Family Sense of Coherence Scale: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis in a Portuguese Sample

Background: Family sense of coherence (FSOC) can be defined as the cognitive map of a family that enables the family to deal with stress during their lifetime. FSOC is the degree to which a family perceives family life as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have used this scale, and very few have evaluated FSOC Scale psychometric properties.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the original FSOC Scale in a sample of Portuguese caregivers of children aged between 10 and 15 years.Methods: A total of 329 caregivers completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the FSOC Scale. Analyses were performed to evaluate the factor structure of the FSOC Scale with 26 items as well as composite reliability, internal consistency, convergent-related validity, and discriminant-related validity of the scale scores.Results: The findings supported a three-factor solution for a 13-item version that maintains the original FSOC Scale structure. The three FSOC dimensions presented a good fit to the data. Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and convergent-related validity were considered very good for the FSOC Scale (α = 0.956; CR = 0.974; AVE = 0.689). No evidence of discriminant-related validity was found for the dimensions of FSOC.Conclusion: The findings support the use of the Portuguese FSOC Scale for research and clinical purposes with Portuguese caregivers. Future research is necessary to further develop a European Portuguese version of the FSOC Scale.Implications: This study provides a psychometric evaluation of FSOC Scale characteristics in a Portuguese sample. The results are helpful for clinicians and family therapists who work with families since it could help them to assess the resources of families and their ability to cope with adversity and enhance their strengths.

Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Persian version of Mentalized Affectivity Scale

Background and Aims: Mentalized affectivity is a new approach that expresses the process of emotion regulation through a dynamic perspective. Since social-cognitive variables and cultural context play a major role in the process of mentalized affectivity, the present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Mentalized Affectivity Scale in Iran. Materials and Methods: A total of 447 students were selected via the convenience sampling method. The Persian version of Mentalized Affectivity Scale was administered simultaneously with other scales. exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses was used to evaluate the validity of the scale. Moreover, convergent validity and divergent validity of this scale were assessed with other scales. The reliability of the scale was calculated by Cronbach's alpha, coefficient theta, and composite reliability. Results: The results of exploratory factor analysis showed four factors of emotion recognition, emotion processing, emotion tracing, and emotion expression. The significant correlation of factors with the used scales pointed to the content validity and divergent validity of the scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the entire scale was 0.93. The composite reliability of the factors was in the range of 0.82-0.89, and the coefficient theta of the scale was reported as 0.98. With respect to average variance extracted (AVE) greater than 0.5 and composite reliability greater than 0.8, the convergent validity of the factors was confirmed. Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, the Persian version of the Mentalized Affectivity Scale is a valid scale in the field of emotion regulation and social cognition that can be used for Iranian populations. The factor structure includes four factors.

Psychometric Properties of the SOC-13 Scale in Colombian Adults

The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the SOC-13 in Colombian adults. The SOC-13 questionnaire was administered to 489 individuals aged ≥18 years who were in lockdown from March to July 2020 in Nariño County, Colombia. Psychometric properties of the scale were examined using a cross-validation method via exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Additionally, configural and metric invariance were tested. To determine the internal consistency of the questionnaire, McDonald’s omega (ω), Cronbach’s alpha (α), and composite reliability (CR) coefficients were estimated. The EFA determined that a three-factor structure best fit the data (comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness) and CFA confirmed this three-factor model structure showing a good fit (χ2S-B = 188.530, χ2S-B/(62) = 3.615, p = 0.001; NNFI = 0.959; CFI = 0.968; RMSEA = 0.052 (90% CI [0.041–0.063]) and SRMR = 0.052).The invariance analysis indicated the same underlying theoretical structure between genders. Additionally, (ω), (α), and (CR) coefficients confirmed a high internal consistency of the instrument. The SOC-13 scale, reflecting comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness, is a reliable and valid tool for assessing the sense of coherence in Colombian populations.

Cultural Adaptation and Validation into Spanish of the Scale to Measure Attitudes Towards the Sex Trafficking of Women and Girls in Students of the University of Salamanca

The aim of this study was to validate and analyze the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Sexual Trafficking Attitudes Scale towards women and girls (STAS). A sample of 204 students from the University of Salamanca (Spain) was used. The exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a multifactorial structure of six factors (70.1% of variance). The Cronbach’s α internal consistency index obtained for the sample was 0.87 and composite reliability was 0.94. Convergent validity was determined between the full scale and the six dimensions, and divergent between subscales. The Spanish version of the instrument consisted of 25 items, proving to be a reliable and parsimonious measure.

