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Misophonia and hyperacusis are relatively unknown and misunderstood auditory sensitivityconditions. Misophonia is characterised by strong negative emotional reactions to sounds andsound patterns, depending on the meaning or context of the sound. Hyperacusis is characterizedby negative reactions to sounds, depending on the physical characteristics of the sounds (e.g.,frequency and intensity). Research often fails to distinguish misophonia from hyperacusis, andresearch on both conditions is scare. Moreover, there are insufficient tools available to assessand study misophonia and hyperacusis. The purpose of the current study was topsychometrically validate the Hyperacusis and Misophonia Discrimination Scale (HMDS).The goal of this self-report measure was to discriminate people with hyperacusis from peoplewith misophonia. Various analyses were used to assess the reliability and validity of thequestionnaire. A total of 249 participants completed the online questionnaire. Results indicatedan excellent reliability using Cronbach’s alpha and group and item comparisons showed thediscriminatory effectiveness of the HMDS. However, the results of a factor analysis indicateda complex underlying factor structure which did not provide a sufficient fit to the data,suggesting that the dimensions of the questionnaire require further refinement to effectivelydifferentiate between misophonia and hyperacusis. Based on the results, a revision to theHMDS is presented and future research should explore the psychometric properties of thisrevised scale as well as validate the HMDS with participants who have undergone a clinicalscreening in order to confirm their status., Misofoni och hyperakusis är relativt okända och missförstådda tillstånd av auditiv känslighet.Misofoni kännetecknas av starka negativa känslomässiga reaktioner på ljud och ljudmönster,beroende på ljudets betydelse eller sammanhang. Hyperakusis kännetecknas av negativareaktioner på ljud, beroende på ljudets fysiska egenskaper (t.ex. frekvens och intensitet).Forskningen misslyckas ofta med att skilja misofoni från hyperakusis, och forskningen ombåda tillstånden är knapphändig. Dessutom finns det inte tillräckligt med verktyg för attbedöma och studera misofoni och hyperakusis. Syftet med den aktuella studien var attpsykometriskt validera Hyperacusis and Misophonia Discrimination Scale (HMDS). Måletmed detta självrapportmått var att skilja personer med hyperakusis från personer med misofoni.Olika analyser användes för att bedöma frågeformulärets tillförlitlighet och giltighet. Totalt249 deltagare fyllde i onlineformuläret. Resultaten visade på en utmärkt tillförlitlighet enligtCronbachs alfa och jämförelser mellan grupper och objekt visade på HMDS diskriminerandeeffektivitet. Resultaten av en faktoranalys indikerade emellertid en komplex underliggandefaktorstruktur som inte gav en tillräcklig passning till data, vilket tyder på att frågeformuläretsdimensioner kräver ytterligare förfining för att effektivt skilja mellan misofoni ochhyperakusis. Baserat på resultaten presenteras en revidering av HMDS och framtida forskningbör utforska de psykometriska egenskaperna hos denna reviderade skala samt validera HMDSmed deltagare som har genomgått en klinisk screening för att bekräfta sin status.

[EN] Addressing flood risk management (FRM) from an integrated and multidimensional perspective is crucial for effective flood management. Several studies advocate involving the affected populations in the decisions on the implementation of FRM measures, but only a few focus on systematically analyzing the citizens’ opinions on such measures. From a psycho-environmental approach, the main objective of this study was to design an instrument, a Likert-type attitude scale, to assess the attitudes of riverside population toward flood mitigation measures (FMMs). First, we obtained a dataset of the FMMs based on the discourses of 24 stakeholders. Forty FMMs were identified using the focus group and content analysis method; and refined by flood risk-assessment experts. Second, the FMMs were tested in the general population (N = 111) using a questionnaire survey. The data analysis revealed the 15 most valid FMMs for general population, constituting to the pilot attitude scale. Finally, the scale was applied to a representative sample of riverside city residents (N = 406) through a questionnaire. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to identify two factors, with adequate adjustments to the sample [goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.986], both corresponding (to some extent) to the double traditional and integrated model of FRM. Based on this study, we propose the Integrated Flood Risk Management Attitudes Scale (IFRMAS), whose psychometric properties are adequate in terms of reliability and validity. Notably, the IFRMAS can be applied to analyze the perceptions of riverside population regarding FRM in potential flood-prone areas, detect misconceptions, and guide the design of flood-risk communication strategies.

Midwifery empowerment is an important topic. The most widely used instrument to measure the perceived empowerment of midwives is the Perceptions of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale (PEMS), which has not been validated in Spain. The aim of this study was to translate and adapt the PEMS to the Spanish context. This research was carried out in two phases; Phase 1: Methodological study; translation, backtranslation and cross-cultural adaptation of the PEMS and pilot study on the target population (10 midwives) for evaluation of face validity. Phase 2: Cross-sectional observational study to obtain a sample for construct validation by Exploratory Factor Analysis and measurement of PEMS-e reliability. Additionally, an inferential analysis was carried out to study the possible association between several collected variables and PEMS-e subscale-scores. A total of 410 midwives from 18 Spanish regions participated in the study through an online questionnaire. An initial Spanish version of the PEMS scale was produced, demonstrating adequate face validity. A final model was produced for the PEMS-e, which included 17 items classified into two subscales (“Organizational support” and “Own skills and teamwork”) with fit indexes RMSEA = 0.062 (95%CI: 0.048–0.065) and AGFI = 0.985 (95%CI: 0.983–0.989) and Cronbach’s alpha 0.922 for the total scale. Results showed that one in four midwives had considered abandoning the profession in the last 6 months (p ≤ 0.001). This research suggests that Spanish midwives perceive their empowerment level as low. The PEMS-e is a valid tool with solid psychometric properties that can be used in future research to identify factors that contribute to increased empowerment among Spanish midwives and inform strategies to improve job satisfaction and retention in the profession.

