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The Hooper Visual Organization Test (HVOT) was designed to measure an individual’s ability to organise visual stimuli and assess visual-spatial abilities and synthesis. The current investigation sought to explore the psychometric properties of the HVOT and develop normative data for South Africans who do not speak English as a first language and who received primary and secondary public education. The research design was cross-sectional and the HVOT was administered to healthy adults (n = 111) and a clinical group (n = 17) whose ages ranged between 19 and 70 years and had an education of between 6 and 22 years. The clinical group was made up of Huntington’s Disease patients (HD/HDL2). Reliability indicators (McDonald’s omega and Rasch person reliability index) were satisfactory. The HVOT fit the Rasch model well, although item locations deviated somewhat from the expected monotonic increase in item difficulties. Statistically significant differences in total scores were observed across age, education and gender groups, forming the basis of the norms presented in this paper. A few items across these groups were flagged for potential differential item functioning. Several statistically significant associations with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) were observed. These were consistent with theoretical expectations and provided evidence of convergent validity. The clinical group performed worse than the control group when mean total HVOT scores were compared. Preliminary norms stratified by age, gender and years of education are presented. Future studies should include larger sample sizes and additional research on the influence of gender on the total HVOT score is needed.

The role of executive functions in everyday life can hardly be overstated. Its influence ranges from pathological behaviour on the negative side, to quality of life on the positive side of human functioning. Assessment of executive functions includes both objective and subjective measures, which include self-report measures. Most self-report measures, however, were developed for use in clinical populations. The Executive Functioning Inventory (EFI) is a brief self-report measure developed for use in healthy populations. Psychometrically, the measure appears to function reasonably well in American and European populations; however, its internal structure is yet to be examined in South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency reliability, item functioning and factor structure of the EFI in this context. The data (n = 1904) were collected amongst students at a large urban university of the Gauteng province of South Africa. McDonald’s omega reliability estimates were mostly satisfactory with some exceptions, ranging between 0.59 and 0.76. A five-factor model consistent with a multidimensional view of executive functioning found modest support in this data. With the exception of two items, item response theory analysis further found the items of the EFI to function well on their respective subscales. Overall, the results were largely consistent with previous findings, providing initial support for its use in South Africa, especially, for research studies seeking a brief index of executive functioning or as part of a comprehensive assessment of executive functioning, if required.

Cognitive emotion regulation plays an important role in how people manage stressful life events. Some strategies are adaptive, while others are maladaptive and linked to several forms of psychopathology. The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ)-short form measures an individual’s proclivity to use different strategies in response to longer term stressors. The CERQ-short was developed in the Netherlands, and although it has been standardised in several countries, it is yet to be validated for use in South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CERQ-short within the South African context. The study was conducted at a large urban university in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The above was considered on the basis of a reliability analysis and an investigation into the confirmatory factor structure of the CERQ-short using data from a group of urban South African university students (n = 1904). With some exceptions, results indicated acceptable reliability for the scales ranging between 0.58 and 0.82. Confirmatory factor analysis found reasonable support for a basic nine-factor model. The measurement properties of the CERQ-short were found to be weaker in South Africa compared to that reported in its country of origin. But it was nonetheless found to hold promise for use in our multicultural and multilingual context. In particular, it may be useful for research studies where brevity is called for.

Orientation: Psychological assessments require continued refinement, updating and evaluation. Research purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) 2.0 in South Africa. Item response and classical test theory methods are employed to investigate its item functioning and factor structure. Motivation for the study: Although there has been some scientific research published on the EQ-i in South Africa, there has been no research on the revised version, the EQ-i 2.0. In addition, criticism has been levied against the estimation of internal consistency reliability in the field of emotional intelligence. This study aims to fill these gaps in the literature. Research design, approach and method: This study followed a quantitative, non-experimental,cross-sectional design using secondary data. The sample comprised 1144 working adults(570 men and 574 women). The data were collected through an online platform as part of the standardisation process in South Africa. Main findings: Results from Rasch analysis showed that almost all the items fit the model.Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega estimates revealed satisfactory reliabilities.Confirmatory factor analysis at the composite level revealed acceptable fit with the exception of the total EQ model. Practical/managerial implications: This study supports the claim of reliability and validity ofthe EQ-i 2.0 in the South African context. Contribution/value-add: The study contributes significantly to the international body of evidence regarding the psychometric properties of the EQ-i 2.0 and provides supporting evidence for the appropriate use of this assessment in South Africa.

Orientation: Psychological instruments require continued refinement, updating and evaluation.Research purpose: To investigate the reliability, validity and differential item functioning of the MBTI® Form M across groups in South Africa using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) methods.Motivation for the study: To add to the continual research and improvement of the MBTI® Form M through the investigation of its psychometric properties across groups in South Africa.Research design, approach and method: This study falls within the quantitative research paradigm. Classical test theory methods and Rasch analysis were used to evaluate the functioning of the MBTI Form M across gender and ethnic groups. A cross-sectional study was completed consisting of 10 705 South African respondents.Main findings: Excellent reliability was found for the instrument across groups in the sample. Good evidence for construct validity was found using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Some evidence for uniform bias was found across ethnic and gender groups and a few items reflected non-uniform DIF across gender groups only. The effect of uniform and non-uniform DIF did not appear to have major practical implications for the interpretation of the scales.Practical/managerial implications: The results provided evidence that supports the psychometric validity of the MBTI instrument in the South African context.Contribution/value-add: This study is the largest study to date regarding the psychometric functioning of the MBTI instrument in South Africa. It contributes to the evolution of the instrument in line with the legislative requirements concerning the use of psychometric tests in South Africa.