Longitudinal Assessment of Web-enabled Muddiest Points in Different Biomedical Engineering Courses

Summary: Previous research has identified instrumentality and ideology as important aspects of member attachment to labor unions. The present study evaluated the construct validity of a scale designed to reflect the two dimensions of instrumental and ideological union commitment using a sample of 1170 Swedish blue-collar union members. Longitudinal data were used to test seven propositions referring to the dimensionality, internal consistency reliability, and temporal stability of the scale as well as postulated group differences in union participation to which the scale should be sensitive. Support for the hypothesized factor structure of the scale and for adequate reliabilities of the dimensions was obtained and was also replicated 18 months later. Tests for equality of measurement model parameters and test-retest correlations indicated support for the temporal stability of the scale. In addition, the results were consistent with most of the predicted differences between groups characterized by different patterns of change/stability in union participation status. The study provides strong support for the construct validity of the scale and indicates that it can be used in future theory testing on instrumental and ideological union commitment.

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Internalizing Behavior During the Transition from Childhood to Adolescence

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000025 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 187-193 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Marc Vierhaus ◽

Arnold Lohaus ◽

Indra Shah

Keyword(s):

Research Design ◽

Internalizing Symptoms ◽

Fourth Graders ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Second Graders ◽

Internalizing Behavior ◽

Longitudinal Assessment ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The One

This investigation focuses on the question whether assessments of the development of internalizing behavior from childhood to adolescence are affected by the kind of research design (longitudinal versus cross-sectional). Two longitudinal samples of 432 second-graders and 366 fourth graders participated in a longitudinal study with subsequent measurements taken 1, 2, and 3 years later. A third sample consisting of 849 children covering the same range of grades participated in a cross-sectional study. The results show that the development of internalizing symptoms in girls – but not in boys – varies systematically with the research design. In girls, there is a decrease of internalizing symptoms (especially between the first two timepoints) in the longitudinal assessment, which may reflect, for example, the influence of strain during the first testing situation. Both longitudinal trajectories converge to a common trajectory from grade 2 to grade 7 when controlling for this “novelty-distress effect.” Moreover, when we control this effect, the slight but significant decrease characterizing the common trajectory becomes similar to the one obtained in the cross-sectional study. Therefore, trajectories based on longitudinal assessments may suggest more changes with regard to internalizing symptoms over time than actually take place, while trajectories based on cross-sectional data may be characterized by an increased level of internalizing symptoms. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

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