Psychometric properties of the Iranian version of the Sexual Modes Questionnaire (SMQ): to assess the association between automatic thoughts,emotions and sexual response

The role of cognitive-affective factors on male and female sexual functioning has been studied in North America and European countries and there is a lack of validated measures available for use elsewhere. The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Sexual Modes Questionnaire (SMQ) to the Iranian context. The SMQ is a validated measure aimed at assessing the association between thoughts, emotions and sexual response during sexual activity. A total of 388 participants (224 women and 164 men) completed the SMQ. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation and subsequent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed. Three factors were identified in the male version: Failure Anticipation Thoughts, Erection Concern Thoughts, and Lack of Erotic Thoughts. In the female version, six factors were identified: Failure and Disengagement Thoughts, Low Self-Body Image Thoughts, Sexual Abuse Thoughts, Sexual Passivity and Control, Lack of Erotic Thoughts, and Partner's Lack of Affection. Also, a consistent pattern of correlations was found between the three subscales of the SMQ (thoughts, emotions, and sexual response) supporting the interactional character of the measure. This study has provided some preliminary evidence of the reliability and validity of the SMQ for use in Iranian populations.     

Psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ-Italian)

A valid tool that contributes to the diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is represented by the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire 2007 (DCDQ’07). Recently we developed the Italian version of DCDQ (DCDQ-Italian). The aim of this study was to further analyze the psychometric properties in a sample of Italian school children aged 5–12 years and to establish cut-off scores with respect to age groups. A total of 698 parents completed the DCDQ-Italian and 45 of them repeated it after 2 weeks for test–retest reliability. One hundred and seventeen children were tested using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Confirmatory factor analysis supported this version to be consistent with the original. Cronbach's alpha for the total score was 0.89 and test–retest reliability was 0.88. Two-ways ANOVA for total and single subscales showed a significant main effect for age group only and not for gender. Sensitivity and specificity for our community based sample were 59% and 65% respectively, considering the cut-off scores for the 15th percentile of M-ABC and increasing when age groups were taken into account (ROC curve = 0.62). The agreement with the original was good if 15th is considered. This is the first study on the psychometric property of DCDQ in a community sample of Italian children. The DCDQ-Italian could be used as a screening tool for motor coordination difficulties in Italian children. Slight differences in cut-offs should be considered when using this version.     

Dutch version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

Abstract. A Dutch translation of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was made. In the first wave of data collection, self-report data of 11- to 16-yearolds (N = 970) were collected on the SDQ and other measures of psychopathology. In the second wave of data collection, extended versions of the SDQ were completed by 11- to 16-year-olds (N = 268), by parents of 8- to 16-year-olds (N = 300) and by teachers of 8- to 12-year-olds (N = 208); in addition, the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) was completed by the parents and the Youth Self Report (YSR) by the 11- to 16-year-olds. The results reveal that the internal consistency of the teacher SDQ is good; and the parent and self-report SDQ are generally acceptable and comparable with the internal consistencies of CBCL/YSR. The mean inter-informant product-moment correlations of the SDQ scales were satisfactory (parent-teacher 0.38; teacher-self-report 0.27; parent-self-report 0.35) and comparable with the mean inter-informant correlations of the CBCL and YSR (0.34). The inter-informant rank correlations of the impact questions were also satisfactory (mean parent-teacher 0.48; mean parent-self-report 0.24). Concurrent validity with the other measures of psychopathology used in the present study was good.     

Psychometric analysis of the Swedish panic disorder severity scale and its self-report version

Background: Panic disorder, with or without agoraphobia (PDA or PD, respectively), is a major public health problem. After having established a PD diagnosis based on the DSM or the ICD systems, the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) is the most widely used interview-based instrument for assessing disorder severity. There is also a self-report version of the instrument (PDSS-SR); both exist in a Swedish translation but their psychometric properties remain untested.

Methods: We studied 221 patients with PD/PDA recruited to a randomized controlled preference trial of cognitive-behavioral and brief panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy. In addition to PDSS and PDSS-SR the participants completed self-reports including the Clinical Outcome in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure, Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, Bodily Sensations Questionnaire and the Mobility Inventory for Agoraphobia.

Results: PDSS and PDSS-SR possessed excellent psychometric properties (internal consistency, test–retest reliability) and convergent validity. A single factor structure for both versions was not confirmed. In terms of clinical utility, the PDSS had very high inter-rater reliability and correspondence with PD assessed via structured diagnostic interview. Both versions were sensitive to the effects of PD-focused treatment, although subjects scored systematically lower on the self-report version.