It has been emphasized that future studies aimed at improving adherence to infection prevention guidelines should focus on beliefs in, e.g., self-efficacy. Reliable situation specific measures are needed to measure the phenomenon of self-efficacy, but there seems to be few valid scales available that are suitable for measuring one's belief in self-efficacy regarding infection prevention measures. The purpose of the study was to develop a unidimensional appraisal scale to capture nurses' beliefs in their abilities to practice medical asepsis in care situations. When creating the items, evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections were used together with Bandura's guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. Face validity, content validity, and concurrent validity were tested in various samples of the target population. Furthermore, dimensionality was evaluated on data collected from 525 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses recruited from the medical, surgical, and orthopaedic wards of 22 Swedish hospitals. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale (IPAS) consists of 14 items. Face and content validity were endorsed by target population representatives. The exploratory factor analysis suggested unidimensionality, and the internal consistency was good (Cronbach's alpha 0.83). The total scale score correlated with the General Self-Efficacy Scale, as expected, and supported concurrent validity. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale demonstrates sound psychometric properties supporting a unidimensional measure of self-efficacy to medical asepsis in care situations.

It has been emphasized that future studies aimed at improving adherence to infection prevention guidelines should focus on beliefs in, e.g., self-efficacy. Reliable situation specific measures are needed to measure the phenomenon of self-efficacy, but there seems to be few valid scales available that are suitable for measuring one's belief in self-efficacy regarding infection prevention measures. The purpose of the study was to develop a unidimensional appraisal scale to capture nurses' beliefs in their abilities to practice medical asepsis in care situations. When creating the items, evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections were used together with Bandura's guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. Face validity, content validity, and concurrent validity were tested in various samples of the target population. Furthermore, dimensionality was evaluated on data collected from 525 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses recruited from the medical, surgical, and orthopaedic wards of 22 Swedish hospitals. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale (IPAS) consists of 14 items. Face and content validity were endorsed by target population representatives. The exploratory factor analysis suggested unidimensionality, and the internal consistency was good (Cronbach's alpha 0.83). The total scale score correlated with the General Self-Efficacy Scale, as expected, and supported concurrent validity. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale demonstrates sound psychometric properties supporting a unidimensional measure of self-efficacy to medical asepsis in care situations.

It has been emphasized that future studies aimed at improving adherence to infection prevention guidelines should focus on beliefs in, e.g., self-efficacy. Reliable situation specific measures are needed to measure the phenomenon of self-efficacy, but there seems to be few valid scales available that are suitable for measuring one's belief in self-efficacy regarding infection prevention measures. The purpose of the study was to develop a unidimensional appraisal scale to capture nurses' beliefs in their abilities to practice medical asepsis in care situations. When creating the items, evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections were used together with Bandura's guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. Face validity, content validity, and concurrent validity were tested in various samples of the target population. Furthermore, dimensionality was evaluated on data collected from 525 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses recruited from the medical, surgical, and orthopaedic wards of 22 Swedish hospitals. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale (IPAS) consists of 14 items. Face and content validity were endorsed by target population representatives. The exploratory factor analysis suggested unidimensionality, and the internal consistency was good (Cronbach's alpha 0.83). The total scale score correlated with the General Self-Efficacy Scale, as expected, and supported concurrent validity. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale demonstrates sound psychometric properties supporting a unidimensional measure of self-efficacy to medical asepsis in care situations.

It has been emphasized that future studies aimed at improving adherence to infection prevention guidelines should focus on beliefs in, e.g., self-efficacy. Reliable situation specific measures are needed to measure the phenomenon of self-efficacy, but there seems to be few valid scales available that are suitable for measuring one's belief in self-efficacy regarding infection prevention measures. The purpose of the study was to develop a unidimensional appraisal scale to capture nurses' beliefs in their abilities to practice medical asepsis in care situations. When creating the items, evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections were used together with Bandura's guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. Face validity, content validity, and concurrent validity were tested in various samples of the target population. Furthermore, dimensionality was evaluated on data collected from 525 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses recruited from the medical, surgical, and orthopaedic wards of 22 Swedish hospitals. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale (IPAS) consists of 14 items. Face and content validity were endorsed by target population representatives. The exploratory factor analysis suggested unidimensionality, and the internal consistency was good (Cronbach's alpha 0.83). The total scale score correlated with the General Self-Efficacy Scale, as expected, and supported concurrent validity. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale demonstrates sound psychometric properties supporting a unidimensional measure of self-efficacy to medical asepsis in care situations.

Assessing the quality of learning in higher education is one of the efforts to ensure its standards. Typically, the assessment of the quality of learning implementation involves observation by multiple raters. This study aims to provide construct validity evidence and estimate the reliability of performance assessment instruments for educators in higher education. 225 second-year and third-year students from the Faculty of Education participated as raters, evaluating the performance of educators in their teaching practices. Forty assessment items were used to evaluate the performance of 19 instructors. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Generalizability Theory (G-Theory) were employed to examine the quality of the performance assessment instruments. The EFA analysis resulted in the identification of five factors that contribute to educators' performance in teaching: (1) readiness and planning, (2) pedagogy and professionalism, (3) personality, (4) social relationships within the classroom, and (5) social relationships beyond the classroom, collectively explaining 67.671% of the variance. Of the 40 assessment items, 37 demonstrated construct validity, while three required revisions. These findings indicate the alignment between the instrument's factors and the formulated theory of teaching competence. The reliability of the measurements was estimated using G-Theory in RStudio, yielding a relative G coefficient of 0.88 for three raters. The D-Study results indicated that the instrument could be used to assess performance, with an estimated generalizability coefficient of 0.738, requiring a minimum of five raters for each person (educator) being evaluated. We recommend employing G-Study and D-Study to determine the number of raters involved in performance assessment as a means of cost and time efficiency in the evaluation process.

In recent years, digital transformation (DT) has emerged as a subject with numerous promise advantages across several industries. Prior papers focused mostly on identifying benefits and obstacles, but less is known about validation, particularly in the educational sector. Thus, the objective of this study is to fill the gap by examining the factors that influence the acceptance of digital transformation in the education setting. 318 prospective adopters of DT consented to participate in this research by completing an online survey through Google Form. These samples were divided into 159 individuals for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 159 observations for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EFA favored a five-factor model, which was shown to explain over 69% of the data variance. The tentative names for these hidden variables were policy, efficiency, knowledge, facilitating conditions, and behavioral intention. Two items were excluded from the scale measurement due to cross-loading on other factors. The findings of the CFA confirmed and validated the five-factor model, with all test measures meeting the predefined thresholds, indicating an acceptable fit. As opposed to evaluating individual indicators, the findings of this study present five crucial topics for instructors, educators, and policymakers to examine, and they also provide a foundation for interested researchers to perform further studies.

