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Intrinsic & extrinsic motivation scales of the adapted MLSQ: A Rasch-based construct validity studyKeywords: Assessment, Higher Education, learning patterns, MotivationPresenting Author:Tine Nielsen, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkThe aim was to conduct a validity study to ascertain the psychometric properties of the Danish translation of the intrinsicand extrinsic motivation (IM and EM) subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich et al., 1991)in a higher education context. The items of the IM and EM scales were translated using a forward-backward approachinvolving three subject matter and psychometric experts. The response scale was adapted from a 7-point scale withmeaning anchors only at the extremes to a 4-point scale with meaning anchors for all response categories. Raschmeasurement models; the ordinal Rasch model (RM; Masters, 1982) and graphical loglinear Rasch models (GLLRM;Kreiner & Christensen, 2002, 2204, 2007), were employed. The analyses emphasized whether the IM and EM wereseparate constructs or either end of a single construct, local independence of items, and measurement invariance (i.e. nodifferential item functioning) relative to age, gender, year cohort and admission quota. The data sample was collected to behighly comparable across for the purpose of conducting a validity study. The sample consisted of three consecutive yearcohorts of psychology students enrolled in a full term course in personality psychology placed in the second term of thebachelor program in psychology (N = 590, cohort response rates 88%, 84%, and 84%, for the 2015, 2016 and 2017cohorts, respectively ). Data was collected one month into the personality course/the second term thus addressing studentmotivation in relation to personality psychology and at the same time point in the bachelor program. Result confirmed thatthe IM and EM subscales were two separate subscales, which were negatively though weakly correlate

Stat Anxiety, Self-efficacy & Motivation given student perception of math ability for learning statKeywords: Assessment, Higher Education, Student learning, TeachingPresenting Author:Tine Nielsen, University of Copenhagen, DenmarkThe aim of the study was, from a criterion validity perspective, to conduct an initial exploration of the associations between student perceptions of adequacy of mathematical knowledge for learning statistics and expectations to need statistics as a psychologist on the one side, and statistical anxiety, attitudes towards statistics, and statistics course specific self-efficacy and motivation on the other side. The student sample consisted of 169 freshmen psychology students at the University of Copenhagen (77% of year cohort) exactly one month into their bachelor program and one month into their first statisticscourse. Data was collected at the end of the 5th lecture in Statistics. The instruments included were the Attitudes and Relationship to Statistics Inventory Revised (HFS-R; Nielsen & Kreiner, 2018), the Specific Academic Learning Self-efficacy and Specific Academic Exam Self-efficacy scales (SAL-SE and SAE-SE; Nielsen et al., 2017), and the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (IM and EM; Nielsen, submitted 2018; Pintrich et al., 1991). Further, a package of demographic and other survey questions included questions on perception of adequacy of mathematical knowledge for learning statistics (more than adequate, adequate, not quite adequate, entirely inadequate) as well as expectance to need statistics in their future work as psychologists (yes, maybe, no). Analyses were conducted as two sets of simple one-way analyses of variance in order to detect patterns across the mean values on the statistical anxiety, attitude, self-efficacy and motivation scales for students with different perceptions of adequacy of mathematical knowledge for learning statistics and diffe

The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) was developed as a short measure of perceived stress resulting from being a parent. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the Danish version in a sample of 1110 mothers of children aged 0 to 12 months using Rasch models. Emphasis was placed on the issues of uni-dimensionality and absence of differential item functioning relative to the age and educational level of the mothers. Results showed that no adequate fit could be established for the full PSS scale with 18 dichotomized items. Further analyses showed that items 2 and 11 had to be eliminated from the scale, and that the remaining items did not make up a unidimensional PSS scale, but two subscales measuring different aspect of parental stress: a 9-item scale measuring parental stress and a 7-item scale measuring lack of parental satisfaction. Fit to the Rasch model could not be established for any of the two subscales. For the parental stress subscale, we found evidence of local dependence for four item pairs (3 and 4, 9 and 10, 10 and 16, 12 and 16), as well as evidence of two items functioning differentially: item 16 relative to level of education, and item 3 relative to both age and educational level. For the lack of parental satisfaction subscale, we found evidence of local dependence between some two pairs (1 and 17, 17 and 18), but no evidence of differential item functioning. Both subscales fit graphical loglinear Rasch models adjusting for local dependence and differential item functioning. Plotting the adjusted subscale scores against one another showed that the two-scale solution provides additional information, as some mothers are stressed but not lacking in parental satisfaction.

