Martin Arendasy

Long-term effect of a combined exercise and motivational program on the level of disability of patients with chronic low back pain.

Study Design. A prospective clinical randomized controlled trial. Objectives. To determine the long-term effect of a combined exercise and motivational program on the level of disability of patients with chronic and recurrent low back pain (LBP). Summary of Background Data. There is agreement on the importance of exercise during the course of chronic LBP. However, it is well known that long-term adherence with exercises is particularly low. Methods. A total of 93 patients with LBP were randomly assigned to the control group (standard exercise program) or the motivational group (combined exercise and motivational program). Follow-up assessments were performed at 3.5 weeks, 4 months, 12 months, and 5 years. Main outcome measures were disability scores, pain intensity, and working ability. In addition to classic statistics, the sophisticated linear partial credit model was used to test the effects of treatment on disability scores. Results. In both groups, significant improvements in the disability scores were found at all points of follow-up assessment, however, the cumulative effect of the treatment in the motivational group was more than twice as much as in the control group. This result is in accordance with the increasing divergence in pain intensity between groups between 12 months and 5 years after intervention. A significant, positive long-term effect at the 5-year reassessment in working ability was only seen in the motivational group. All statistically significant results were confirmed by intention-to-treat analyses. Conclusions. Regarding long-term efficacy, the combined exercise and motivation program was superior to the standard exercise program. Five years after the supervised combined exercise and motivational program, patients had significant improvements in disability, pain intensity, and working ability.

Improvements in Personnel Selection With Neural Networks: A Pilot Study in the Field of Aviation Psychology

This article discusses problems of data combination in personnel selection. In a study on selecting candidates for pilot training, 82 participants were tested. The predictor variables were attention, vigilance, reactivity under stress, and spatial and numerical ability. The evaluation of the applicants after training was used as the criterion. To test the predictive validity of the test battery neural networks, linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression analysis were used. The results indicate that neural networks are applicable even when the discriminant analysis produces biased results due to violations of its assumptions, and also outperform the logistic regression analysis in terms of separability of correct and incorrect classifications based on the height of the classification probability.

Using Automatic Item Generation to Simultaneously Construct German and English Versions of a Word Fluency Test

There has been an increased interest in psychometric tests that enable the comparison of test scores across different language versions. From a psychometric point of view, this endeavor requires empirical evidence on the full score equivalence of these measures. However, this aim is often rather difficult to achieve. This is particularly true for the assessment of verbal abilities. In the present article, we will outline how automatic item generation can be used to overcome some of the problems researchers face in constructing psychometric tests that are valid in multilingual assessment settings. The feasibility of this approach is illustrated in the context of the construction and empirical evaluation of a German and English word fluency test. The results of the various studies reported in this article indicate that automatic item generation enables the generation of a sufficient amount of word fluency items exhibiting a high psychometric quality in both languages. Furthermore, the item pool constructed for both languages can be linked to each other using a common set of anchor items that are identical to each other with regard to their conceptual, linguistic, and psychometric characteristics, thereby facilitating cross-lingual comparisons of word fluency performance.

Automatic Generation of Quantitative Reasoning Items

This paper deals with three studies on the computer-based, automatic generation of algebra word problems. The cognitive psychology based generative/quality control frameworks of the item generator are presented. In Study I the quality control framework is empirically tested using a first set of automatically generated items. Study II replicates the findings of Study I using a larger set of automatically generated algebra word problems. Study III deals with the generative framework of the item generator by testing construct validity aspects of the item generator produced items. Using nine Rasch-homogeneous subscales of the new intelligence structure battery (INSBAT, Hornke et al., 2004), a hierarchical confirmatory factor analysis is reported, which provides first evidence of convergent as well as divergent validity of the automatically generated items. The end of the paper discusses possible advantages of automatic item generation in general ranging from test security issues and the possibility of a more ...

Endlosschleifen: Psychometrische Grundlagen des Aufgabentyps EP

Zusammenfassung. Fur den Raumvorstellungs-Aufgabentyp EP (photographische Endlosschleifen) wird die “theoriegeleitete“ Skalenkonstruktion auf Basis des Rasch-Modells beschrieben. In drei empirischen Studien, die ein konsekutives, aufeinander abgestimmtes Entwicklungsprogramm umfassen, wird der - oft muhsame - Weg zur Modellgeltung (Rasch-Homogenitat) dargestellt. In Studie 1 (n = 324) wird uber den Ausgangspunkt und die Konstruktionsgrundlagen der EP sowie uber erste Ergebnisse berichtet. Als wesentlicher Entwicklungsfortschritt gelingt es in Studie 2 (n = 378), die Rasch-Homogenitat des Itemtyps zu realisieren; zudem lassen sich neue Erkenntnisse bezuglich der Itemgenerierung ableiten. Studie 3 (n = 254) fungiert als Validierungsstudie, welche die Eindimensionalitat des Itemsets aus Studie 2 bestatigt. Vor dem Hintergrund, dass in empirischen Daten Rasch-Homogenitat erreicht werden konnte, wird die theoriegeleitete Vorgangsweise als prototypisch fur einen Erfolg versprechenden Einsatz des Rasch-Modells z...