Since 1983, Malaysia has been implementing public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives to acquire public infrastructure and services. These partnerships have been successful in improving public services and reducing public expenditure. Many researches have been conducted on the factors influencing the performance of PPP, including contract governance. However, due to the long duration and contractual obligations of PPP initiatives, there is still a lack of understanding about the influence of contract governance on the performance of these partnerships, highlighting a scarcity of study on contract governance in PPP contexts. Based on mono-method quantitative design, this study aims to develop a survey instrument to measure contract governance in PPP initiatives through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). A pilot study has been conducted with 115 respondents and the data been analyzed using the Principal Component with the Rotation extraction technique. The results showed that all five components of contract governance in the study had a Cronbach's alpha greater than 0.70, indicating a high level of consistency and reliability. The results of this research provide significant knowledge on the measurement of contract governance on PPP project performance to the body of literature on partnership performance and contract governance, therefore assisting concessionaires and policymakers. Managers overseeing PPP projects should possess the ability to improve the performance of their projects by comprehending the impact of contract. governance on project performance.

Pre-service teacher preparation programs vary greatly across countries. The most important part of a teacher training program is pre-service teaching regarded as the element of teacher training that is most significant and influential. The study aimed to determine the constructs in practice teaching experiences of technology livelihood and vocational education preservice teachers. To accomplish the goal of this study, quantitative research design, using exploratory factor analysis was applied. In addition to employing the Principal Component Analysis (CPA), exploratory factor analysis was also utilized to determine the factor structure of the measure and assess its internal reliability. Nine preservice teachers participated in the qualitative phase of the study, and 153 preservice teachers participated in the quantitative phase using purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. The study revealed the presence of the five components which are themed in factor loadings identified as Implementing Teaching Method, Observing Time Management, Costuming Self-Evaluation, Accepting Feedback, and Battling with Adversities with the Accepting Feedback having the lowest results. The themed factor loadings had a weighted overall mean score of 4.3285, which means that it was always observed. The researchers suggested that teacher education programs help pre-service teachers overcome obstacles they face when teaching, reflect on their practice, and solve problems to prepare them better to transition to in-service teaching. A confirmatory factor analysis is suggested to confirm the study's result under investigation.

Since 1983, Malaysia has been implementing public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives to acquire public infrastructure and services. These partnerships have been successful in improving public services and reducing public expenditure. Many researches have been conducted on the factors influencing the performance of PPP, including contract governance. However, due to the long duration and contractual obligations of PPP initiatives, there is still a lack of understanding about the influence of contract governance on the performance of these partnerships, highlighting a scarcity of study on contract governance in PPP contexts. Based on mono-method quantitative design, this study aims to develop a survey instrument to measure contract governance in PPP initiatives through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). A pilot study has been conducted with 115 respondents and the data been analyzed using the Principal Component with the Rotation extraction technique. The results showed that all five components of contract governance in the study had a Cronbach's alpha greater than 0.70, indicating a high level of consistency and reliability. The results of this research provide significant knowledge on the measurement of contract governance on PPP project performance to the body of literature on partnership performance and contract governance, therefore assisting concessionaires and policymakers. Managers overseeing PPP projects should possess the ability to improve the performance of their projects by comprehending the impact of contract. governance on project performance.

Understanding and using ICT is critical for increasing effectiveness of the public sector, improving access to public services, enhancing transparency and engagement of various stakeholders in public decision-making processes. At the same time, utilization of new emerging technologies such as cloud computing, big data analytics, open data, social media, or Internet of Things has become more commonplace in recent years. This study aims to understand what determines ICT disparities and digital divides in the context of new technologies and digital world shifts. For this purpose, a theoretical framework of ICT-related indicators elucidating differences between the traditional and new approach is proposed. These ICT indicators were identified through the decomposition of related ICT and e-government indices together with explanatory factors derived from the literature. The European Union Member States were chosen as a sample for the exploratory analysis because of the availability of relevant indicators. More specifically, correlation, factor, regression, and cluster analyses were employed as empirical strategies to carry out this study. The Human Development Index together with research and development expenditure are the most important explanatory factors for the new approach, while the traditional set of indicators is still mostly correlated with the gross domestic product per capita. Finally, five clusters of Member States were identified and their implications for improving the use of ICT in the public sector are described., Pochopení a používání ICT je zásadní pro zvýšení efektivity veřejného sektoru, zlepšení přístupu k veřejným službám, zvýšení transparentnosti a zapojení různých zainteresovaných stran do procesů veřejného rozhodování. Zároveň se v posledních letech stalo běžnějším využíváním nových technologií jako je cloud computing, analýza big dat, otevřená data, sociální média nebo internet věcí. Tato studie si klade za cíl porozumět tomu, co určuje ICT nerovnosti a digitální propasti v kontextu nových technologií a posunů digitálního světa. Za tímto účelem je navržen teoretický rámec indikátorů souvisejících s ICT objasňující rozdíly mezi tradičním a novým přístupem. Tyto indikátory ICT byly identifikovány pomocí dekompozice souvisejících indexů ICT a e-governmentu spolu s vysvětlujícími faktory odvozenými z literatury. Vzhledem k dostupnosti relevantních ukazatelů byly jako vzorek pro průzkumnou analýzu vybrány členské státy Evropské unie. Přesněji řečeno, korelační, faktorová, regresní a shluková analýza byly použity jako empirické strategie k provedení této studie. Index lidského rozvoje spolu s výdaji na výzkum a vývoj jsou nejdůležitějšími vysvětlujícími faktory nového přístupu, zatímco tradiční soubor ukazatelů stále většinou koreluje s hrubým domácím produktem na hlavu. Nakonec bylo identifikováno pět shluků členských států a popsány jejich důsledky pro zlepšení využívání ICT ve veřejném sektoru.