Conclusions: The study confirmed the reliability and validity of the Swedish versions of PDSS and PDSS-SR. Both versions were highly sensitive to the effects of two PD-focused treatments and can be used both in clinical and research settings. However, further investigation of the factor structures of both the PDSS and PDSS-SR is warranted.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01606592     

Psychometric Properties of the Korean version of the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (K-ERQ) in a Clinical Sample

ObjectiveThe Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) is one of the widely used instruments to assess emotion regulation skills in many countries, including Korea. However, its psychometric properties have not been validated within this population. Also, the ERQ has increasingly been used in studies with psychiatric patients despite a general lack of validation in clinical settings. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the ERQ (K-ERQ) using a clinical sample in Korea. MethodsOne hundred and ninety-three psychiatric patients completed a packet of self-report measures, including K-ERQ, K-BDI-II, K-ASI-3, PCL-5-K, AUDIT-K. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was administered to investigate the factor structure of the K-ERQ, and internal reliability and validity were examined. ResultsResults of the CFA supported the two-factor structure, but only after the removal of one item. The K-ERQ showed good internal consistency reliability, and its concurrent validity was also confirmed. Cognitive reappraisal was negatively correlated with depression and alcohol use disorder-related symptoms, and expressive suppression was positively correlated with depression, anxiety sensitivity, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms and alcohol use disorder-related symptoms. Significant group differences were found in the use of emotion regulation strategies; patients with PTSD reported the higher level of cognitive reappraisal than patients with depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Conclusion The 9-itemed K-ERQ is a reliable and valid tool to assess the emotion regulation strategies in a Korean clinical sample. Our study also adds preliminary evidence on the usefulness of the ERQ in clinical settings.     

Psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the fatigue severity scale in patients with stroke

Background: Post-stroke fatigue is a common symptom which needs to be assessed by a psychometrically sound tool.

Objectives: To investigate the psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the fatigue severity scale (FSS-A) in patients with stroke.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional design was applied to 147 survivors of first-time stroke and 70 healthy participants. Internal consistency was measured by Cronbach’s α, while test-retest reliability was measured by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). To assess validity, the FSS-A was correlated with the Fatigue Visual Analogue Scale (VAS-F), the Short Form 36 (SF-36) and its vitality domain (SF-36V), the stroke specific quality of life (SSQOL-A) and its energy domain (SSQOL-A-E), and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II).

Results: The FSS-A showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.934) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.920, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85–0.96). Exploratory factor analysis confirmed that the FSS-A is unidimensional. The FSS-A had high positive correlation with VAS-F, moderate positive correlation with BDI-II, high negative correlation with SSQOL-A-E and moderate negative correlations with SF-36, SF-36V, and SSQOL-A. It differentiated patients from healthy participants with a sensitivity of 78.4% and a specificity of 77.1%. The minimal detectable change with 95% CI was 1.02 (22.4%).

Conclusions: The FSS-A showed good psychometric properties suggesting its usefulness as a fatigue evaluation tool in patients diagnosed with stroke.     

Psychometric properties of a Persian-language version of the Beck Depression Inventory--Second edition: BDI-II-PERSIAN

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is perhaps the most commonly used screening instrument for depression in the general population. We examined the psychometric properties of a Persian-language version of the second edition of this instrument (BDI-II) [Beck et al., 1996] in an Iranian college-student sample. In a sample of 125 student volunteers from two Iranian universities, we compared mean item scores on the BDI-II-Persian with those on the English-language version administered to North American college students, and assessed internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the BDI-II-Persian and its concurrent validity against a measure of negative automatic thoughts in depression, the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire [Hollon and Kendall, 1980]. We also examined the factor structure of the BDI-II-Persian through comparing the fit of various proposed models to the data using confirmatory factor analysis. The BDI-II-Persian had high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.87) and acceptable test-retest reliability (r=0.74). The instrument correlated strongly with the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire. In factor analysis, models with strongly correlated affective-cognitive and somatic-vegetative factors provided a better fit than models with one global factor. These data support the reliability and concurrent validity of the BDI-II-Persian as a measure of depressive symptoms in nonclinical samples.     

Cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire: Psychometric properties of the Tunisian version

ObjectivesThis study investigated the psychometric properties of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire in a Tunisian Arabic-Speaking population.MethodThe CERQ original version was translated and back-translated and then administrated to 360 participants. Afterwards, using the explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis, we studied the latent factor structure for CERQ. The internal consistency of the subscales was assessed by Cronbach's alfa coefficients, and the test-retest and interscale reliability were assessed with Pearson correlations. The criterion validity was also examined using correlations between the CERQ subscales and both the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scales at first evaluation and at a one year follow-up.ResultsThe Tunisian version was quite satisfactory with the nine-factor structure, as in the original CERQ. Moreover, all validity and reliability measures were comparable to the original CERQ.ConclusionThe present study is the first work devoted to a Tunisian adaptation of the CERQ. Our findings highlight that the Tunisian version is both reliable and valid for the measurement of cognitive emotion regulation strategies.     

Validity and Reliability of a Persian Translation of the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in Multiple Sclerosis (MACFIMS)

Cognitive dysfunction is common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and validated batteries are limited in languages other than English. We aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt, validate, and assess reliability of Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function in MS (MACFIMS) in Persian. The MACFIMS is a well-constructed battery in the MS literature. The battery was adapted to Persian in accordance with available guidelines. A total of 158 MS patients and 90 controls underwent neuropsychological assessment. For reliability assessment the battery was re-administered in a subset of 41 patients after a short interval using alternate forms to mitigate practice effects (approximately 10 days). Patients performed significantly worse than controls in all cognitive tests, supporting discriminant validity of our adapted battery. Approximately half of patients (46.2%) showed cognitive impairment as defined by the impairment in two or more tests. The Symbol Digit Modalities Test was the most robust test by ROC analysis. All tests showed acceptable to good level of reliability. This is the first validation of gold-standard cognitive testing in Persian. The Persian MACFIMS shows nearly the same psychometrics as its English counterpart.     

Psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44)

The present study was designed to assess the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44) in 104 patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. The secondary objective was to ascertain whether a decline in OBQ-44 scores occurs after cognitive-behavioral group therapy (CBGT). Factor analysis identified three dysfunctional belief domains from the original scale. Internal consistency and reproducibility were very good and good, respectively. Sensitivity to treatment change (cognitive-behavioral group therapy) was good, and pre-post intervention standardized effect sizes (Cohen's d) were strong. The OBQ-44 plays an important role in this setting; as a user-friendly, self-administered instrument that lists the most common dysfunctional beliefs of OCD patients, it enables healthcare providers to assess whether their patients' beliefs change after treatment.     

Psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Cognitive Reserve Scale (I-CRS)

The original definition of cognitive reserve (CR) refers to the individual differences in cognitive performance after a brain damage or pathology. Several proxies were proposed to evaluate CR (education, occupational attainment, premorbid IQ, leisure activities). Recently, some scales were developed to measure CR taking into account several cognitively stimulating activities. The aim of this study is to adapt the Cognitive Reserve Scale (I-CRS) for the Italian population and to explore its psychometric properties. I-CRS was administered to 547 healthy participants, ranging from 18 to 89 years old, along with neuropsychological and behavioral scales to evaluate cognitive functioning, depressive symptoms, and apathy. Cronbach’s α, corrected item-total correlations, and the inter-item correlation matrix were calculated to evaluate the psychometric properties of the scale. Linear regression analysis was performed to build a correction grid of the I-CRS according to demographic variables. Correlational analyses were performed to explore the relationships between I-CRS and neuropsychological and behavioral scales. We found that age, sex, and education influenced the I-CRS score. Young adults and adults obtained higher I-CRS scores than elderly adults; women and participants with high educational attainment scored higher on I-CRS than men and participants with low education. I-CRS score correlated poorly with cognitive and depression scale scores, but moderately with apathy scale scores. I-CRS showed good psychometric properties and seemed to be a useful tool to assess CR in every adult life stage. Moreover, our findings suggest that apathy rather than depressive symptoms may interfere with the building of CR across the lifespan.     

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of the screen for child anxiety-related emotional disorders (SCARED)

The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Persian translation of the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders-child version (SCARED-C) in a community sample of 557 children, aged 9–13 years, in the city of Isfahan, Iran. In addition to the SCARED-C, all the participants completed the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS) and the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). The SCARED-C demonstrated moderate to high internal consistency (alpha = 0.59–0.80) and good convergent and divergent validity. The one-factor and the five-factor model of the SCARED-C fitted the data moderately. However, the five-factor model had a significantly better fit than the one-factor model (Δχ² = 287.346, df = 10, P < .001). These findings showed that SCARED-C can be used as a reliable and valid measure of anxiety symptoms among children in Iran.     

