M119. DECONSTRUCTING PSYCHOSIS AND CROSS-VALIDATING THE R-PAS VARIABLES TARGETING ITS CONSTRUCTS

Background Consistent with the contemporary literature that psychosis constructs are best represented as continuous syndromes, this study aims to determine if dimensional psychosis measures outperform traditional categorical measures, thereby improving detection of symptom severity. The Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) contains meta-analytically supported internationally normed scales for assessing disordered thinking and reality testing that have been replicated in many countries. Given the literature trend of utilizing a dimensional approach when assessing psychosis, a dimensional R-PAS scale for assessing disordered thinking was recently developed. Therefore, it is important to determine if this new measure outperforms the traditional measure. We also attempt to replicate recent research by deconstructing the key components of psychosis (e.g., disorganized thinking, hallucinations, and negative symptoms) and evaluating the validity of the R-PAS measures designed to assess these constructs. Methods Our study uses an archival clinical sample of 70 male inpatients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and major depressive disorder (Mean age = 41.9, Range 20 to 63) that were collected as part of an IRB-approved research project. Two trained diagnosticians independently interviewed the patients using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM (SCID) and blindly assigned diagnoses as well as Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) ratings. Interrater reliability of their ratings using ICCs will be computed. The Rorschach was administered and relevant R-PAS variables were scored by trained research assistants. The new R-PAS dimensional measure of disorganized thinking (SPCT) will be coded by the first author, and a subset of protocols will be blindly coded by the third author. Interrater reliability will be computed for all variables. Results First, we will conduct correlational analyses to test the relationship between clinician ratings of disorganized thinking (on the BPRS Conceptual Disorganization and relevant SCID criteria) and the traditional measure of disorganized thinking on R-PAS (WSumCog). We will then use hierarchical regression analyses to determine whether the new dimensionalized measure of disorganized thinking (SPCT) provides incremental prediction of the clinician ratings of disorganized thinking on the BPRS and SCID-P over the traditional R-PAS measure (WSumCog). To replicate previous research, we will test the relationship between negative symptom ratings (on the BPRS and SCID) and R-PAS measures of behavioral, perceptual, and emotional task engagement (Complexity & FQ-%). Further, we anticipate that clinician ratings of delusions (on the BPRS and the SCID) will correlate with R-PAS measures of inaccurate understanding of human intention and action (M-) and illogical thinking (SPCT Illogical Thinking subscale). Lastly, we use correlational analyses to test the relationship between clinician ratings of hallucinations (on the BPRS and SCID) and an R-PAS measure of visual misperceptions (FQ-%). Discussion Implications of this research provide additional validation for assessing key components of psychosis with a standardized internationally normed measure. Psychosis components (e.g., poor reality testing) limit the accuracy of patients’ self-reported symptoms and inflate rates of misdiagnosis; these R-PAS measures provide a framework for clinicians to behaviorally assess symptoms on a continuum ranging from nonclinical to severe psychosis-level disturbance. This research will aid in more accurate symptom assessment, thereby improving prognosis and treatment planning.

Labor Market Slack and the Output Gap

Output gap estimates are widely used to inform macroeconomic policy decisions, including in Korea. The main determinant of these estimates is the measure of labor market slack. The traditional measure of unemployment in Korea yields an incomplete estimate of labor market slack, given that many workers prefer involuntary part-time jobs or leaving the labor force rather than registering as unemployed. This paper discusses a way in which the measure of unemployment can be broadened to yield a more accurate measure of labor market slack. This broader measure is then used to estimate the output gap using a multivariate filter, yielding a more meaningful measure of the output gap.

A Multiplicative Approach to Polyvictimization: A Study of Intimate Partner Violence Types as Risk Factors for Child Polyvictimization in South Korea

Drawing on a new typology of intimate partner violence (IPV), this paper tests the relationship between indicators of totalitarian and anarchic IPV and child polyvictimization incidence and severity. The paper argues for and utilizes a quantitative approach to study polyvictimization severity. Polyvictimization is operationalized as a multiplicative relationship between physical abuse and neglect in a random sample of 204 children from Kyunggi province, South Korea. The indicator of totalitarian IPV significantly predicted polyvictimization severity and incidence even when a traditional measure of intimate terrorism was held constant. The indicator of anarchic IPV significantly predicted polyvictimization severity but not incidence when a traditional measure of intimate terrorism was held constant. Implications are discussed.

Days of Therapy and Antimicrobial Days: Similarities and Differences Between Consumption Metrics

Benchmarks for antimicrobial consumption measured in antimicrobial days are beginning to emerge. The relationship between the traditional measure of days of therapy and antimicrobial days is unclear. We observed a high intermethod correlation (R2=0.99): antimicrobial days were 1.9-fold lower than days of therapy across agents. Individual institutions should correlate these measures.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:971–973

A Cross-National Comparison of Extreme Response Style Measures

Five measures of extreme response style were compared across 6,146 study participants from 36 countries: the traditional measure, a modified traditional measure, the individual standard deviation, an index of dispersion and an index of entropy. The traditional measure of extreme response style, whereby the two extreme categories of an item or rating scale are assigned a value of ‘1’, all interior categories are assigned a value of ‘0’ and the sum of the ‘1’ values reflects the extent of extreme responding behaviour, performed slightly better than the other extreme response style measures examined with respect to reliability and ability to discriminate. The traditional measure of extreme response style was positively related to the variance of an attitudinal variable but unrelated to its mean. It was also related to Hofstede's cultural orientation variables of individualism-collectivism and power distance. Future cross-cultural and cross-national empirical research should systematically incorporate measures of extreme responding so that more is learned about the phenomenon and its possible effects.

Probe into "Green Distance" - One of the Methods on Optimizing Contemporary Urban Human Settlement

Urban green space is an important part of the urban ecosystem. There are some problems exist in the modern city such as green space gross inadequacy, maldistribution, low quality, and so on. Traditional measure methods of urban green space always fetch by the minority because of data acquisition difficulties and strongly professional. And most of them are representing the quantity, but the distribution. We proposed a concept of “Green Distance", and compared it to the traditional measure methods, pointed out the way of realization the livable “Green Distance", and how to using “Green Distance" to guide the planning, construction and management, and to improve the city"s environment and people"s life quality at last.

The Write Way: A Look at Journal Writing in First-Year Algebra

With changes in mathematical content and instructional techniques in first-year algebra, we are forced to change the tasks we give students as a means of expressing their understandings. Homework papers consisting of endless drill with no thrill cannot give a good indication of what students are learning. Test questions that focus on applying an algorithm cannot assess how students connect mathematical ideas. Neither traditional measure gives adequate information about how students have constructed generalizations or about attitudinal changes. Thus, traditional tasks do not give a clear picture of what students understand or believe.

Acoustic Assessment of the Nasal Airway

Instrumental assessment techniques are needed to acquire quantitative information concerning the form and function of the nasal cavity. Until recently, aerodynamic methods were virtually the only source of such information. Two additional instruments are now available that purport to provide information useful to clinicians interested in assessing nasal form and function. This paper describes both the Nasometer and the acoustic rhinometer. In addition, a more traditional measure involving acoustic analysis of nasal consonants is discussed. Both the known and potential benefits and limitations of each technique are discussed.