Working from home and work flexibility have been highly researched academic topics over the past forty years, and their importance was further amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous qualitative and quantitative studies were aimed at better understanding this work arrangement, but they often encountered the challenges of limited scope and the inability to generalize their results. The goal of this study was to test the consistency of the instrument used in measuring the experiences of working from home for Croatian engineers, check the presence of its latent dimensions, and finally determine whether these dimensions could predict engineers’ job satisfaction. Three factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis (productivity and work quality, work-life balance, and organizations’ distrust and control), while the multiple linear regression analysis ran on those factors as predictors proved that, although work-life balance does not influence job satisfaction, productivity and work quality positively predict it, while organizations’ distrust and control do so negatively.

Working from home and work flexibility have been highly researched academic topics over the past forty years, and their importance was further amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous qualitative and quantitative studies were aimed at better understanding this work arrangement, but they often encountered the challenges of limited scope and the inability to generalize their results. The goal of this study was to test the consistency of the instrument used in measuring the experiences of working from home for Croatian engineers, check the presence of its latent dimensions, and finally determine whether these dimensions could predict engineers’ job satisfaction. Three factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis (productivity and work quality, work-life balance, and organizations’ distrust and control), while the multiple linear regression analysis ran on those factors as predictors proved that, although work-life balance does not influence job satisfaction, productivity and work quality positively predict it, while organizations’ distrust and control do so negatively.

In recent years, households have become increasingly indebted, which constitutes a matter of concern. Based on a sample from the Spanish Survey of Financial Competences, this paper examines the relationship between self-control and consumer borrowing behaviour and, in so doing, it proposes a new multi-item scale of individual’s self-control in financial matters and considers several types of consumer debt, thus overcoming the main gaps identified in previous research. Empirical evidence reveals that, overall, self-control problems lead to more indebtedness. However, comprehensive analyses have demonstrated that the influence of self-control differs across an exhaustive range of credit options. In this regard, the lack of self-control increases the probability of taking out unsecured personal loans, loans from family or friends, and credit card use. Evidence suggests that individuals’ first impulse leads them to ask their social circle for a loan. Overall, individuals might be tempted to get indebted when they cannot make ends meet. However, this first impulse usually faces barriers from the supply perspective, so the evidence suggests that the effect of self-control on borrowing decisions might be shaped not only by the demand side of credit but also by the supply one

The Covid-19 health crisis brought changes to people´s lives that affected them both physically and psychologically. The aim of this paper is to identify the key socio-psychological factors involved in the main changes to the mental health of the Spanish population, and to determine whether they had the same impact across genders. The survey data from the Spanish Centre for Sociological Research entitled “CIS Survey 3324 Effects and Consequences of Coronavirus IV” (specifically, question 14) were used to this end. Question variables were recoded into dummy variables for analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). The study found five key factors that have changed the mental health of the Spanish population: “being more empathic”, “enjoying leisure more”, “discovering new leisure activities”, “being more religious or spiritual” and “being more interested in the future”. All of these affected women more than men., La crisis sanitaria por la COVID-19 introdujo cambios en las vidas de las personas que les afectaron no solo física, sino también psicológicamente. El objetivo de este artículo es descubrir factores sociopsicológicos determinantes, cuáles han cambiado más la salud mental de la población española y si han influido a ambos géneros por igual. Por tanto, se han utilizado los datos de la encuesta del Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas titulado «Estudio nº 3324. Efectos y consecuencias del coronavirus (IV)» (en concreto la pregunta 14). Las variables de la pregunta se han recodificado en variables ficticias para realizar un ANOVA y un análisis factorial exploratorio. En el estudio se han descubierto cinco factores determinantes que han cambiado la salud mental de la población española: «ser más empático/a», «disfrutar más del ocio», «descubrir nuevas actividades de ocio», «ser más religioso/a o espiritual» y «estar más interesado/a por el futuro». Todos han afectado más a las mujeres que a los hombres.

During the influx to mass events in the past, situations have regularly arisen that people experienced as unpleasant or even unsafe. Nowadays, many researchers focus on regulating this influx by influencing travel choices, where only little attention is paid to travellers’ preferences. This research identifies the preferences of different type of visitors towards receiving information, and the extent to which visitors with different information profiles act on the information messages they receive. A survey was distributed (N=378), and the number of variables was reduced by performing an Exploratory Factor Analysis. The Latent Class Cluster Analysis distinguished three clusters based on their information message preferences. The results show that people are most interested in receiving information via email a few days before departure and that it is challenging to inform them at a later time. The most impressionable cluster mainly consists of young people, unfamiliar with the event area. Event organisations can apply the results by better-aligning communication with the preferences of their visitors. The differences in behavioural intentions between the clusters turned out to be limited. This must be further investigated since it is not in line with expectations., Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics

It has been emphasized that future studies aimed at improving adherence to infection prevention guidelines should focus on beliefs in, e.g., self-efficacy. Reliable situation specific measures are needed to measure the phenomenon of self-efficacy, but there seems to be few valid scales available that are suitable for measuring one's belief in self-efficacy regarding infection prevention measures. The purpose of the study was to develop a unidimensional appraisal scale to capture nurses' beliefs in their abilities to practice medical asepsis in care situations. When creating the items, evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections were used together with Bandura's guide for constructing self-efficacy scales. Face validity, content validity, and concurrent validity were tested in various samples of the target population. Furthermore, dimensionality was evaluated on data collected from 525 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses recruited from the medical, surgical, and orthopaedic wards of 22 Swedish hospitals. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale (IPAS) consists of 14 items. Face and content validity were endorsed by target population representatives. The exploratory factor analysis suggested unidimensionality, and the internal consistency was good (Cronbach's alpha 0.83). The total scale score correlated with the General Self-Efficacy Scale, as expected, and supported concurrent validity. The Infection Prevention Appraisal Scale demonstrates sound psychometric properties supporting a unidimensional measure of self-efficacy to medical asepsis in care situations.