Diagnostik von Selbstekel im Rahmen der Depression

Hintergrund: Selbstekel beschreibt die Abscheu, die gegen spezifische Aspekte der eigenen Person gerichtet ist und könnte deshalb eine wichtige Rolle für depressive Störungen spielen. Ziel einer ersten Studie war die Entwicklung eines Messinstruments, das sowohl in psychisch gesunden als auch klinischen Populationen eingesetzt werden kann. Methodik: Eine erste Version des Fragebogens zur Erfassung des Selbstekels (FESE) wurde von 895 Probanden im Alter zwischen 15 und 71 Jahren bearbeitet. Ergebnisse: Die Hauptachsenanalyse mit schiefwinkliger Rotation ergab für die Daten der ersten Teilstichprobe (n = 302) 2 inhaltlich relevante Faktoren: «personenbezogener Ekel» (9 Items, Abwertung des eigenen äußeren Erscheinungsbildes und der Persönlichkeit) und «verhaltensbezogener Ekel» (5 Items, Abwertung des eigenen Verhaltens). Diese Lösung konnte durch eine konfirmatorische Faktoranalyse über die zweite Teilstichprobe (n = 593) bestätigt werden. In einer zweiten Studie erzielten depressive Patienten in stationärer Therapie höhere FESE-Werte als gesunde Kontrollprobanden. Schlussfolgerungen: Der FESE ist ein reliabler, valider und ökonomischer Fragebogen zur Erfassung des Selbstekels, dessen klinische Relevanz für Patienten mit einer Depression aufgezeigt werden konnte. Die Untersuchung weiterer klinischer Störungen mittels dieses Instruments erscheint vielversprechend.

Scores for Schizotypy and Five-Factor Model of a Sample of Distant Healers: A Preliminary Study

A preliminary study was conducted to evaluate the personality scores of 18 distant healers on the NEO-Five Factor Inventory and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief. These distant healers differed significantly in their schizotypic tendencies, both in comparison to normed scores and to a control group of 19 masseurs. Further differences were found on scales of Conscientiousness and Openness to experience.

The Vienna Risk-Taking Test - Traffic

Abstract. The study reports results regarding the dimensionality and construct validity of a newly developed, objective, video-based personality test that assesses the willingness to take risks in traffic situations. On the basis of the theory of risk homeostasis developed by Wilde, different traffic situations with varying degrees of objective danger were filmed. During the test the respondents are asked to indicate at which point the action that is contingent on the described situation will become too dangerous to carry out. Latencies at the item level were recorded as a measure for the subjectively accepted degree of a persons willingness to take risks in the sense of the risk homeostasis theory by Wilde. In a study on 274 people with different educational levels and gender, the unidimensionality of the test as corresponding to the latency model by Scheiblechner was investigated. The results indicate that the Vienna Risk-Taking Test - Traffic assesses a unidimensional, latent personality trait that ca...

Dimensionality and construct validity of a video-based, objective personality test for the assessment of willingness to take risks in road traffic

The study at hand reports first results about the dimensionality and construct validity of a newly developed objective, video-based personality test, which assesses the willingness to take risks in traffic situations. On the basis of the theory of risk homeostasis developed by Wilde, different traffic situations with varying amounts of objective danger were filmed. These situations mainly consisted of situations with passing maneuvers and speed choice or traffic situations at intersections. Each of these traffic situations describes an action which should be carried out. The videos of the traffic situations are presented twice. Before the first presentation, a short written explanation of the preceding traffic situation and a situation-contingent reaction is provided. The respondents are allowed to obtain an overview of the given situations during the first presentation of each traffic situation. During the second presentation the respondents are asked to indicate at which point the action that is contingent on the described situation will become too dangerous to carry out. Latencies for items were recorded as a measure for the magnitude of the persons subjectively accepted willingness to take risks in the sense of the risk homeostasis theory by Wilde. In a study with 243 people with different education and sex, the one-dimensionality of the test corresponding to the latency model by Scheiblechner was investigated. Analysis indicated that the new measure assesses a one-dimensional latent personality trait which can be interpreted as subjectively accepted amount of risk (target risk value). First indicators for the construct validity of the test are given by a significant correlation with the construct-related secondary scale, adventurousness of the Eysenck Personality Profiler with, at the same time, nonsignificant correlations to the two secondary scales, extroversion and emotional stability, that are not linked to the construct.

Paranormal Belief, Schizotypy, and Body Mass Index:

There are indications that subjects with schizotypal personality have a lower Body Mass Index. Also schizotypal personality is linked to a higher incidence of paranormal belief. In this study we examined whether low Body Mass Index is also linked to paranormal belief. In a pilot study 48 students of psychology (85.4% women) between the ages of 20 and 27 years were administered a questionnaire assessing weight, height, and paranormal belief. Analysis suggested an association between belief in paranormal phenomena and low Body Mass Index. In a follow-up study with 300 subjects and equal sex distribution, the relationship was examined under control of schizotypy. The results for Body Mass Index could not be confirmed; however, paranormal belief was heavily associated with the cognitive-perceptual component of schizotypy.