The study is a first validity study investigating the psychometric properties of the Danish translation of the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire in a higher education context. Rasch family measurement models were employed emphasizing unidimensionality, local independence of items, and differential item functioning (DIF). The sample consisted of three consecutive year-cohorts of BA psychology students in a second semester course on personality psychology (N = 590). Results showed Intrinsic Motivation (IM) and Extrinsic Motivation (EM) to be separate subscales, weakly and negatively correlated. Neither subscale fit the pure Rasch model, but departures could be adjusted for in graphical loglinear Rasch models (GLLRMs): the IM fit a GLLRM adjusted for age-DIF on one item and local dependence between two items; the EM fit a GLLRM with local dependence between two items. Targeting of the subscales was good. Reliability was good for the EM subscale and, for the oldest students, on the IM subscale. Failure to adjust the IM score for the DIF discovered would lead to a Type I error, and future research should address this issue, as the other studies located showed (possibly spurious) age differences in the same direction as the unadjusted results in this study.

The potential stressors associated with military deployment are related to an increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes. Perceived exposure to combat has been found to be proportional to the severity of post-deployment posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, other perceived adversities during deployment, such as witnessing danger, distress, and hardship in the war zone, have been less systematically studied, but might play an equally substantial role for post-deployment mental health. The development and validation of scales that assess these related constructs are needed to distinguish their contribution to post-deployment risk of PTSD. We evaluated the validity of 10 items measuring perceived danger distributed to all deployed personnel with the Danish Defense since 1998. We hypothesize two scales: Exposure to Danger and Combat (EDC) and Witnessing Consequences of War (WCW). Two military cohorts deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 (Cohort 1, N = 276) and 2013 (Cohort 2, N = 273) were included. Questionnaire data was collected six months after homecoming, including deployment experiences and post-deployment reactions. We tested the construct validity of the 10 items of perceived danger with Rasch models (RM), focusing specifically on presence of subscales, and differential item functioning (DIF) across cohorts. We confirmed the existence of two separate subscales, EDCS and WCWS, both with adequate reliability. None of the subscales fitted a pure RM, but adequate fit was found for graphical log-linear RMs with evidence of DIF for the ECDS. However, adjusting the score to account for DIF had practically no effect, suggesting that the total non-adjusted mean score can be used in future cohort comparisons. Perceived exposure to combat and danger and witnessing consequences of war are related, but essentially distinct, concepts, each providing unique information about deployment adversities. Future studies should evaluate their shared and unique contribution t

Background and Objectives: Research has shown that dual sensory loss is a risk factor for depression in older adults. However, validated measures of depression for people with dual sensory loss are lacking. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the construct validity and reliability of the Major Depression Inventory for use among elderly persons with acquired dual sensory loss. Research Design and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in a national sample of people ≥50 years of age with functional acquired dual sensory loss. Of the invited participants, 302 (66%) returned the questionnaire and 207 complete cases were included for analysis. Rasch models and graphical log-linear Rasch models were used for item analysis. Lack of differential item functioning was tested relative to severity of vision and hearing impairment, mode of questionnaire completion, age, sex, comorbidity, instrumental activities of daily living, social position, and cohabitation status. Results: The 10-item Major Depression Inventory did not fit the Rasch model. An 8-item version, excluding the items “feeling sad” and “sleep problems,” fit a graphical log-linear Rasch model. No evidence of differential item functioning was discovered, thus the 8-item Major Depression Inventory was measurement invariant across severity of impairments and mode of completing the questionnaire. The overall reliability was 0.81 and ranged from acceptable to good for all subgroups of participants, except males with severe hearing impairment and low functional status. Consequently, the 8-item version of the Major Depression Inventory was considered construct valid and reliable within the frame of reference. Discussion and Implications: An 8-item version of the Major Depression Inventory can be used to screen for depressive symptoms in elderly persons with acquired dual sensory loss.