Introduction: It has proven a hard challenge to stimulate climate action with climate data. While scientists communicate through words, numbers, and diagrams, artists use movement, images, and sound. Sonification, the translation of data into sound, and visualization, offer techniques for representing climate data with often innovative and exciting results. The concept of sonification was initially defined in terms of engineering, and while this view remains dominant, researchers increasingly make use of knowledge from electroacoustic music (EAM) to make sonifications more convincing. Methods: The Aesthetic Perspective Space (APS) is a two-dimensional model that bridges utilitarian-oriented sonification and music. We started with a review of 395 sonification projects, from which a corpus of 32 that target climate change was chosen; a subset of 18 also integrate visualization of the data. To clarify relationships with climate data sources, we determined topics and subtopics in a hierarchical classification. Media duration and lexical diversity in descriptions were determined. We developed a protocol to span the APS dimensions, Intentionality and Indexicality, and evaluated its circumplexity. Results: We constructed 25 scales to cover a range of qualitative characteristics applicable to sonification and sonification-visualization projects, and through exploratory factor analysis, identified five essential aspects of the project descriptions, labeled Action, Technical, Context, Perspective, and Visualization. Through linear regression modeling, we investigated the prediction of aesthetic perspective from essential aspects, media duration, and lexical diversity. Significant regressions across the corpus were identified for Perspective (ß = 0.41***) and lexical diversity (ß = −0.23*) on Intentionality, and for Perspective (ß = 0.36***) and Duration (logarithmic; ß = −0.25*) on Indexicality. Discussion: We discuss how these r, Design Aesthetics

As a result of the deepening of relations between Argentina and China, and the promotion of Spanish language learning in higher education in China, Chinese university students have become active participants, communicators and promoters of bilateral relations. This article pays attention to the stereotypical image that these university students have about Argentina. For this purpose, the results of a questionnaire applied to 412 Chinese university students are used. The analysis shows that this group has formed stereotypes in five dimensions and determines the impact among the respondents of those related to sympathy and interest in this South American nation and its people., A raíz de la profundización de las relaciones entre Argentina y China, y el impulso del aprendizaje del idioma español en la educación superior del país oriental, los estudiantes universitarios chinos se han convertido en participantes activos, comunicadores y promotores de esas relaciones. Este artículo presta atención a la imagen estereotipada que estos universitarios se han hecho de Argentina. Para ello se utilizan los resultados de un cuestionario aplicado a 412 estudiantes universitarios chinos. El análisis evidencia que en dicho grupo se han formado estereotipos en cinco dimensiones y se determina el impacto entre los encuestados de las relativas a la simpatía y el interés por la nación sudamericana y su población.

Pre-service teacher preparation programs vary greatly across countries. The most important part of a teacher training program is pre-service teaching regarded as the element of teacher training that is most significant and influential. The study aimed to determine the constructs in practice teaching experiences of technology livelihood and vocational education preservice teachers. To accomplish the goal of this study, quantitative research design, using exploratory factor analysis was applied. In addition to employing the Principal Component Analysis (CPA), exploratory factor analysis was also utilized to determine the factor structure of the measure and assess its internal reliability. Nine preservice teachers participated in the qualitative phase of the study, and 153 preservice teachers participated in the quantitative phase using purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. The study revealed the presence of the five components which are themed in factor loadings identified as Implementing Teaching Method, Observing Time Management, Costuming Self-Evaluation, Accepting Feedback, and Battling with Adversities with the Accepting Feedback having the lowest results. The themed factor loadings had a weighted overall mean score of 4.3285, which means that it was always observed. The researchers suggested that teacher education programs help pre-service teachers overcome obstacles they face when teaching, reflect on their practice, and solve problems to prepare them better to transition to in-service teaching. A confirmatory factor analysis is suggested to confirm the study's result under investigation.

A frequent criticism of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is that it does not allow correlated residuals to be modelled, while they can be routinely specified in the confirmatory (CFA) model. In this article, we propose an EFA approach in which both the common factor solution and the residual matrix are unrestricted (i.e., the correlated residuals need not be specified a priori). The estimation procedures are two-stage and based on the unweighted least squares principle. Procedures for judging the solution appropriateness (including goodness of fit) are also proposed. The simulation studies and illustrative example suggest that the approach works quite well Although the proposal is based on existing results, most of the developments can be considered to be new contributions, and are expected to be particularly useful in the earlier stages of item calibration. The whole procedure has been implemented in both R language and a well-known non-commercial EFA program.

Exploratory graph analysis (EGA) is a commonly applied technique intended to help social scientists discover latent variables. Yet, the results can be influenced by the methodological decisions the researcher makes along the way. In this article, we focus on the choice regarding the number of factors to retain: We compare the performance of the recently developed EGA with various traditional factor retention criteria. We use both continuous and binary data, as evidence regarding the accuracy of such criteria in the latter case is scarce. Simulation results, based on scenarios resulting from varying sample size, communalities from major factors, interfactor correlations, skewness, and correlation measure, show that EGA outperforms the traditional factor retention criteria considered in most cases in terms of bias and accuracy. In addition, we show that factor retention decisions for binary data are preferably made using Pearson, instead of tetrachoric, correlations, which is contradictory to popular belief.

Over the past decades, car ownership in the Netherlands has been on an increase. Besides being an environmental burden, passenger cars also require a lot of space. Mitigating the impact of passenger cars on climate change and public space requires a shift to a more sustainable view of transport, in which neighborhood mobility hubs might play a role. As a relatively new concept, mobility hubs are starting to gain attention in academia and practice. The first findings, however, showed that the adoption rate of mobility hubs might be low and no good image of the user can be formed yet. This research therefore aims to identify which user groups are likely to adopt mobility offered by neighborhood mobility hubs in the Netherlands. To do this, a conceptual model is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) and subsequently, a survey was distributed in the Netherlands (N=298). After analyzing the data using an Exploratory Factor Analysis, a Latent Class Cluster Analysis was executed in order to find groups in the sample population with similar preferences and socio-economic profiles. By means of the latter, four distinctive groups of travelers are uncovered. Two clusters have intentions to use neighborhood mobility hubs: hub huggers (45%) and hub-ready impacting travelers (25%). The other two clusters, anti-new mobility individuals (22%) and traditional car owners (8%) are not yet ready to use neighborhood mobility hubs. There are some determinants that are likely to play a role in future mobility hub usage: people with prior experience with shared transport and households who do not own a car are more likely to use neighborhood mobility hubs in the future. People who currently use a sustainable travel mode (train or (e-)bike) to reach their work and/or study are more likely to be the adapters of neighborhood mobility hubs. This also holds for people who have a social and environmental responsibility, innovative mindset and clearly see the, Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics

