Jesús M. Alvarado

Fingerspelling and Sign Language as Alternative Codes for Reading and Writing Words for Chilean Deaf Signers

The study examined the role of sign language and fingerspelling in the development of the reading and writing skills of deaf children and youth. Twenty-six deaf participants (13 children, 13 adolescents), whose first language was Chilean Sign Language (CHSL), were examined. Their dactylic abilities were evaluated with tasks involving the reading and writing of dactylic and orthographic codes. The study included three experiments: (a) the identification of Chilean signs and fingerspelled words, (b) the matching of fingerspelled words with commercial logos, and (c) the decoding of fingerspelled words and the mapping of these words onto the writing system. The results provide convergent evidence that the use of fingerspelling and sign language is related to orthographic skills. It is concluded that fingerspelling can facilitate the internal representation of words and serve as a supporting mechanism for reading acquisition.

Best Alternatives to Cronbach's Alpha Reliability in Realistic Conditions: Congeneric and Asymmetrical Measurements

The Cronbachs alpha is the most widely used method for estimating internal consistency reliability. This procedure has proved very resistant to the passage of time, even if its limitations are well documented and although there are better options as omega coefficient or the different versions of glb, with obvious advantages especially for applied research in which the ítems differ in quality or have skewed distributions. In this paper, using Monte Carlo simulation, the performance of these reliability coefficients under a one-dimensional model is evaluated in terms of skewness and no tau-equivalence. The results show that omega coefficient is always better choice than alpha and in the presence of skew items is preferable to use omega and glb coefficients even in small samples.

The Aggression Questionnaire for Spanish Preadolescents and Adolescents: AQ-PA

We have already published the psychometric properties of our Spanish version of the Buss and Perrys Aggression Questionnaire adapted to young subjects (Personality and Individual Differences, 42, 1453-1465). The four-dimensional structure of the questionnaire was confirmed in each pre-adolescent and adolescent sample, although differences in the intercorrelations among factors between both groups of age were then observed. We publish now new evidences about its factorial validity in the whole group of pre-adolescent and adolescent children. We also report the positive correlations found between measurements obtained with this questionnaire (AQ-PA) and other aggression and anger scales (DIAS, STAXI and EXPAGG) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), which provide more evidences about its convergent validity. The text of the Spanish version of this questionnaire adapted to pre-adolescent and adolescent subjects is also reported.

Visual and Phonological Coding in Working Memory and Orthographic Skills of Deaf Children Using Chilean Sign Language

Deaf children can improve their reading skills by learning to use alternative, visual codes such as fingerspelling. A sample of 28 deaf children between the ages of 7 and 16 years was used as an experimental group and another sample of 15 hearing children of similar age and academic level as a control group. Two experiments were carried out to study the possible interactions between phonological and visual codes and working memory, and to understand the relationships between these codes and reading and orthographic achievement. The results highlight the relationship between dactylic and orthographic coding. Just as phoneme-to-grapheme knowledge can facilitate reading for hearing children, fingerspelling-to-grapheme knowledge has the potential to play a similar role for deaf readers.

Developing Multidimensional Likert Scales Using Item Factor Analysis The Case of Four-point Items

This study compares the performance of two approaches in analysing four-point Likert rating scales with a factorial model: the classical factor analysis (FA) and the item factor analysis (IFA). For FA, maximum likelihood and weighted least squares estimations using Pearson correlation matrices among items are compared. For IFA, diagonally weighted least squares and unweighted least squares estimations using items polychoric correlation matrices are compared. Two hundred and ten conditions were simulated in a Monte Carlo study considering: one to three factor structures (either, independent and correlated in two levels), medium or low quality of items, three different levels of item asymmetry and five sample sizes. Results showed that IFA procedures achieve equivalent and accurate parameter estimates; in contrast, FA procedures yielded biased parameter estimates. Therefore, we do not recommend classical FA under the conditions considered. Minimum requirements for achieving accurate results using IFA procedures are discussed.