STUDENTS’ ADAPTABILITY IN ONLINE LEARNING BASED ON MALAYSIAN STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION

The education field has undergone a new norm due to the pandemic of COVID-19 and it can be seen that new techniques and improvements can be applied among the educators and students. In a Malaysian context, it is revealed that a majority of universities have enhanced the quality of teaching via online platforms such as Cisco Webex, Google Meet, Zoom and many more that provide the medium for instructional delivery. However, it is also imperative to view the situation from the students’ perspectives in order to identify the issues that have occurred throughout the online learning process. The current study is conducted to identify the level of adaptability among students towards online learning and it consists of several components such as physical, spiritual, and emotional aspects. The respondents were selected through purposive sampling from selected local universities in Malaysia where about 316 students participated. This study was done quantitatively, and the results were analysed using Smart PLS 3.2.8. The findings showed that there were high values of Cronbach alpha and composite reliability which indicates that students agreed with the items in all the constructs in terms of physical (α=0.879, CR=0.906), spiritual (α =0.863, CR=0.901), emotional (α=0.953, CR=0.961) and adaptability (α=0.913, CR=0.931). The validity (AVE) of all the constructs were also in the acceptable range. It reveals that the physical, spiritual, and emotional components are imperative in order to ensure students could adapt with the new norm of online learning during the pandemic of COVID-19. Other than that, it shows that a balance well-being could hinder problems related to tough learning situation especially in online learning. Keywords: Online learning; Malaysian student, Well-being, Pandemic, Adaptability

Development of Distance Education Attitude Scale for Teachers: A Study of Validity and Reliability

The purpose of this study is to examine the validity and reliability of the Distance Education Attitude Scale for Teachers, which was developed to reveal teachers’ attitudes towards distance education during the COVID-19 outbreak. Statistical analyses were performed on 458 of the collected forms. The study group was randomly divided into two and the EFA process was conducted with 205 participants and the CFA process with 253 participants. KMO and Bartlett tests were performed to determine the suitability of the data for EFA. The KMO value was 0.0885 and the Bartlett test was statistically significant (χ2=3141, df=703, p<0.001). EFA results show that the DEASFT structure consists of 21 items and two factors, and these factors are named as “Benefits of Distance Education” and “Limitations of Distance Education”. CFA was applied on the data of 253 different people to the factor structures obtained as a result of AFA Analyses. One item was dropped from the scale because p values (0.178) is bigger than 0.05. According to fit indices (χ²/df < 1.5, CFI=0.953 > 0.9, TLI=0.942 > 0.9, SRMR=0.0735 < 0.8, RMSEA=0.0427 < 0.05), the scale is validated. The final version of scale has two factors and 20 items. Cronbach Alpha and composite reliability coefficients were calculated for reliability. For factor 1 Cronbach α=0.847 and McDonald’s ω=0.836. For factor 2 Cronbach α=0.815 and McDonald’s ω=0.845. The results of the analysis show that the scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool for determining teachers’ attitudes towards distance education.

Psychometric Properties of the Questionnaire “Demands and Potentials of ICT and Apps for Assisting People with Autism” (DPTIC-AUT-Q)

Background: In education, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has gone from being a convenient option to a permanent necessity. For students and people with functional diversity, it is of seminal importance. It is therefore worth learning how professionals perceive digital tools and apps for people and students with functional diversity and autism: its requirements and potential. As no instrument to measure this exists, we have designed a questionnaire on the requirements and potentials of ICT and apps for assisting people with autism (DP-TIC-AUT). Methods: Our questionnaire has been subjected to content validity using a panel of experts, and construct validity, using Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha and Composite Reliability. Results: Optimal results were obtained in the above values, thus confirming the validity of DP-TIC-AUT for use in the contexts of its validation. Conclusions: DP-TIC-AUT is a valid instrument. This opens up a range of possibilities for research, firstly descriptive, then of other kinds, and for the adaptation of the instrument to other contexts. This is the first step in improving the creation and use of ICT for people with autism.

IMPULSIVE BUYING: KAJIAN PROMOSI PENJUALAN, GAYA HIDUP, DAN NORMA SUBYEKTIF PADA MARKETPLACE DI YOGYAKARTA

Norma subjektif, gaya hidup, promosi penjualan, dan pembelian impulsif dikaji dalam penelitian ini. Responden di Yogyakarta berjumlah 100 siswa untuk pengumpulan data menggunakan metode survei. Peneliti menganalisis data menggunakan analisis SEM dengan aplikasi PLS. Reliabilitas komposit, validitas diskriminan, dan validitas konvergen adalah tiga kriteria yang dievaluasi sebagai indikator reflektif sebagai evaluasi model luar (model pengukuran). Validitas seluruh konstruk dapat ditunjukkan pada hasil discriminant validity dan convergent validity dimana composite reliability menunjukkan bahwa semua konstruk memiliki nilai composite relaibity > 0.70 dan nilai outer loading dan nilai AVE > 0.70. Jika tidak, tidak semuanya terbukti dari ketiga hipotesis yang diajukan. Dalam penelitian ini, pembelian impulsif dipengaruhi secara signifikan oleh promosi penjualan dan gaya hidup, tetapi norma subjektif tidak terbukti sebagai moderator.