The practice of cross-validation on the same sample is a common procedure in applied research, and it is suggested that it should not be applied because the contrast that is ultimately being made is not adequate. It is true that there are certain consequences to its application, but further exploration of these may be more beneficial than trying to establish golden rules. In-depth knowledge of what is being used to achieve a given research objective (functionality and limitations) coupled with the usual context in applied research (scarcity of resources) can help researchers see how far they can take their findings. Therefore, instead of "cross-validation: yes or no", there are some aspects to be considered, and it is ultimately the applied researcher's obligation to adequately justify the execution of cross-validation on the same sample, La práctica de validación cruzada sobre una misma muestra es un procedimiento habitual en la investigación aplicada, y se sugiere que no debe ser aplicada porque el contraste que se está realizando finalmente no es el adecuado. Es cierto que su aplicación conlleva ciertas consecuencias, pero ahondar en ellas puede ser más beneficioso que intentar establecer reglas de oro. El conocimiento en profundidad de qué se está utilizando para conseguir un determinado objetivo de investigación (funcionalidad y limitaciones) unido al contexto habitual en investigación aplicada (escasez de recursos) puede ayudar a los investigadores a ver hasta dónde pueden llevar sus conclusiones. Por tanto, en lugar de "validación cruzada: sí o no", se plantean algunos aspectos que deben tenerse en consideración, siendo finalmente obligación del investigador aplicado el justificar adecuadamente la ejecución de una validación cruzada en la misma muestra.

Loot boxes are products in videogames that is earned by playing a video game or by buying them. Loot boxes has similar mechanisms as a lottery and there is an ongoing debate if loot boxes are gambling. However, to understand the potential harm of loot boxes valid instruments are needed. An English study psychometrically evaluated an instrument focused on risky loot box use called the Risky Loot Box Index. The study evaluated 12 item scale and based on a factor analysis it was reduced to a five-item scale. The aim of our study is to evaluate a Swedish version of the 12-item instrument from a psychometric perspective. Two samples recruited via an online survey were used. The first sample was recruited from the gambling site Unibet. A mail with an invitation to participate was sent to esports bettors and sport bettors at the gambling site. The second sample was recruited from a Facebook forum focused on e-sports. An invitation was posted on the forum to partake in the study. A total of 195 of respondents (96% men and 4% women) with a mean age of 33.76 (SD = 12.34) answered the Unibet survey and 169 respondents (96% men and 4% women and non-binary) with a mean age of 23.89 (SD = 5.52) answered the Facebook survey. An exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor seven item solution. The factors were overconsumption regarding time spent on loot boxes and the other factor was focused on overconsumption of loot boxes in terms of spending money. The confirmatory factor analysis conducted in the Facebook sample validated the result from the exploratory factor analysis. The conclusion of the study is that the Swedish version of the Risky Loot Index has good psychometric properties and can used to measure risky loot box consumption.

For decades, globalization has introduced both opportunities and pressures for companies around the world by introducing freer trade, increasing foreign direct investment and the international use of intellectual property that boosted the diffusion of knowledge and technology. As a result, the international competition has become more intense for many firms. Hence, putting a good or service into the market has never been as demanding as now and the demand to be early mover and have a low time-to-market is increasingly important for first be successful. This research will focus on determining whether a low time-to-market will contribute to a higher firm performance and what relation the time to market has with a firm’s business model framework and business model openness, preference for external funding and type of innovation. A theoretical framework was created based on relevant literature to be able to reach the objective of this thesis. The conceptual model was created from the literature which consisted of the hypotheses and variables that the study aimed to investigate. From the theoretical framework using a confirmatory approach, a survey was designed that was shared online to available network that the authors had. In summary, 43% of respondents had some sort of managing positions (upper management, manager and project management), 83% were mainly based in Sweden but also in Denmark, Germany, USA etc. and the work experience of the respondents was fairly distributed. Overall, 50% of the firms were between 0 to 30 years (1% did not respond) and more than 50% were considered to be a large firm depending if the classification was based on turnover with 51% as large firms (17% did not respond) or based on the number of employees with 58% as large firms. Data with 200 applicable responses (eight were removed i.e., 3.8%) was collected over four weeks of time. With the use of structural equation modeling and exploratory factor analysis, the collected data could be an

Recent conceptualizations of interoception suggest several facets to this construct, including "interoceptive sensibility” and “self-report interoceptive scales", both of which are assessed with questionnaires. Although these conceptual efforts have helped move the field forward, uncertainty remains regarding whether current measures converge on their measurement of a common construct. To address this question, we first identified -via a systematic review- the most cited questionnaires of interoceptive sensibility. Then, we examined their correlations, their overall factorial structure, and their network structure in a large community sample (n = 1003). The results indicate that these questionnaires tap onto distinct constructs, with low overall convergence and interrelationships between questionnaire items. This observation mitigates the interpretation and replicability of findings in self-report interoception research. We call for a better match between constructs and measures.

ContextPeople living with HIV infection (PLWH) in the United States continue to experience a high symptom burden despite improvements in antiretroviral therapy.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to determine if the number and types of symptom clusters differed based on whether symptom occurrence rates or distress ratings were used to create the clusters.MethodsData from 2,000 patients with complete symptom occurrence rates and distress scores on the 20-item HIV Symptom Index from their first ambulatory clinic visit at one of six national HIV centers of excellence in the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems were used in these analyses. Exploratory factor analysis was used to create the symptom clusters.ResultsThe same four symptom clusters (i.e., gastrointestinal, psychological, pain, body image) were identified using occurrence rates and distress ratings. For both dimensions of the symptom experience, the psychological, pain, and body image clusters each had the same symptoms. For the gastrointestinal cluster, four symptoms loaded on the occurrence dimension and six symptoms loaded on the distress dimension.ConclusionThe number and types of symptom clusters were relatively similar across the occurrence and distress dimensions of the symptom experience. Symptom clusters in PLWH may provide insights into the development of targeted interventions for multiple co-occurring symptoms.

