Volume 25, Issue 1, 2017

Reversed items in Likert scales: Filtering out invalid responders
Józsa, K., & Morgan, G. A. Pages 7-25Author(s): Krisztián Józsa, George A. Morgan
Language: English
Subject(s): Psychology
Issue: 1/XXV/2017
Page Range: 7-25
No. of Pages: 19
Keywords: reliability; Likert-scale; reversed items; invalid responses; mastery motivation
Summary/Abstract: Likert type scales are commonly used in social sciences. Most of the Likert scales include both positively- and negatively worded items. However, the use of negatively worded (reversed) items is supported by some researchers but not others. This study analyzes the reversed items in educational settings. The school age, self-rating version of the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire (DMQ 17) was used. The sample consisted of 7261 Hungarian students, age 10 to 16. An iteration method was developed and used to filter our presumably invalid responders. The analysis is based on the empirical inconsistency between the reversed and the positively worded items. The iteration eliminated step-by-step the possibly invalid questionnaires. The reliabilities of the scales were increased with the iteration process. After eliminating about 20% of the sample, the reliabilities were somewhat higher with all scales having acceptable alphas. If one would like to use this iteration method for eliminating the invalid responders, he or she needs to oversample the accessible population. Based on this results we eliminated the reversed items form the new DMQ persistence and pleasure scales.
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Testing a brief index of subjective well-being in patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses
Sandovici, A., Robu, V., Pruteanu, L. M., & Ciudin, M. Pages 26-48Author(s): Anişoara Sandovici, Viorel Robu, Lavinia Maria Pruteanu, Mirela Ciudin
Language: English
Subject(s): Psychology
Issue: 1/XXV/2017
Page Range: 26-48
No. of Pages: 23
Keywords: chronic illness; hepatitis C; subjective well-being; satisfaction with life; depression; measurement
Summary/Abstract: Chronic medical condition refers to a long-lasting illness or syndrome which causes significant impairments in personal, occupational, and social functioning of the patient. A chronic illness is often associated with decreased subjective well-being and quality of life in patients. It is therefore necessary to conduct an economical assessment of the psychological condition associated with a chronic illness. In the present study, we tested a generic index of subjective well-being. This index was based on two psychometrically sound instruments: Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS; k = 7 items) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; k = 5 items). Seventy-three patients diagnosed with C-type hepatitis completed the BDI-FS, SWLS and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). A metric hypothetical model with two intercorrelated latent factors (i.e., severity of depression and overall satisfaction with life) was tested. Confirmatory factor analysis with AMOS 20.00 yielded a model with good statistical fit. For BDI-FS and SWLS, Cronbach’s alphas were .78 and .92. Participants scored moderately high on SWLS, while BDI-FS score was at the lower end of the scoring range. As expected, females scored significantly higher than males on depression. Compared to patients who have completed the treatment with interferon, those who still pursued this specific intervention reported lower levels of satisfaction with life. Correlational analysis revealed a positive association between SWLS score and self-esteem in the patients who participated in the study, while the association between BDI-FS score and self-esteem was negative. The implications for assessment of psychological functioning in patients with chronic illnesses are discussed.
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Efficacy of behavioural interventions in the development of emotional intelligence among paramedical students
Sellakumar, G. K. Pages 49-64Author(s): George Kannaiah Sellakumar
Language: English
Subject(s): Psychology
Issue: 1/XXV/2017
Page Range: 49-64
No. of Pages: 16
Keywords: emotional intelligence; stress management; slow-deep breathing exercise; genital muscle relaxation technique; emotional regulation
Summary/Abstract: The objective of the present study was to enhance the level of Emotional Intelligence (EI) of a sample of paramedical professionals through the application of behavioural interventions and subsequently, to identify the level of EI after intervention. One of the main dimensions in Bar-On’s EI model is stress management, thus enhancing the stress management skill should ultimately develop the level of EI. Convenient sample of 120 paramedical students were selected from a paramedical institution, Tamilnadu, India. A Pre-test post-test control group design was adopted and behavioural interventions namely slow-deep breathing exercise and genital muscle relaxation techniques were administered to enhance the level stress management score. Experimental group participants took part in the interventional program for a period of 90 days. The result revealed that there is a significant improvement in the scores of stress management dimension underlying Bar-On’s EI Scale after behavioural intervention. Therefore, behavioural interventions will help individuals to enhance stress management capability.
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The company judged from the inside: Diversification, equity and justice in organizations
Barattucci, M., Alfano, V., & Amodio, S. Pages 65-81Author(s): Massimiliano Barattucci, Vincenzo Alfano, Stefano Amodio
Language: English
Subject(s): Psychology
Issue: 1/XXV/2017
Page Range: 65-81
No. of Pages: 17
Keywords: organizational justice; equity; psychological contract; human resources; human resource management
Summary/Abstract: The applicability of certain constructs of occupational psychology in practical terms is often underestimated by human resources specialists. This article considers the practical and operative implementation of the organizational justice concept, a construct that facilitates the understanding of recent developments in exchanges between workers and organizations, and interaction processes between colleagues and other organizational units, by providing a useful theoretical framework for understanding key processes in personnel management, and by highlighting the dynamics and the sensitive areas within the company. Worker’s perceptions of corporate fairness and equity in terms of career paths, rewards, shift work, and procedures influence internal relations, work environment, performance, worker’s well-being and motivation. As a result, human resource management (HRM) has to take into account periodic analysis of these perceptions and needs to share management, corporate decisions and procedures as much as possible.
