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Descriptors:
Test Interpretation; Validity; Scores; Test Use; Test Results; Construct Validity; Content Validity; Generalization; Performance Tests; Item Response Theory; Sampling; Inferences; Reliability; Evidence; Theories

Abstract:
To validate an interpretation or use of test scores is to evaluate the plausibility of the claims based on the scores. An argument-based approach to validation suggests that the claims based on the test scores be outlined as an argument that specifies the inferences and supporting assumptions needed to get from test responses to score-based interpretations and uses. Validation then can be thought of as an evaluation of the coherence and completeness of this interpretation/use argument and of the plausibility of its inferences and assumptions. In outlining the argument-based approach to validation, this paper makes eight general points. First, it is the proposed score interpretations and uses that are validated and not the test or the test scores. Second, the validity of a proposed interpretation or use depends on how well the evidence supports the claims being made. Third, more-ambitious claims require more support than less-ambitious claims. Fourth, more-ambitious claims (e.g., construct interpretations) tend to be more useful than less-ambitious claims, but they are also harder to validate. Fifth, interpretations and uses can change over time in response to new needs and new understandings leading to changes in the evidence needed for validation. Sixth, the evaluation of score uses requires an evaluation of the consequences of the proposed uses; negative consequences can render a score use unacceptable. Seventh, the rejection of a score use does not necessarily invalidate a prior, underlying score interpretation. Eighth, the validation of the score interpretation on which a score use is based does not validate the score use. (Contains 1 figure and 1 note.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Sampling; Probability; Classification; Cognitive Processes; Models; Novelty (Stimulus Dimension)

Abstract:
People are capable of imagining and generating new category exemplars and categories. This ability has not been addressed by previous models of categorization, most of which focus on classifying category exemplars rather than generating them. We develop a formal account of exemplar and category generation which proposes that category knowledge is represented by probability distributions over exemplars and categories, and that new exemplars and categories are generated by sampling from these distributions. This sampling account of generation is evaluated in two pairs of behavioral experiments. In the first pair of experiments, participants were asked to generate novel exemplars of a category. In the second pair of experiments, participants were asked to generate a novel category after observing exemplars from several related categories. The results suggest that generation is influenced by both structural and distributional properties of the observed categories, and we argue that our data are better explained by the sampling account than by several alternative approaches. (Contains 18 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Child Abuse; Placement; Child Welfare; Foreign Countries; Incidence; Centralization; Canada Natives; American Indians; Public Agencies; Decision Making; Sampling; Hierarchical Linear Modeling; Computer Software; Databases

Abstract:
Objective: This paper builds upon the analyses presented in two companion papers (Fluke et al., 2010 and Fallon et al., 2013) using data from the 1998 and 2003 cycles of the "Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-1998 and CIS-2003)" to examine the influence of clinical and organizational characteristics on the decision to place a child in out-of-home care at the conclusion of a child maltreatment investigation. This paper explores various model specifications to explain the effect of an agency-level factor, proportion of Aboriginal reports, which emerged as a stable and significant factor through the two data collection cycles. It addresses the issue of data comparability between the two cycles and explores various re-specifications and descriptive analyses of reported models to evaluate their solidity with regards to the sampling schemes and the precise contribution of a multi-level specification. Methods: The decision to place a child in out-of-home care was examined using data from the "CIS-2003". This child welfare dataset collected information about the results of nearly 12,000 child maltreatment investigations as well as a description of the characteristics of the workers and organization responsible for conducting those investigations. Multi-level statistical models were developed using MPlus software, which can accommodate dichotomous outcome variables and are more reflective of decision-making in child welfare. The models are thus multi-level binary logistic regressions. Results: Final models revealed that two agency-level variables, "Education degree of majority of workers" and "Degree of centralization in the agency" clarify the nature of the effect of "Proportion of Aboriginal reports", a stable, key second level predictor of the placement decision. The comparability of the effect of this agency-level variable across the 1998 and 2003 cycles becomes further evident through this analysis. By using a unified database including both cycles and various specifications of models, the comparability was found to be robust, in addition to clarifying the precise contribution of a multi-level specification. Conclusions: This third paper in a series establishes the "Proportion of Aboriginal reports" received by the child welfare agency as an important agency level predictor associated with a child's likelihood of being placed in the Canadian child protection system. While the more complex models give support to the notion that unequal resources subtend those results, more analyses are needed to confirm this hypothesis. Unequal resources for agencies with larger Aboriginal caseloads may explain the persistence of the results. These findings suggest that specific resource constraints related to worker education may be explanatory. (Contains 6 tables and 5 figures.) [For Part A, see EJ995515.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Poverty; Social Isolation; Social Indicators; Error of Measurement; Computation; Statistical Analysis; Sampling; Accuracy

