Martin Jelínek

Computer-based tests: the impact of test design and problem of equivalency

Pocitacove formy diagnostických metod jsou casto publikovany s psychometrickými charakteristikami pochazejicimi z tradicnich forem metod a bez dokladů o ekvivalenci s těmito formami. Navic casto existuje vice pocitacových forem tehož testu, ktere se lisi svým designem. Studie I se zaměřuje na vliv designu na výsledky testu. Bylo zjistěno, že změna v barevnem schematu Bourdonova pozornostniho testu (světle podněty na tmavem pozadi vs. tmave podněty na světlem pozadi) ovlivňuje výkon probandů. Studie II se zabýva ekvivalenci pocitacove formy Testu koncentrace pozornosti, který je casto použivan v psychologicke praxi v ramci Ceske republiky. Pocitacova a tradicni forma vykazuji znamky neekvivalentnosti.

Personality predictors of successful development: toddler temperament and adolescent personality traits predict well-being and career stability in middle adulthood.

The aim of the study was to predict both adaptive psychological functioning (well-being) and adaptive social functioning (career stability) in middle adulthood based on behaviors observed in toddlerhood and personality traits measured in adolescence. 83 people participated in an ongoing longitudinal study started in 1961 (58% women). Based on children’s behavior in toddlerhood, three temperamental dimensions were identified – positive affectivity, negative affectivity and disinhibition. In adolescence, extraversion and neuroticism were measured at the age of 16 years. Various aspects of well-being were used as indicators of adaptive psychological functioning in adulthood: life satisfaction, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Career stability was used as an indicator of adaptive social functioning. Job careers of respondents were characterized as stable, unstable or changeable. Extraversion measured at the age of 16 proved to be the best predictor of well-being indicators; in case of self-efficacy it was also childhood disinhibition. Extraversion in adolescence, childhood disinhibition and negative affectivity predicted career stability. Findings are discussed in the context of a theoretical framework of higher order factors of the Big Five personality constructs, stability and plasticity.

Antisocial Behavior in Adolescence Typology and Relation to Family Context

The study deals with the relationship between antisocial behavior in early adolescence and family environment. Sample consisted of 2,856 adolescents (53% girls, mean age 13.5 years, SD = 1.1) from urban areas in the Czech Republic. The Social and Health Assessment (SAHA), a school survey, was used to measure sociodemographic characteristics of the family, parent-child interactions, and antisocial behavior. K-means cluster analysis on the items of Antisocial Behavior Scale was used to identify types of adolescents differentiated on the basis of antisocial behavior. Four major clusters of adolescents were identified. Subsequently, adolescents from different clusters were compared on sociodemographic variables (Pearson’s chi-square) and aspects of upbringing (analysis of variance [ANOVA]). While there were no substantial differences between adolescents from the different clusters in sociodemographic characteristics of their family (parental education, parents employment, family structure), there were significant differences in aspects of upbringing (consistence, involvement, control, warmth) between adolescents from clusters differentiated by antisocial behavior.

Predictors of Posstraumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth in Childhood Cancer Survivors

This longitudinal study aims to analyze predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among gender, age, objective factors of the disease and its treatment, family environment factors and negative emotionality. The sample consisted of 97 childhood cancer survivors (50 girls and 47 boys) aged 11–25 years who were in remission 1.7 to seven years at T1 and four to 12.5 years at T2. Survivors completed a set of questionnaires including the Benefit Finding Scale for Children and the University of California at Los Angeles Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Index. Regression and correlation analyses were performed. The relation between PTSS and PTG was not proven. A higher level of PTSS (T2) was associated with higher levels of negative emotionality (T1). A higher level of PTG (T2) was connected to a higher level of warmth in parenting (T1), female gender and older age at assessment. Medical variables such as the severity of late effects and the time from treatment completion did not play a significant role in the prediction of PTSS and PTG. PTG and PTSS are more influenced by factors of parenting and emotional well-being of childhood cancer survivors than by objective medical data.

Fears in Czech Adolescents A Longitudinal Study

The present study investigates developmental patterns of fear in adolescence. It is based on longitudinal data collected as a part of the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC) project. A total of 186 Czech adolescents (43% girls) were assessed repeatedly at the age of 11, 13, and 15 years. The free-response method was used to examine individual-specific fears. Fear occurrence, content, and intensity changes in 19 general fear categories in the age groups studied were investigated. The findings reveal that the most common fears of 11- and 13-year-old adolescents were related to school. However, at the age of 15, the most common fear category was the fear of losing someone, or the fear of something happening to somebody. Furthermore, we found that developmental trajectories of fear categories are characterized by a transition from the specific and concrete fears of childhood to the more general and abstract fears of adolescents.

