Richard B. Fletcher

Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Depression Outcomes Predicted by Willingness to Engage in Homework, Compliance with Homework, and Cognitive Restructuring Skill Acquisition

There is a need to understand the mechanism through which homework contributes to clinically meaningful change in therapy. Theoretically meaningful factors such as willingness to complete therapeutic assignments and cognitive skill acquisition have not been carefully studied in prior research. Depressed outpatients (N = 46) received cognitive behavioural group therapy for a 10‐week period and were assigned relevant homework activities. Patient self‐report and independent ratings of homework compliance were obtained on a session‐by‐session basis. Using path analysis, the authors found evidence that willingness to complete homework assignments and mastery of skill in cognitive restructuring helped account for the relationship between homework compliance and reduced symptom severity (R 2 = .40). However, paths were only significant when patient self‐report of homework compliance was used in the model. The present study highlights the problems in assessing homework compliance and in assuming that independent assessment of compliance is more accurate than patient self‐report.

Handedness and Intellectual Achievement: An Even-Handed Look.

Evidence from a large-scale study of 11-year olds in Britain suggests that ambidextrous individuals may be disadvantaged in tests of verbal, nonverbal, reading, and mathematical skills relative to right- and left-handers, but this basic finding was not replicated in another study of younger boys in Germany. Here, we present data based on a television show in which members of the public were given an IQ test. Some individuals were also asked to state whether they wrote with the left hand, right hand, or either hand. The data support the earlier finding that ambidextrous individuals perform more poorly than left- or right-handers, especially on subscales measuring arithmetic, memory, and reasoning, and extend that finding to adults.

An examination of the psychometric properties of the physical self-description questionnaire using a polytomous item response model

Abstract Objectives : This study proposes polytomous item response theory (IRT) as a method for item analysis of Likert-type responses that are commonly used in sport and exercise psychology measures. Thus, the aims of this study were to determine the psychometric qualities of the items at the endorsement option, item and test level. Method : The graded response IRT model ( Samejima, Psychometrika Monograph 17 (1969) ) was fitted to the 70-item Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ) ( Marsh et al., J Sport Exer Psychol 15 (1994) 270), which was administered to a large sample of Australian adolescents enrolled in a metropolitan sports high school. Results : By analyzing in greater detail the psychometric properties of items, the results show how polytomous IRT can provide new insight into item analysis that is not available in traditional classical test analyses. The graded response IRT model ( Samejima, Psychometrika Monograph 17 (1969) ) allowed for the identification of items that provided high and low measurement precision, items that needed rewording, and items that are redundant in that they add little information or had redundant response options. Conclusion : The PSDQ was most discriminating among participants with lower estimates of physical self-concept. Furthermore, the study showed how choosing items to maximize reliability may not always be the optimal strategy. IRT models provide item/sample free calibration, local standard errors, and give more information at the item level by offering additional insights as to qualities of the items over and above those gleaned from the classical test theory models (CTT). The increased information at each Likert-scale point, and the added information from the polytomous IRT model, make this an attractive approach for the development of psychological measures using a polytomously scored item format.

The validity and clinical utility of the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) with older adult New Zealanders.

BACKGROUND The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) has established use with older adult populations in New Zealand but few studies have evaluated its psychometric properties. Research with the psychometric properties of the HADS in elderly populations has primarily used correlational methods that do not allow for the effects of measurement error to be observed. The hypothesized tripartite model of anxiety and depression within the HADS was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) methods. METHODS Overall, 203 community-dwelling older adults who were recruited from older adult community groups completed the HADS. Competing two- and three-factor structures were trialled using CFA. RESULTS A three-factor model indicated a lack of differentiation between factors and poor clinical utility and was rejected in favor of a two-factor model. Significant correlations were observed between the anxiety and depression factors on the two-factor model, but it was considered to have validity for older adult samples. Good internal consistency was found for the HADS. CONCLUSIONS A two-factor model of the HADS was favored due to the lack of differentiation between factors on the three-factor model, and the higher clinical utility of a two-factor solution. The validity of the HADS may be limited by over-diagnosing anxiety in non-clinical populations. It is recommended that the HADS be used to measure change over time through treatment and not be used as a diagnostic tool until future research establishes appropriate norms and cut-offs.