OBJECTIVES: Hearing-, vision-, and dual-sensory loss have been linked to relational and psychological distress among adults with sensory loss (AWSLs) and their spouses. Regardless, research on factors associated with couples' adjustment is lacking. This study examined the stability and strength of associations between self-acceptance of sensory loss, perceived partner acceptance of sensory loss, and relationship satisfaction and psychological distress among AWSLs and their spouses over time.DESIGN: A total of 122 AWSLs and their spouses completed an online survey at two time points over a 6-month period.METHODS: A multigroup (i.e., time 1 and time 2) actor-partner interdependence model assessed the stability and strength of actor and partner effects of self-acceptance and perceived partner acceptance on each partner's relationship satisfaction and psychological distress over time.RESULTS: No moderation by time was identified, indicating stability in associations over the 6-month period. Overall, both actor and partner effects were evident. Specifically, self-acceptance among AWSLs was inversely associated with own psychological distress and the relationship satisfaction of spouses. Self-acceptance by spouses was inversely associated with the psychological distress of AWSLs and spouses. Perception of spouse acceptance by AWSLs was positively associated with own and spouse relationship satisfaction.CONCLUSIONS: Interventions targeting acceptance that incorporate a family systems perspective may be beneficial in alleviating psychological and relational distress among couples coping with sensory loss. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? The experience of hearing and/or vision loss has been linked to heightened distress both psychologically and within intimate relationships. Prior research has demonstrated a link between an individual's ability to accept their sensory loss and healthier well-being. What does thi

Background: Psychological alienation is an important concept in the study of adolescents’ health and behavior but no gold standard for measuring alienation among adolescents exists. There is a need for new scales with high validity for use in adolescent health and social research. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate alienation scales in accordance with Seeman’s conceptualization of alienation focusing on three independent variants specifically relevant in adolescent health research: powerlessness, meaninglessness and social isolation. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 3083 adolescents aged 13 to 15 years from the Danish contribution to the cross-national study Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) were used. We identified and developed items, addressed content and face validity through interviews, and examined the criterion-related construct validity of the scales using graphical loglinear Rasch models (GLLRM). Results: The three scales each comprised three to five face valid items. The powerlessness scale reflected the adolescent’s expectancy as to whether his/her behavior can determine the outcome or reinforcement he/she seeks. The meaninglessness scale reflected the expectancy as to whether satisfactory predictions regarding the effects of one’s behavior are possible. Finally, the social isolation scale reflected whether the adolescent had a low expectancy for inclusion and social acceptance. All scales contained some uniform local dependency and differential item functioning. However, only to a limited degree, which could be accounted for using GLLRM. Thus the scales fitted GLLRMs and can therefore be considered to be essentially construct valid and essentially objective. Conclusion: The three alienation scales appear to be content and face valid and fulfill the psychometric properties of a good construct valid reflective scale. This suggests that the scales may be appropriate in future large-scale

Short abstract: Motivated by experiencing with students’ psychological barriers for learning statistics we modified and extended the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) to develop a contemporary Danish measure of attitudes and relationship to statistics for use with higher education students taking statistics within another discipline. Two subscales were excluded because of lack of unidimensionality and derogatory content, and single items were modified in the remaining subscales. Following a pilot and main study, the resulting 28-item Danish instrument (HFS-R) consists of four subscales; Test and Class Anxiety (TCA), Interpretation Anxiety (IA), Fear of Asking for Help (FAH), Worth of Statistics (WS). Each scale of the HFS-R was analyzed using the partial credit model and graphical loglinear Rasch models. The FAH fit a pure Rasch model, while the TCA, IA and WS scale each fit GLLRMs with evidence of DIF in all cases: One TCA-item functioned differentially relative to age, one WS-item functioned differentially relative to statistics course (first or second), and two IA-items functioned differentially relative to statistics course and academic discipline (sociology, public health), respectively. The IA and TCA subscales were well targeted to the study population, while the targeting of the FAH and WS was poorer. Unidimensionality of the three anxiety subscales was tested and clearly rejected. The HFS-R was found to be of sufficient psychometric quality to warrant its use in higher education. Further, we recommend that the use of composite scores across anxiety and attitude subscales, respectively, of the STARS is formally tested.