Health Supportive Behavior in Adults: Prevention in Dental Care and Its Correlates

This study presents partial results of an extensive research project called Health-Enhancing and Health-Threatening Behaviour: Determinants, Models, and Consequences (GA13-19808S). The aim of the research is to map behavioural components related to dental health in adults and link them to selected personality traits and other aspects of health related behaviour. The research sample consisted of 1121 respondents (69% women) between twenty and sixty years of age (m = 33.9, SD = 11.95). A majority of the research group stated that they went to regular preventive check-ups (78%) as well as dental preventive examinations (44% twice a year, 38% once a year). Seventy-nine (79) percent of the respondents reported regular dental hygiene (brushing teeth twice a day). A larger extent of health-supportive behaviour was reported by women, both with respect to general preventive check-ups and dental preventive examinations and regular dental hygiene. Furthermore, differences have been observed between people in young adulthood and the elderly as far as both general and dental preventive check-ups were concerned. In both cases young adults reported going to a lower number of check-ups. Dental health supportive behaviour related to other aspects of health-supportive behaviour, such as observation of the principles of healthy diet and a regular daily regime. Finally, an expected, yet rather weak relation (partial epsilon 2 = 0.014) between the frequency of stomatological check-ups and the stability dimension measured by Gordon Personal Profile-Inventory was also found. Respondents who have preventive check-ups twice a year reach higher responsibility values than those with a lower frequency of check-ups.

Chování související se zdravím: determinanty, modely a konsekvence

Monografie shrnuje hlavni výstupy výzkumu podporovaneho agenturou GACR s nazvem Chovani zdravi podporujici a chovani zdravi ohrožujici: determinanty, modely, konsekvence. Integruje pět studii rozdělených do jednotlivých kapitol, ktere řesi problematiku vztahů komponent chovani souvisejiciho se zdravim s vybranými osobnostnimi charakteristikami, konstrukty optimismu a pesimismu, naději, ontogenezi a neuropsychologickými jevy. Prezentovane poznatky a vyvozene zavěry přispivaji nejen k hlubsimu teoretickemu pochopeni sledovaných vztahů, ale take k prakticke podpoře seberegulacnich mechanismů ctenařů vedoucich k peci o jejich vlastni zdravi. Publikace je urcena odborne veřejnosti, tematicky oslovuje předevsim odborniky a studenty v oblasti psychologie, zdravotnictvi, pedagogiky a dalsich socialnich věd, kterým je blizka problematika lidskeho zdravi.

Personality Predictors of Successful Development

Personality research from the last nearly 100 years has yielded ample evidence that personality dispositions significantly co-determine human life. Based on personality traits, we are able, to a certain extent, to predict how people will experience and behave in certain life domains. One of the most studied areas is life satisfaction and well-being, where it has been established that personality traits contribute significantly to how people evaluate their lives (Costa & McCrae, 1980; Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, & Schkade, 2005; McCrae & Costa, 1991; Pavot & Diener, 2011). But personality traits play an important role in other areas of human life as well — they influence academic achievement (Blickle, 1996), occupational choice (Gottfredson, Jones, & Holland, 1993), stress resistance and selection of coping strategies (Connor-Smith & Flachsbart, 2007), likelihood of burnout (Swider & Zimmerman, 2010), partner choice (Botwin, Buss, & Shackelford, 1997) and even fertility and number of children (Jokela, Hintsa, Hintsanen, & Keltikangas-Jarvinen, 2010). We can therefore say that personality traits largely determine the future course of life. One of the most suitable frameworks for the study of how traits influence human life is life span psychology and its topic of successful development.

Innovative testing of spatial ability: interactive responding and the use of complex stimuli material

Despite initial expectations, which have emerged with the advancement of computer technology over the last decade of the twentieth century, scientific literature does not contain many relevant references regarding the development and use of innovative items in psychological testing. Our study presents and evaluates two novel item types. One item type is derived from a standard schematic test item used for the assessment of the spatial perception aspect of spatial ability, enhanced by an interactive response module. The performance on this item type is correlated with the performance on its paper and pencil counterpart. The other innovative item type used complex stimuli in the form of a short video of a ride through a city presented in an on-route perspective, which is intended to measure navigation skills and the ability to keep oneself oriented in space. In this case, the scores were related to the capacity of visuo-spatial working memory and also to the overall score in the paper/pencil test of spatial ability. The second relationship was moderated by gender.

The Influence of Developmental Stage on the Relationship Between Severity of Late Effects of Anticancer Therapy and Perceived Quality of Life of Childhood Cancer Survivors

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between severity of late effects and subjective quality of life of childhood cancer survivors in different age brackets. The sample consisted of 147 cancer survivors (70 boys and 77 girls) aged 8 to 18 who were in remission 2 to 5 years. The analyses were carried out separately for younger (8-12 years) and older (13-19 years) age groups. Cancer survivors were asked to complete Minnesota–Minneapolis Quality of Life Instrument (MMQL) as well as other methods of measuring involvement in everyday life activities and parent–child interactions Social And Health Assessment (SAHA) were used. Severity of late effects was assessed on a 4-point scale in accordance with Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0. While severity of late effects correlated positively only with parental warmth in younger age bracket, there were many relationships between severity of late effects and quality of life in older age bracket. The difference between the two age brackets is explained by the fact that adolescents are able to assess the impact of the disease.