Cognitive Triad Inventory (CTI): Psychometric properties and factor structure of the German translation

A central component of Beck, A. T., Rush, J., & Shaw, B. F. [(1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press] cognitive theory of depression is the cognitive triad (negative view of self, world, and future) measurable with the Cognitive Triad Inventory (CTI). This study examined the psychometric properties and factor structure of the German CTI in a sample of 796 German volunteers. The study provides evidence for the reliability and validity of the German CTI and of independent positive and negative elements of the cognitive triad. Furthermore, results emphasize methodological above conceptual problems in Beck et al.'s (1979) theory as cause for instabilities in the CTI's factor structure across different studies.     

Psychometric Properties of the 30-item Version General Health Questionnaire in Japanese

Abstract: Psychometric properties of the 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) were explored using the Japanese data collected in various settings. A six- or seven-factor structure emerged for the entire sample and each gender and age-group divided into a 10-year interval. The factors were highly identical across the subsamples. The main four factors showed a high agreement with those of UK and Hong Kong studies: approximately 80% of the items were similarly allocated to factors. However, the response endorsement of two "loss of positive attitude" items was much common regardless of the score level. These items counted up approximately one-fourths of the score, so that these items made the score spuriously higher. Accordingly, a question arose as to whether these items should be included in the scale for its use in Japanese.     

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Psycho-educational Profile-Revised (CPEP-R)

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Psycho-educational Profile-Revised (PEP-R). The Chinese PEP-R (CPEP-R) was administered to 63 preschool children with symptoms of autistic disorder recruited from special child-care centers in Hong Kong. Results showed that the scales of the CPEP-R were internally consistent, reliable across raters and temporally stable. Regarding the concurrent validity of the CPEP-R, the developmental score and developmental age assessed by the CPEP-R were significantly correlated with the Merrill–Palmer Scale of Mental Tests and the Hong Kong Based Adaptive Behavior Scale. The Behavioral Scale of the CPEP-R was also significantly related to the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. Besides replicating the findings in the Western context, the present study suggests that the psychometric properties of the PEP-R are stable across cultures and the related findings support the cross-cultural reliability of the tool.     

An appraisal of the psychometric properties of the Clinician version of the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES-C)

This article examines the psychometric properties of the clinician version of the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES-C) to determine its ability to characterize, quantify and differentiate apathy. Critical appraisals of the item-reduction processes, effectiveness of the administration, coding and scoring procedures, and the reliability and validity of the scale were carried out. For training, administration and rating of the AES-C, clearer guidelines, including a more standardized list of verbal and non-verbal apathetic cues, are needed. There is evidence of high internal consistency for the scale across studies. In addition, the original study reported good test-retest and inter-rater reliability coefficients. However, there is a lack of replication on these more stable and informative measures of reliability and as such they warrant further investigation. The research evidence confirms that the AES-C shows good discriminant, convergent and criterion validity. However, evidence of its predictive validity is limited. As this aspect of validity refers to the scale's ability to predict future outcomes, which is important for treatment and rehabilitation planning, further assessment of the predictive validity of the AES-C is needed. In conclusion, the AES-C is a reliable and valid measure for the characterization and quantification of apathy.     

The Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R): psychometric characteristics of the French version

OBJECTIVE: To explore the psychometric characteristics of a modified version of the Cloninger's personality questionnaire, the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R). METHOD: A 482-subject sample, including clinical and non-clinical subjects, completed the TCI-R. We performed principal component analyses and explored the factorial structure of the questionnaire, and the internal consistency of each dimension. RESULTS: The factorial structure of the TCI-R was well defined as expected and similar to those shown with the TCI. Robust factors were obtained for Reward Dependence and Persistence in the TCI-R, even more clearly than in the original TCI. All dimensions obtained higher alpha Cronbach coefficients with the TCI-R than with the TCI. We obtained highly satisfying reliability coefficients in test-retest and TCI/TCI-R comparisons. CONCLUSION: The TCI-R seems to have similar psychometric and feasibility characteristics as those of the initial version, but with significant improvements in terms of factorial structure and internal consistency of most dimensions.