Linda W. Morse

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Gibb Experimental Test of Testwiseness.

The purpose of the study was to assess the stability of a two-factor model recently proposed for the Gibb Experimental Test of Testwiseness using confirmatory factor analysis. Participants were 173 undergraduate volunteers. Confirmatory factor analyses using LISREL 8 were performed using total scores on the seven skills as data. One- and two-factor models were compared. Results indicated that the data fit the two-factor model and the simpler one-factor model. For this sample, the Gibb test could be characterized as tapping a general proficiency in testwiseness.

Divergent production in gifted adolescents using timed vs. untimed stimuli with creative prompting

Gregg A. Johns is a staff psychologist at the Mississippi State Hospitals child and adolescent inpatient unit. His interests includes the facilitation of creativity for both therapeutic and problem-solving applications and divergent production research. Linda W. Morse is a professor of educational psychology at Mississippi State University where she serves as program coordinator and is a John Grisham Master Teacher. Her research interests include problem solving strategies, and creative production. David T. Morse is a professor of educational psychology and psychology at Mississippi State University. He is the co-author of the Khatena-Morse Multitalent Perception Inventory, and his research interests include test-taking behaviors, and creativity.

The Creative Benefits Scale: Connecting Generativity to Life Satisfaction

Long-term participation in creative activities has benefits for middle-aged and older people that may improve their adaptation to later life. We first investigated the factor structure of the Creative Benefits Scale and then used it to construct a model to help explain the connection between generativity and life satisfaction in adults who participated in creative hobbies. Participants included 546 adults between the ages of 40 and 88 (Mean = 58.30 years) who completed measures of life satisfaction, generativity, and the Creative Benefits Scale with its factors of Identity, Calming, Spirituality, and Recognition. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the connection of age with life satisfaction in older adults and to explore the effects of creativity on this relation. The proposed model of life satisfaction, incorporating age, creativity, and generativity, fit the data well, indicating that creativity may help explain the link between the generativity and life satisfaction.

A validity study of the Positive Psychology Protective Profile.

The purpose of this study was to conduct an exploratory factor analysis to provide support for the construct validity of the Positive Psychology Protective Profile, a self-report measure based on positive psychology. 985 undergraduates completed the profile, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the College Life Stress Inventory. Scores on the first two factor scores (Positive Oudook, Negative Symptoms) for the profile correlated significantly with scores on depression and stress, whereas scores on the third profile factor (Problem-solving) correlated significantly only with scores on the Beck Depression Inventory. Scores on the Positive Outlook significantly differentiated participants having either chronic illness or recent major illness from those who did not.

The desire for longevity: Development of the Personal Longevity Scale

ABSTRACT A new psychometrically acceptable measure of the desire to live a very long life was devised using two samples. In Study 1, initial exploratory analyses of the Personal Longevity Scale (PLS) scale revealed a two-factor structure. The Hope factor represents the hopefulness participants have with regards to their expectations about personal longevity. The second factor, Dread, represents the fear and uneasiness associated with self-perceptions of living a very long life. In Study 2, the bidimensional nature of the PLS measure was confirmed, and the scale was further refined to include a final of seven items. Four items represent Hope (α = .85), and three items represent Dread (α = .78). Theoretical rationales for the two-factor structure of personal longevity are discussed. In Study 3, the PLS was compared to three similar measures of attitudes about aging. The results indicate that the PLS has moderate levels of convergent and discriminant validity. Potential uses for the new scale are discussed.