Supply chain disruptions are common during unexpected occurrences, such as pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic caused major supply chain disruption in the engineering manufacturing sector. Therefore, this dissertation aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic disruption on supply chain in the engineering manufacturing sector, and subsequent impact on effective process performance, particularly cycle times, production flexibility, and cost efficiency. Current research indicates that disruptions in the supply chain during the pandemic may include aspects such as raw material shortages, labour shortages, demand fluctuations, Communication or communication issues, among others, which in turn impact process outcomes in organizations. Additionally, literature advocates for the adoption of novel technologies, such as Industry 4.0, AI, and additive manufacturing to help ease the impact on firms. This study employed a quantitative research design, whereby a standardized questionnaire was distributed electronically to approximately 700 employees, affiliated to the firm being studied, in conformance to the current COVID-19 restrictions and regulations. 500 respondent questionnaires were selected, cleaned, entered, and analysed using IBM SPSS v.23. Pearson correlations were run between the study’s dependent variables (Cycle Times, Production Flexibility, and Cost Efficiency) and the independent variables (Raw Material Shortages and Communication). The correlation results highlighted both negative and positive coefficients for the three primary variables, indicative of positive/constructive and inverse relationships. The study concluded that the effectiveness of management processes linked with these primary variables were significantly affected by the assessed supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 period, which conforms with multiple research studies. This study further recommends the adoption of strategies that minimize such disruptions and bolster resilience

New ventures come in many forms, however, enduring over time is a challenge, due to the various factors involved in their survival.Therefore, the aim of the study is to design and validate an entrepreneurship durability scale (EPEE). The research is under the methodological support of an instrumental type of study, for these 20 items were elaborated under the literature review, and the items were verified by judgesand pilot testing. The instrument was applied to 400 entrepreneurs. After the quality control of the data, descriptive and reliability statistics wereobtained to carry out the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results revealed adequate reliability levels(a=.989; W=0.99) of the 20 items; furthermore, the AFE reported that all 20 items load on a single factor (A>0.8), a very good KMO and a significantBartlett with an explained variance of 82,5 %; in contrast, the CFA reported 4 models, where model 4 (M4) with 15 items has adequate goodness-of-fit indices confirming the factor structure of the single-factor model. In conclusion, as it has adequate goodness-of-fit indices, the M4 is the most appropriate for measuring the durability of entrepreneurship in entrepreneurs., Los nuevos emprendimientos se presentan de muchas formas, sin embargo, perdurar en el tiempo es un desafío, debido a los diversos factores que intervienen en su subsistencia. Por lo tanto, el objetivo del estudio es diseñar y validar una escala de perdurabilidad del emprendimiento empresarial (EPEE). La investigación está bajo el soporte metodológico de un estudio de tipo instrumental, para esto se elaboraron 20 ítems bajo la revisión de la literatura, se verificó los ítems por medio de jueces y prueba piloto. El instrumento se aplicó a 400emprendedores. Luego, a partir del control de calidad de los datos se obtuvo estadísticas descriptivas y de fiabilidad para realizar el análisisfactorial exploratorio (AFE) y el análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC). Los resultados revelaron adecuados niveles de fiabilidad (a=.989; w=0.99) de los 20 ítems; además, el AFE reportó que los 20 ítems cargan en un solo factor (A>0.8), un KMO muy bueno y un Bartlett significativo con una varianza explicada del 82,5 %; en cambio, el AFC reportó 4 modelos, donde el modelo 4 (M4) con 15 ítems tiene adecuados índices de bondad de ajuste que confirman la estructura factorial del modelo unifactorial. En conclusión, al contar con adecuados índices de bondad de ajuste, el M4 es el más apropiado para medir la perdurabilidad del emprendimiento empresarial en emprendedores.

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the Digi Family-Centered Care-Parent Version (DigiFCC-P), which was developed to measure parents' perceptions of family-centered care (FCC) in NICUs. Design: Cross-sectional psychometric study. Setting: Twenty-three NICUs in 15 countries in Europe, Canada, and Australia. Participants: Mothers (n = 565) and fathers (n = 406) of preterm infants hospitalized in NICUs. Methods: Participants reported their perceptions of the quality of FCC during their infants' hospitalizations by answering one DigiFCC-P question delivered to their mobile phones every evening. Nine questions rotated in random order. Participants responded on a 7-point Likert scale. We evaluated the instrument's internal consistency, construct and concurrent validity, and sensitivity. Results: The internal consistency of the DigiFCC-P was satisfactory; the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was .74 (95% confidence interval [.71, .77]), and all the corrected item-total correlations were greater than .30. We identified that the items formed two factors, support from staff and the parent's active participation, and observed no strong item cross-loadings on the two factors. We discovered some items with weak interitem correlations, and the two factors explained 35.2% of the variance. Scores on the DigiFCC-P and Family-Centered Care Questionnaire were significantly correlated (r = .59, p < .001) and supported the convergent validity of the instrument. In addition, changes were discovered in the participants' ratings over time, which indicated that the instrument was sensitive to detect changes in their evaluations. Conclusion: The psychometric testing of the DigiFCC-P provided initial support for the convergent validity and reliability of the instrument. The instrument was also sensitive in detecting changes in the evaluations of FCC over time. However, there is a need for further development of the content validity of the instrument.

BackgroundPatients with gynecologic cancer undergoing chemotherapy experience multiple co-occurring symptoms. Understanding how symptom clusters change over time is essential to the development of interventions that target multiple co-occurring symptoms.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the relative stability of symptom clusters across a chemotherapy cycle in patients with gynecologic cancer.MethodsThis is a longitudinal, descriptive study. Eligible patients (n = 232) were English-speaking adults (≥18 years old) with gynecologic cancer. Data were collected in the week before patients' second or third cycle of chemotherapy (T1) and at 1 (T2) and 2 (T3) weeks after chemotherapy. Three dimensions of the symptom experience (occurrence, severity, and distress) were assessed using a modified version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. Symptom clusters for each dimension and time point were identified through exploratory factor analysis.ResultsA 5-factor solution was selected for each exploratory factor analysis. Hormonal, respiratory, and weight change clusters were identified across all dimensions and time points. A psychological symptom cluster was identified at T1 for occurrence and severity and at T2 and T3 for all 3 dimensions. A gastrointestinal symptom cluster was identified at T1 for occurrence and at T2 and T3 for all 3 dimensions. The hormonal, respiratory, psychological, and weight change symptom clusters exhibited common symptoms across dimensions and time points.ConclusionsHormonal, respiratory, weight change, and psychological symptom clusters are relatively stable across a cycle of chemotherapy in patients with gynecologic cancer.Implications for practiceClinicians need to assess patients for multiple co-occurring symptoms and initiate multimodal interventions.