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Links between basic psychological need satisfaction and school adjustment: A person-oriented approach
Raižienė, S., Gabrialavičiūtė, I., & Garckija, R. Pages 82-92Author(s): Saulė Raižienė, Ingrida Gabrialavičiūtė, Renata Garckija
Language: English
Subject(s): Education, Psychology
Issue: 1/XXV/2017
Page Range: 82-92
No. of Pages: 11
Keywords: basic psychological needs; self-determination theory; school adjustment; adolescence
Summary/Abstract: The objectives of the study were to identify the individual profiles of basic psychological needs satisfaction at school and to establish its relation to academic, personal and social adjustment. The sample of 306 13-18-year-old students from four Lithuanian schools was surveyed. Two groups - average and low need satisfaction - were identified using the latent profile analysis. Average need satisfaction students showed better school adjustment (academic, personal and social) in comparison with low need satisfaction students. The findings confirmed the importance of all three basic psychological need satisfactions for school adjustment demonstrated in previous variable-oriented studies. Future research should focus on bi-directional links between basic psychological need satisfaction and school adjustment.
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Distribution and characteristics of cyber violence among elementary school students - survey results in Serbia
Baic, V., Ivanovic, Z., & Simeunovic-Patic, B. Pages 93-114Author(s): Valentina Baic, Zvonimir Ivanovic, Biljana Simeunovic-Patic
Language: English
Subject(s): Education, Psychology
Issue: 1/XXV/2017
Page Range: 93-114
No. of Pages: 22
Keywords: cyber violence; elementary school; 'online' communication; information and communication technology
Summary/Abstract: The paper aims to present the results of research on the prevalence and characteristics of cyber violence among elementary school pupils, and results with respect to connections of this form of bullying with age and gender of students, and facts like who are perpetrators or victims of this type of violence. The survey also sought to get a few answers to questions concerning: knowledge of elementary pupils about what cyber violence is; which means of electronic communication are preferred in communication with their peers; whether parents control their access to a personal computer and mobile phone, as well as whether the parents would report acts of violence, if they occurred? The study included 300 students of the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, of which 147 were male and 153 females. Research has shown that every other elementary school student was the victim of cyber violence. Number of victims decreases with age, which means that least frequent victims were students in lower grades, and most frequent victims were students in higher grades, with the notable that girls, unlike boys were victims of a much higher percentage. Students were most often the victims of exclusion, misrepresentation, insults and gossip, but in smaller percentages were victims of unlawful communication, lying, stalking and harassment. Observed from the aspect of the perpetrator, the study found that one in four elementary school students was the perpetrator of some form of cyber violence, such as 'online' exclusion, misrepresentation, slander and lying and deceiving. A practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed further in this text.
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Measuring the student-teacher relationship using children’s drawings in an Italian elementary school
Longobardi, C., Pasta, T., Gastaldi, F. G. M., & Prino, L. E. Pages 115-129Author(s): Claudio Longobardi, Tiziana Pasta, Francesca G. M. Gastaldi, Laura E. Prino
Language: English
Subject(s): Education, Psychology
Issue: 1/XXV/2017
Page Range: 115-129
No. of Pages: 15
Keywords: student-teacher relationship; children’s drawings; early childhood; elementary school
Summary/Abstract: A growing amount of educational and developmental psychology literature has concluded that students’ affective relationships with their teachers are crucial for the cognitive and behavioral aspects of school adjustment and academic motivation, especially during the early years of school. In this study, we present data to assess the child’s perspective on the student-teacher relationship, using a children’s drawing method - Classroom Drawing - on a sample of 18 teachers and 228 children between the ages of 5 and 8. Two aspects of the drawings are analyzed: the representation of the classroom and of the teacher. The results show significant associations between the child’s representations, the teachers’ assessment of relationship quality, and the child’s scholastic achievement. The analyses provide a preliminary demonstration of the adaptability of Classroom Drawing as an instrument to assess the quality of the first relationships established between child and teacher.
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Online forum discussions: They will respond the way you ask
Szabo, Zs., & Schwartz, J. Pages 130-141Author(s): Zsuzsanna Szabo, Jonathan Schwartz
Language: English
Subject(s): Education
Issue: 1/XXV/2017
Page Range: 130-141
No. of Pages: 12
Keywords: online forum discussions; preservice teacher education; Bloom's taxonomy
Summary/Abstract: This paper presents a longitudinal study, across three semesters following 19 elementary education preservice teachers registered in three blended courses (foundations of education, and integrated reading and language arts methods), at a university in Hawaii. In two courses the instructor, aside of regular course content, taught also about Bloom’s Taxonomy, and used it as a rubric for grading students’ discussions about language arts instructional methods in elementary education. A total of 912 forum postings (reflections and comments) were analyzed and scored. Results show that teaching Bloom’s taxonomy as an instructional tool in a blended course, and using it as a rubric to score online postings, improved students’ performance in online discussions. The level of assigned discussion task was also shown to be a factor in the level of students’ responses in the online discussions. Results are presented by semester and type of posting (reflections vs. comments). Lessons learned and educational implications are presented.
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