Short abstract Becoming a parent is both a rewarding and taxing experience for most parents. Caring for an infant affects stress levels. The Parental Stress Scale (PSS) is a short measure of perceived stress pertaining to the parenting role. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the Danish language version of the PSS in a community sample of 1110 mothers of children aged 0 to 12 months employing the Rasch family of IRT models, and emphasizing the issues of unidimensionality and equal item functioning (no DIF) relative to the age and educational levels of the mothers. No adequate fit to the pure Rasch model could be established for the full PSS scale with dichotomized items. After eliminating two items (2 and 11), two subscales measuring different aspect of parental stress; a 9-item scale measuring parental stress and a 7-item scale measuring lack of parental satisfaction (reversed items) were found each to fit so-called graphical loglinear Rasch models: The parental stress subscale fit a model adjusted for local response dependence between some item pairs, as well as DIF for one item relative to mothers’ level of education and DIF for another item relative to age and educational level of the mothers. The parental satisfaction subscale fit a model adjusted only for local response dependence. The findings are in line with the original interpretation of the PSS. We recommend that the scoring of the PSS is changed to reflect the two subscales and the dichotomization of response categories in future applications.

Studies have reported gender differences in academic self-efficacy. However, how and if academic self-efficacy questionnaires are gender-biased has not been psychometrically investigated. The psychometric properties of a general version of The Physics Self-Efficacy Questionnaire – the General Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (GASE) – were analyzed using Rasch measurement models, with data from 1018 Danish university students (psychology and technical), focusing on gender invariance and the sufficiency of the score. The short 4-item GASE scale was found to be essentially objective and construct valid and satisfactorily reliable, though differential item functioning was found relative to gender and academic discipline, and can be used to assess students’ general academic self-efficacy. Research on gender and self-efficacy needs to take gender into account and equate scores appropriately for unbiased analysis within academic disciplines.

Motivated by experience with students’ psychological barriers to learning statistics, we modified and extended the Statistical Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS) to develop a contemporary and valid (face, content, criterion and construct) Danish measure of attitudes and relationship towards statistics for use with higher education students taking statistics within another discipline. Two subscales were excluded because of lack of conceptual unidimensionality or derogatory content, and single items were modified for face and content validity enhancement in the remaining subscales. Following a pilot study and main study, the resulting 26-item Danish instrument (HFS-R for “holdninger og forhold til statistik - Revideret”, in English “Attitudes and Relationship to Statistics - Revised”) consists of four subscales: Test and Class Anxiety (TCA), Interpretation Anxiety (IA), Fear of Asking for Help (FAH), and Worth of Statistics (WS). Each scale was analyzed using Rasch and graphical log-linear Rasch models. The FAH subscale fits the Rasch model, whereas the TCA, IA, and WS subscales each fit graphical log-linear Rasch models (GLLRMs) each with evidence of differential item functioning (DIF). One TCA item functioned differentially relative to age, one WS item relative to statistics course (first or second), and two IA items relative to statistics course and academic discipline (sociology, public health). The IA and TCA subscales were well targeted to the study population, while targeting of FAH and WS was poorer. Unidimensionality across the three anxiety subscales (FAH, TCA, and IA) was tested and clearly rejected. The HFS-R was found to be of sufficient psychometric quality to warrant its use in higher education research and teaching. We recommend that unidimensionality should be formally tested before using composite scores across anxiety subscales in the original STARS.

Die Erfassung von Veränderungen mithilfe von Fragebögen spielt eine wichtige Rolle in der klinischen Praxis und Forschung. Ziel dieser Studie war es zu untersuchen, ob im Rahmen der Veränderungsmessung die verwendete Datenanalysemethode einen Einfluss auf die Studienergebnisse hat. Insbesondere war von Interesse, inwiefern die (Nicht-)Berücksichtigung potentieller Veränderungen von Itemschwierigkeiten über die Zeit (Zeit-DIF) und lokal-stochastischer Abhängigkeiten über die Zeit (LLD) die Studienergebnisse beeinflusst. Bei 610 Patienten wurde die Depressivität bei Aufnahme und Entlassung mithilfe des BDIs erfasst. Veränderungen bzgl. der Depressivität wurden auf Gruppenebene (Effektstärke) und auf individueller Ebene (Reliable Change Index, Z-Index) über neun verschiedene statistische Ansätze miteinander verglichen. Der Ansatz der klassischen Testheorie sowie die vier ordinalen und die vier longitudinalen Rasch-Modell-Ansätze berücksichtigten bei der Analyse Zeit-DIF und LLD in einem unterschiedlichen Ausmaß. Sowohl auf Gruppen- als auch auf individueller Auswertungsebene unterschieden sich die Ergebnisse zwischen den verwendeten Datenanalysemethoden deutlich. Die Behandlungseffekte wurden systematisch unterschätzt, wenn LLD bei der Auswertung nicht berücksichtigt wurde. Wurden Veränderungen der Itemschwierigkeiten über die Zeit nicht berücksichtigt, führte dies je nach Richtung des Zeit-DIFs entweder zur Überoder Unterschätzung der Behandlungseffekte. Zeit-DIF und LLD müssen bei der Veränderungsmessung dringend berücksichtigt warden, da es sonst zu massiven Fehleinschätzungen von Behandlungseffekten kommen kann. Die gängige Praxis der Veränderungsmessung sollte dringend überdacht werden!