The Group Environment Questionnaire: A Multilevel Confirmatory Factor Analysis

The Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ) is a measure of group cohesion that has a long history of use in sports psychology and group research. However, researchers often fail to account for the hierarchical nature of group data in their analysis, leading to statistical aggregation biases. This study used multilevel confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the factorial validity of the GEQ at the individual and group levels simultaneously, using a sample of 519 netball players from 56 New Zealand semi-elite and elite teams. Results supported a four-factor model, based on the four subscales of the GEQ, at each level. Factor loadings for the final multilevel model were stronger at the group level, compared with the individual level, suggesting that cohesion is a group-level construct. This study provides evidence for the multilevel factorial validity of the GEQ and suggests that group-level analysis and interpretation should be emphasized in future research.

Frame of Reference Training for Assessment Centers: Effects on Interrater Reliability When Rating Behaviors and Ability Traits

Assessment centers have been widely criticized on the basis of measurement problems. The present study sought to present a methodological piece on the extent to which Frame of Reference (FOR) training would increase the interrater reliability associated with assessment center ratings provided by non-psychologist assessors. Five managerial assessors (with no psychological training) rated the behavior and the ability traits of a contrived participant on the basis of behaviors described in two alternative vignettes (detailing critical incidents of job performance). The ratings were obtained both before and following FOR training. It was found that agreement among assessors on their assessment of both behaviors and traits increased subsequent to the FOR training procedure. The implications of increasing the precision associated with assessment center ratings are discussed.

Longitudinal stability of the leadership scale for sports.

This study evaluated the invariance properties of the Leadership Scale for Sport in a sample of 219 female netball players over four time points within a 10-week playing season. Support was found for Chelladurai and Salehs (1980) >hypothesized 5-factor structure of the Leadership Scale for Sport. Furthermore, differential stability and partial invariance was found for the Leadership Scale for Sport when all four time periods were included. Players perceived slight changes in their coachs autocratic behavior and social support over the season; however, the three other leadership dimensions showed larger changes. The motivational aspects of training and instruction and positive feedback behavior were perceived to increase, while democratic behavior simultaneously decreased in the second half of the season. Furthermore, perceptions of leadership within teams showed a high level of homogeneity with the exception of positive feedback behavior.

Demands, appraisal, coping and outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate relationships among cognitive appraisal of work demands, coping, positive and negative affect, and job satisfaction using structural equation modeling (SEM). Gender differences are also examined.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 659 registered veterinarians respond to a postal survey investigating appraisal, coping, and outcomes in the context of work‐related stressors. Veterinarians are selected as the study group due to the high reported rates of stress within the profession.Findings – The hypothesized model is a good fit to the data. Patterns of appraisal and coping are evident which meant that a potentially stressful work demand could result in positive rather than negative outcomes. The more a demand is seen as a challenge the more use is made of task‐focused coping and the less use is made of avoidance, with higher levels of positive affect and job satisfaction. In contrast, threat appraisals are associated with more avoidance, more negati...

Pseudoparticipation in Communication Networks: The Social Psychology of Broken Promises

Bolitho and Ian P. Purcell, who assisted greatly with an earlier version of the methodology. We also thank the staff and 1st-year psychology students at Massey University Albany, who generously gave their time and goodwill to participate in the present study. Address correspondence to Stuart C. Carr, School of Psychology/Te Kura Hinengaro Tangata, Massey University, Private Bag 102 904, North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland, New Zealand; S.C.Carr@massey.ac.nz (e-mail).

Duty hours and incidents in flight among commercial airline pilots

Introduction. Working long duty hours has often been associated with increased risk of incidents and accidents in transport industries. Despite this, information regarding the intermediate relationship between duty hours and incident risk is limited. This study aimed to test a work hours/incident model to identify the interplay of factors contributing to incidents within the aviation industry. Methods. Nine hundred and fifty-four European-registered commercial airline pilots completed a 30-item survey investigating self-report attitudes and experiences of fatigue. Path analysis was used to test the proposed model. Results. The fit indices indicated this to be a good fit model (χ2 = 11.066, df = 5, p = 0.05; Comparative Fit Index = 0.991; Normed Fit Index = 0.984; Tucker–Lewis Index = 0.962; Root Mean Square of Approximation = 0.036). Highly significant relationships were identified between duty hours and sleep disturbance (r = 0.18, p < 0.001), sleep disturbance and fatigue in the cockpit (r = 0.40, p < 0.001), and fatigue in the cockpit and microsleeps in the cockpit (r = 0.43, p < 0.001). Discussion. A critical pathway from duty hours through to self-reported incidents in flight was identified. Further investigation employing both objective and subjective measures of sleep and fatigue is needed.