Abstract:
If estimates are based on samples, they should be accompanied by appropriate standard errors and confidence intervals. This is true for scientific research in general, and is even more important if estimates are used to inform and evaluate policy measures such as those aimed at attaining the Europe 2020 poverty reduction target. In this article I pay explicit attention to the calculation of standard errors and confidence intervals, with an application to the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). The estimation of accurate standard errors requires among others good documentation and proper sample design variables in the dataset. However, this information is not always available. Therefore, I complement the existing documentation on the sample design of EU-SILC and test the effect on estimated standard errors of various simplifying assumptions with regard to the sample design. It is shown that accounting for clustering within households is of paramount importance. Although this results in many cases in a good approximation of the standard error, taking as much as possible account of the entire sample design generally leads to more accurate estimates, even if sample design variables are partially lacking. The effect is illustrated for the official Europe 2020 indicators of poverty and social exclusion and for all European countries included in the EU-SILC 2008 dataset. The findings are not only relevant for EU-SILC users, but also for users of other surveys on income and living conditions which lack accurate sample design variables. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Foreign Countries; Communications; Computer Mediated Communication; Information Technology; Higher Education; Technology Uses in Education; Questionnaires; Influence of Technology; Educational Change; College Faculty; Teacher Student Relationship; Age Differences; Computer Attitudes; Context Effect; Sampling; Factor Analysis

Abstract:
Current research seeks to understand the relationship between teaching staff' age and their attitude toward ICT. Survey methodology is facilitated through the use of the questionnaires. The survey domain is a random sampling of teaching staff in Egyptian HEI. The population for this study was 500 full-time Faculty staff, and only 412 returned and completed questionnaires are considered as the study sample. The results showed that there is a moderate and positive relationship between the age of participants and their attitude towards ICT; thus, when considering attitude towards ICT by teaching staff members in Egyptians HEI, age is a significant factor. The result of this research has significant implications to HEI when they plan, develop, and adopt ICT. HEI has to consider that teaching staff' attitude towards ICT is related to their age. (Contains 5 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Mental Health; Adolescents; Armed Forces; Futures (of Society); Statistical Analysis; Economic Opportunities; Children; Emotional Adjustment; Correlation; Databases; Military Personnel; Validity; Research Methodology; Sampling; Risk; Age; Violence; Gender Differences; Social Bias; Mental Disorders; Behavior Disorders; War; Longitudinal Studies; Measures (Individuals); Research Needs

Abstract:
Aims and scope: This article reviews the available quantitative research on psychosocial adjustment and mental health among children (age less than 18 years) associated with armed forces and armed groups (CAAFAG)--commonly referred to as child soldiers. Methods: PRISMA standards for systematic reviews were used to search PubMed, PsycInfo, JSTOR, and Sociological Abstracts in February 2012 for all articles on former child soldiers and CAAFAG. Twenty-one quantitative studies from 10 countries were analyzed for author, year of publication, journal, objectives, design, selection population, setting, instruments, prevalence estimates, and associations with war experiences. Opinion pieces, editorials, and qualitative studies were deemed beyond the scope of this study. Quality of evidence was rated according to the Systematic Assessment of Quality in Observational Research (SAQOR). Findings: According to SAQOR criteria, among the available published studies, eight studies were of high quality, four were of moderate quality, and the remaining nine were of low quality. Common limitations were lack of validated mental health measures, unclear methodology including undefined sampling approaches, and failure to report missing data. Only five studies included a comparison group of youth not involved with armed forces/armed groups, and only five studies assessed mental health at more than one point in time. Across studies, a number of risk and protective factors were associated with postconflict psychosocial adjustment and social reintegration in CAAFAG. Abduction, age of conscription, exposure to violence, gender, and community stigma were associated with increased internalizing and externalizing mental health problems. Family acceptance, social support, and educational/economic opportunities were associated with improved psychosocial adjustment. Conclusions: Research on the social reintegration and psychosocial adjustment of former child soldiers is nascent. A number of gaps in the available literature warrant future study. Recommendations to bolster the evidence base on psychosocial adjustment in former child soldiers and other war-affected youth include more studies comprising longitudinal study designs, and validated cross-cultural instruments for assessing mental health, as well as more integrated community-based approaches to study design and research monitoring. (Contains 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Measures (Individuals); Cognitive Style; Foreign Countries; Second Language Learning; Graduate Students; Gender Differences; Age; Language Proficiency; Correlation; Majors (Students); Sampling; Questionnaires; Tactual Perception; Kinesthetic Perception; Student Attitudes

