Vicki Peyton

Reasons for choosing child care: associations with family factors, quality, and satisfaction

Abstract Demographic and family process factors related to the reasons mothers selected a particular care arrangement for their 3-year-old children were examined along with the type and quality of care the children received and the mothers’ satisfaction with that care. Reasons for selecting care were categorized as focused on quality, practicality, or preference for a specific type of care arrangement. Mothers in high-income families and those who worked fewer hours were more likely to select a child-care arrangement based on its quality than on practical concerns such as cost, hours of operation, or location. Mothers who reported higher stress related to parenting were more likely to choose care because of practical issues. Mothers who chose care based on quality were least likely to use care provided by a relative. In addition, mothers choosing care because of its quality were more likely to place their children in higher quality care, as judged by outside observers, than those who chose based on practical concerns. However, mothers who chose care because of a preference for a particular type of care (center-based, home-based, or relative) received higher quality care than either of the other two groups. Mothers who chose care because of practical concerns were least satisfied with their child’s care.

Measuring a Dimension of Spirituality for Health Research: Validity of the Spirituality Index of Well-Being

Health-related studies of spirituality are threatened by the lack of conceptual distinctions between religion and spirituality, the use of small, nongeneralizable samples, and by measurement error in many instruments that unreliably and invalidly capture this domain. The authors review the construct and validity evidence for the Spirituality Index of Well-Being (SIWB), an instrument designed to measure a dimension of spirituality linked to subjective well-being in patient populations. The SIWB was developed using qualitative research methods and subsequently conceptualized with two dimensions; self-efficacy and life scheme. Primary psychometric data from three sample populations are reviewed and summarized. A secondary, confirmatory factor analysis, using pooled data from all samples, supports the theoretical two-factor structure. In addition, SIWB scores correlate more strongly with established measures of well-being than the Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWB) or other recognized religiosity instruments. The SIWB is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used in health-related studies.

The supervisory attachment relationship as a predictor of the professional development of the supervisee

Abstract Attachment theory was used to conceptualize the supervisory relationship. The type of attachment that supervisees reported in their close relationships was used to determine whether or not their feelings toward their supervisor revealed a relationship of attachment. The sample consisted of 90 distinct supervisor–supervisee dyads from diverse professional backgrounds. Supervisees classified as secure, preoccupied, fearful, or dismissive in their close relationships were similarly attached in relationship to their clinical supervisor. Further, supervisees with an insecure attachment to their supervisor demonstrated low levels of professional development when professional development was based on self-report but not when it was based on supervisor report. Results are discussed in light of the role that attachment plays in the training of supervisees.

Test Score Stability and the Relationship of Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale-College Version Scores to External Variables Among Graduate Students

A sample of 79 individuals participated in the present study to evaluate the test score stability (8-week test-retest interval) and construct validity of the scores of the Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale-College Version, a new measure used to assess anxiety in college students, for application to graduate-level students. Results of the study indicated for a sample of graduate students that the AMAS-C test scores have adequate to good temporal stability (rs = .70 to .87). Evidence supporting the construct validity of the AMAS-C test scores was found. Validity coefficients ranged from -.67 to .88. Implications of the findings are discussed.

A comparison of reliability and precision of subscore reporting methods for a state English language proficiency assessment

K–12 English language proficiency tests that assess multiple content domains (e.g., listening, speaking, reading, writing) often have subsections based on these content domains; scores assigned to these subsections are commonly known as subscores. Testing programs face increasing customer demands for the reporting of subscores in addition to the total test scores in today’s accountability-oriented educational environment. Although reporting subscores can provide much-needed information for teachers, administrators, and students about proficiency in the test domains, one of the major drawbacks of subscore reporting includes their lower reliability as compared to the test as a whole. In addition, viewing language domains as if they were not interrelated, and reporting subscores without considering this relationship between domains, may be contradictory to the theory of language acquisition. This study explored several methods of assigning subscores to the four domains of a state English language proficiency test, including classical test theory (CTT)-based number correct, unidimensional item response theory (UIRT), augmented item response theory (A-IRT), and multidimensional item response theory (MIRT), and compared the reliability and precision of these different methods across language domains and grade bands. The first two methods assessed proficiency in the domains separately, without considering the relationship between domains; the last two methods took into consideration relationships between domains. The reliability and precision of the CTT and UIRT methods were similar and lower than those of A-IRT and MIRT for most domains and grade bands; MIRT was found to be the most reliable method. Policy implications and limitations of this study, as well as directions for further research, are discussed.