An evaluation of the CODE theory of visual attention extended to two dimensions

Abstract We have extended the CODE Theory of the Visual Attention (CTVA) model proposed by Logan (Logan, G.D., (1996). Psychological Review 103 , 603–649) to two dimensions. Our main aim has been to evaluate the two-dimensional models predictions concerning reaction times (RTs) and the response-compatibility effect derived from Logans CTVA model by using a new version of Eriksen and Eriksen (Eriksen, B. A. & Eriksen, C. W. (1974). Perception & Psychophysics, 16 , 143–149) response-competition paradigm. The CTVA model extended to two dimensions (CTVA-2D) fits well to our experimental results obtained with three display sizes and four experimental target-letter to noise-letter distances, allowing us to make satisfactory predictions concerning the effects of noise compatibility, Target–noise (T–N) distance and display size.

Reexamining Nonlinear Structural Equation Modeling Procedures: The Effect of Parallel and Congeneric Measures

The current study examines the performance of the extended unconstrained approach (EXUC) and the latent moderated structural equation modeling procedure (LMS) in situations where quadratic and interaction terms are tested simultaneously and investigates their limitations with regard to the employment of parallel and congeneric measures, relatively low indicator reliabilities, and relatively large numbers of indicators. By means of a Monte Carlo study, we found LMS to be the best option for testing multiple nonlinear effects given sufficient sample size (n ≥ 500) and normally distributed exogenous variables. Its advantages became more prominent when indicator reliabilities were heterogeneous and small. The EXUC was a viable option for estimating the model when indicators were parallel and exhibited large indicator reliabilities. An empirical example of the results is provided, and the relevance of measurement model characteristics to assess nonlinear relationships is discussed.

Improvement of functional magnetic resonance images by pretreatment of data

Functional magnetic resonance images of the brains of subjects performing the finger-tapping paradigm were made using a conventional technique. Two threshold values for the pixels were obtained by analysing pixel by pixel the distributions of the means and variances of each subjects images for 20 consecutive scans, both while performing the task and while at rest. Considerable signal improvement in the final images was achieved by removing from our data all pixels beyond these threshold values (mean ≤ 16 and variance ≥7).

Rethinking the Exploration of Dichotomous Data: Mokken Scale Analysis Versus Factorial Analysis

The need to determine the correct dimensionality of theoretical constructs and generate valid measurement instruments when underlying items are categorical has generated a significant volume of research in the social sciences. This article presents two studies contrasting different categorical exploratory techniques. The first study compares Mokken scale analysis (MSA) and two-factor-based exploratory techniques for noncontinuous variables: item factor analysis and Normal Ogive Harmonic Analysis Robust Method (NOHARM). Comparisons are conducted across techniques and in reference to the common principal component analysis model using simulated data under conditions of two-dimensionality with different degrees of correlation (r = .0 to .6). The second study shows the theoretical and practical results of using MSA and NOHARM (the factorial technique which functioned best in the first study) on two nonsimulated data sets. The nonsimulated data are particularly interesting because MSA was used to solve a theoretical debate. Based on the results from both studies, we show that the ability of NOHARM to detect dimensionality and scalability is similar to MSA when the data comprise two uncorrelated latent dimensions; however, NOHARM is preferable when data are drawn from instruments containing latent dimensions weakly or moderately correlated. This article discusses the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Adolescents’ sensitivity in social interactions: an evaluation procedure using film clips / La sensibilidad a las interacciones sociales en adolescentes: un procedimiento de evaluación con escenas cinematográficas

Abstract This article presents a procedure designed to evaluate adolescents’ sensitivity in social interactions, an essential component of emotional intelligence, by viewing film clips. The instrument was tested on a sample of 1,536 students in the first and second cycles of secondary education. The construct validity of the measure and its relationship with other variables, by applying factor techniques, discriminant analysis and multiple regression, was evaluated. Regarding the dimensionality, the confirmatory factor analysis showed good fit of the sensitivity scores to a one-dimensional model, χ2(35) = 45.75, p = .11, RMSEA = .02, CFI = .94 and TLI = .92. The discriminant analysis allowed the classification of subjects’ responses into sensitive, ingenuous and over-interpretative responses according to their cognitive maturity (χ2(6) = 91.19, p < .001) and sex (χ2(2) = 11.23, p = .004). The multiple regression analysis showed that sensitivity is related to sex, self-expression in social situations, acceptance by the father and interpersonal intelligence (multiple validity = .46).