Book of Abstracts page 95

In Book of Abstracts page 65

Self-efficacy is an important and much used construct in psychology and social science studies. The validity of the measurements used is not always sufficiently evaluated. The aim was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Danish translation of the self-efficacy subscale of The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ-SE) within a higher education context. Rasch measurement models were employed focusing on measurement invariance and dimensionality. Results with one students sample showed the MSLQ-SE to be not one, but two separate unidimensional subscales, measuring specific academic learning self-efficacy (SAL-SE) and specific academic exam self-efficacy (SAE-SE), each scale being measurement invariant relative to age, Gender, admission method and specific course targeted. Furthermore, significant and relevant differences between the SAL-SE and SAE-SE scores dependent on university and admission method were found, and these results were replicated with two further samples. The SAL-SE and SAE-SE scales hold promise for more detailed studies of student self-efficacy.

Background: Depression is a common psychopathological outcome following military deployment. Previous studies have reported differing rates of post-deployment depression, indicating that the toll of war differs across missions. However, it is unclear to what degree the varying prevalence is due methodological differences. Studies comparing rates of depression across cohorts using the same methodology and ensuring measurement invariance are rare, leaving us with limited knowledge on the actual depression prevalence variance across missions. Objective: Applying Rasch models (RM), we aim to validate a measure of depression distributed to all personnel deployed with the Danish Defense since 1998. The main focus was establishing a sufficient sum score and measurement invariance relative to deployment cohort. Method: Two cohorts of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) deployed to Afghanistan in 2009 (ISAF7, N = 265) and 2013 (ISAF15, N = 271) were included. Participants filled out a questionnaire concerning their Psychological Reactions to International Missions (PRIM) approximately seven months after home-coming. The questionnaire included a 10-item scale of depression symptoms (PRIM-Depression). The validity of the PRIM-Depression was tested using RM with specific focus on differential item functioning (DIF) across the two cohorts. Results: The PRIM-Depression scale displayed excellent overall consistency and showed no problems with monotonicity or homogeneity. However, the full PRIM-Depression scale did not fit a pure RM. We therefore tested the fit of items to a graphical log-linear RM and found evidence of DIF for two items relative to cohort. We proceeded without these two items and tested the resulting 8-item version which fitted a pure RM without DIF on any of the exogenous variables. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the 10-item PRIM-Depression scale should be used to compare cohorts only with appropriate score equation. The 8-ite

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive validity of a two-step admissions procedure that included a cognitive ability test followed by multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) used to assess non-cognitive skills, compared to grade-based admissions relative to subsequent drop-out rates and academic achievement after one and two years of study. The participants consisted of the entire population of 422 psychology students who were admitted to the University of Southern Denmark between 2010 and 2013. The results showed significantly lower drop-out rates after the first year of study, and non-significant lower drop-out rates after the second year of study for the admission procedure that included the assessment of non-cognitive skills though the MMI and the admissions test. Furthermore, this admission procedure resulted in a significant lower risk of failing the final exam after the first and second year of study, compared to the grade-based admissions procedure. Finally, students admitted through the MMI and the admissions test scored significantly higher on academic learning self-efficacy and critical thinking compared to students selected by grades. The implications for higher education admissions are discussed.

The purpose was to investigate whether it would be useful for development purposes to include a survey of learning styles among student and teachers as part of the evaluation of a graduate course in statistics in a Public Health Programme, and to compare the learning styles of students and lecturers. A qualitative analysis was conducted to identify the implicit styles embedded in course descriptions. The D-SA-LSI based on Sternberg’s theory of mental self-government was used to measure learning styles. The 14 learning style scales has good psychometric properties, and measure qualitatively different styles. Results showed differences between the learning styles of teachers and students, and identified two areas for course development: the design of exercises with regard to the level of abstraction and concreteness; the incompatibility of the relatively complex ways of thinking embedded in course objectives and the students’ preferences for thinking at a cognitively simpler level while learning.