalent to two months of educational gain. The largest effects occurred among students moving from highly segregated to predominantly white schools. Reading achievement gains were larger than those for mathematics, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Does savoring increase happiness? A daily diary study

Bryant and Veroff (2007, Savoring: A new model of positive experience. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates) have proposed that savoring, namely, regulating the emotional impact of positive events by ones cognitive or behavioral responses, increases happiness. The present study was designed to determine whether and how savoring influences daily happiness. Experience sampling methodology was used with 101 participants, who provided self-reports of their momentary positive events, savoring responses, and positive affect daily over a period of 30 days. Multilevel modeling analyses verified that (a) these three constructs were positively related to each other within a given day, (b) momentary savoring both mediated and moderated the impact of daily positive events on momentary happy mood, and (c) levels of trait savoring moderated the observed mediational pattern. These results provide support for the hypothesis that savoring is an important mechanism through which people derive happiness from positive events.

Response validity in forensic neuropsychology: Exploratory factor analytic evidence of distinct cognitive and psychological constructs

Forensic neuropsychology studies usually address either cognitive effort or psychological response validity. Whether these are distinct constructs is unclear. In 122 participants evaluated in a compensation-seeking context, the present Exploratory Factor Analysis examined whether forced-choice cognitive effort measures (Victoria Symptom Validity Test, Test of Memory Malingering, Letter Memory Test) and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition (MMPI-2) validity scales (L, F, K, FBS, Fp, RBS, Md, Dsr2, S) load on independent factors. Regardless of factor rotation strategy (orthogonal or oblique), four response validity factors emerged by means of both Principal Components Analysis (82.7% total variance) and Principal-Axis Factor Analysis (74.1% total variance). The four factors were designated as follows: Factor I, with large loadings from L, K, and S--underreporting of psychological symptoms; Factor II, with large loadings from FBS, RBS, and Md-overreporting of neurotic symptoms; Factor III, with large loadings from VSVT, TOMM, and LMT--insufficient cognitive effort; and Factor IV, with the largest loadings from F, Fp, and Dsr2--overreporting of psychotic/rarely endorsed symptoms. Results reflect the heterogeneity of response validity in forensic samples referred for neuropsychological evaluation. Administration of both cognitive effort measures and psychological validity scales is imperative to accurate forensic neuropsychological assessment.

Impact of uncertainty, social support, and prenatal coping on the psychological well-being of high-risk pregnant women.

Background: The effects of uncertainty and social support on the psychological well-being of high-risk pregnant women may be influenced by their prenatal coping strategies. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether prenatal coping strategies (preparation for motherhood, avoidance, positive interpretation of events, and prayer) mediate the effects of uncertainty and social support on the psychological well-being of high-risk pregnant women. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design was used. The convenience sample consisted of 105 high-risk pregnant women 18-34 years of age and at 24-36 weeks gestation. The main measures were Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, Prenatal Coping Inventory, and Psychological General Well-Being Index. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlational techniques, and path analyses. Results: The women reported low levels of uncertainty, moderate levels of distress, and high levels of social support. Prayer was the most frequently used prenatal coping strategy, whereas avoidance was used least often. Women who reported higher levels of uncertainty also reported less social support (r = −.45, p < .01), less psychological well-being (r = −.48, p < .01), less positive interpretation (r = −.30, p < .01), and more use of avoidance (r = .43, p < .01). The modified path analysis showed good fit with the data. Avoidance significantly mediated the effects of uncertainty on psychological well-being (z = −2.74, p < .01). Social support had a significant direct effect on preparation for motherhood (&bgr; = .43, z = 3.94, p < .001). Discussion: Avoidance mediated the effect of uncertainty on psychological well-being for the high-risk pregnant women in this sample. The results of the study may help perinatal nurses to better understand how high-risk pregnancy affects these women.