Abstract:
Research suggests that a host of cognitive, affective, and perceptual variables are at work when individuals go about the task of second or foreign language learning. Among these variables are learning styles that are habitual ways of perceiving, processing, and storing information. This study was conducted as a response to Isemonger and Sheppard's (2003) call for more context-specific research into the relationship between learning styles and background variables due to the inconsistencies existing in the field. The study aimed at exploring the pattern of graduate learners' perceptual learning style preferences and its possible relationship with their gender, age, discipline, and self-rated proficiency level. The participants were 138 graduate students at Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran. They were randomly selected based on a two-stage sampling procedure and responded to the "Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire". The questionnaire was translated, piloted, and slightly modified before the study proper. The results revealed that the participants favored kinesthetic and tactile modalities and disfavored group learning style. As for the background variables, some significant differences were detected. The findings and their implications are also discussed. (Contains 8 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Minority Groups; Recruitment; American Indians; Sampling; Probability; Race; Hispanic Americans; Birth; Documentation; Infants; Mothers; Questionnaires; State Surveys; Cooperation; African Americans; Ethnic Groups; Whites; Socioeconomic Status

Abstract:
This study examined whether and how survey response differs by race and Hispanic origin, using data from birth certificates and survey administrative data for a large-scale statewide experiment. The sample consisted of mothers of infants selected from Oklahoma birth certificates using a stratified random sampling method (N = 7,111). This study uses Heckman probit analysis to consider two stages of survey response: (1) being located by the survey team and (2) completing a questionnaire through collaboration with the survey team. Analysis results show that African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanics are significantly less likely to be located during the study recruitment than white Americans, controlling for other demographic and socioeconomic factors. Conditional on being located, the probability of collaboration did not differ among the four groups. Findings suggest that researchers should pay attention to separate stages of respondent recruitment and improve strategies to locate members of racial and ethnic minority groups during recruitment. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Psychological Patterns; Well Being; Individual Differences; Foreign Countries; Job Satisfaction; Life Satisfaction; Models; Asians; Sampling; Surveys; Correlation; Interpersonal Relationship; Marital Satisfaction; Social Indicators

Abstract:
Two studies investigate subjective wellbeing (SWB) homeostasis. The first investigates the contribution of job satisfaction (JS) and partner satisfaction (PS) to the homeostatic defense of SWB. The extant model of homeostasis does not include either variable. The second study investigates the relationship between Homeostatically Protected Mood (HPMood) and other factors involved in the homeostatic model. It has been proposed that HPMood is the basic, biologically determined, positive mood that saturates SWB and other related variables, and forms the basis of the SWB set-point. Thus, if HPMood is an individual difference and it perfuses other homeostatic variables, then HPMood should be responsible for much of the shared variance between such variables. Two comparative samples are involved. One is a group of 171 Hong Kong Chinese recruited through convenience sampling. The other is a group of 343 Australians recruited via a general population survey. Results indicate that both JS and PS predict significant variance in Global Life Satisfaction beyond the existing factors in the homeostatic model. It is also found that, after controlling for the effect of HPMood, the strength of correlations between SWB and other homeostatic variables is significantly diminished. The implications of these findings are discussed. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Student Motivation; Prevention; Health Behavior; Behavior Modification; Foreign Countries; Radio; Behavior Change; Programming (Broadcast); Sampling; Hygiene; Diseases; Sanitation

Abstract:
The National Blindness Prevention Program in Mali has broadcast messages on the radio about trachoma as part of the country's trachoma elimination strategy since 2008. In 2011, a radio impact survey using multi-stage cluster sampling was conducted in the regions of Kayes and Segou to assess radio listening habits, coverage of the broadcasts, community knowledge and behavior specific to trachoma and facial cleanliness of children. Radio access and listening were high, with 60% of respondents having heard a message on the radio about trachoma. The majority of respondents knew about trachoma, its root causes, its impact on health and prevention measures. Additionally, 66% reported washing their children's faces more than or equal to twice/day and 94% reported latrine disposal of feces. A high percentage of persons who gave a positive response to knowledge and behavior questions reported hearing the trachoma messages on the radio with 60% reporting that the radio is where they learned about trachoma. There was no significant difference in facial cleanliness when comparing children whose primary caregiver had/had not heard the trachoma messages. Next steps include revising the current messages to include more focused behavior change messaging and to engage in a more robust use of community radios. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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