The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology consortium aims to develop a comprehensive self-report measure to assess psychopathology dimensionally. The current research describes the initial conceptualization, development, and item selection for the thought disorder spectrum and related constructs from other spectra. The thought disorder spectrum is defined primarily by the positive and disorganized traits and symptoms of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The Thought Disorder Sub-Workgroup identified and defined 16 relevant constructs and wrote 10 to 15 items per each construct. These items were administered, along with detachment and mania items, to undergraduates and people with serious mental illness. Three hundred and sixty-five items across 25 scales were administered. An exploratory factor analysis of the scale scores suggested a two-factor structure corresponding to positive and negative symptoms for two samples. The mania scales loaded with the positive factor, while the detachment scales loaded with the negative factor. Item-level analyses resulted in 19 preliminary scales, including 215 items that cover the range of thought disorder pathology, and will be carried forward for the next phase of data collection/analysis.

The dimensions and effects of the construct “child routine” have been broadly investigated in the field of social psychology. Three studies were conducted to adapt this construct to the field of human–animal relationships and to measure dog routine. The procedure included the initial item generation and item reduction process. Study 1 was conducted to examine the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of the scale. A total of 245 dog owners from Bogotá (Colombia) participated in this study. The results revealed four dimensions to measure the construct: (1) daily activities, (2) exercise, (3) discipline, and (4) family time. The reliability and validity of the scale were accepted. Study 2 was conducted to test the reliability of the scale in another country and in a different language (German). This study included an analysis of the nomological validity of the scale by examining the association between dog routine and canine behavioral problems. A total of 154 dog owners from Ingolstadt (Germany) participated in this study. The results supported the reliability and validity of the scale. Additionally, the results showed that a consistent routine is associated with reduced behavioral problems. Study 3 was performed to validate the scale in a third language (English) and to examine the associations between dog routine and behavioral problems, owner satisfaction, and intention to abandon the dog. A total of 182 English-speaking dog owners from Ingolstadt (Germany) participated in this study. The results showed that a consistent routine is associated with reduced behavioral problems, which is associated with higher owner satisfaction and reduced intention to abandon the animal. The implications of these results in the field of human–animal relationships and thoughts on future research are presented.

This paper reports on a specific cognitive behavior often found when trying to understand a text not written in readers’ native language. Our research group conducted a questionnaire survey to examine Japanese readers’ cognitive behavior and awareness when reading English texts. We also conducted a factor analysis on this questionnaire to identify the behaviors often found when reading English. Participants were 56 Japanese students studying engineering at Chuo University. After reading the texts, a questionnaire consisting of 43 items was applied to the participants. We used exploratory factor analysis to identify the primary factors related to readers’ cognitive behavior and awareness when reading a non-native language. As a result of the analysis, mainly based on the highest contributing factors, it was suggested that readers may have made substitutions into Japanese, their own words, when reading the English texts. In other words, when reading a non-native language, the reader may read the texts by replacing them with their native language rather than comprehending it in that language. Based on the results of our experiment, it is expected that the research on the cognitive supporting systems may help readers to understand non-native languages quickly and smoothly.

For decades, globalization has introduced both opportunities and pressures for companies around the world by introducing freer trade, increasing foreign direct investment and the international use of intellectual property that boosted the diffusion of knowledge and technology. As a result, the international competition has become more intense for many firms. Hence, putting a good or service into the market has never been as demanding as now and the demand to be early mover and have a low time-to-market is increasingly important for first be successful. This research will focus on determining whether a low time-to-market will contribute to a higher firm performance and what relation the time to market has with a firm’s business model framework and business model openness, preference for external funding and type of innovation. A theoretical framework was created based on relevant literature to be able to reach the objective of this thesis. The conceptual model was created from the literature which consisted of the hypotheses and variables that the study aimed to investigate. From the theoretical framework using a confirmatory approach, a survey was designed that was shared online to available network that the authors had. In summary, 43% of respondents had some sort of managing positions (upper management, manager and project management), 83% were mainly based in Sweden but also in Denmark, Germany, USA etc. and the work experience of the respondents was fairly distributed. Overall, 50% of the firms were between 0 to 30 years (1% did not respond) and more than 50% were considered to be a large firm depending if the classification was based on turnover with 51% as large firms (17% did not respond) or based on the number of employees with 58% as large firms. Data with 200 applicable responses (eight were removed i.e., 3.8%) was collected over four weeks of time. With the use of structural equation modeling and exploratory factor analysis, the collected data could be an

Environmental benefits have become priority objectives for the management of forests, including for private forest owners in many countries. Understanding and promoting environmental-friendly private forest management requires a measure of environmental concern of forest owners and knowledge of factors that influence it. Such a measure allows to explore underlying motivations of forest owners to include environmental aspects in their forest management. This in turn helps in developing and implementing effective pro-environmental forestry policies. In this paper, we assess environmental concern in forest management of 226 non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners in Sweden. In particular, we sought to achieve a two-fold objective: a) to quantitatively explore the content and dimensionality of the environmental concern construct of forestry owners and b) to identify the association between environmental concern of forest owners and their personal values and personality traits. A principal factor analysis resulted in a two-dimensional environmental concern construct encompassing: environmental strategy and environmental orientation. Hierarchical seemingly unrelated regressions (SUREG) showed that personal values and personality traits help to explain environmental concern in forest management of NIPF owners. A better understanding of environmental concern of forest owners and its relation with individuals' attributes will help in better designing, framing and targeting of tailor-made interventions to promote environmental considerations in forest management.

For decades, globalization has introduced both opportunities and pressures for companies around the world by introducing freer trade, increasing foreign direct investment and the international use of intellectual property that boosted the diffusion of knowledge and technology. As a result, the international competition has become more intense for many firms. Hence, putting a good or service into the market has never been as demanding as now and the demand to be early mover and have a low time-to-market is increasingly important for first be successful. This research will focus on determining whether a low time-to-market will contribute to a higher firm performance and what relation the time to market has with a firm’s business model framework and business model openness, preference for external funding and type of innovation. A theoretical framework was created based on relevant literature to be able to reach the objective of this thesis. The conceptual model was created from the literature which consisted of the hypotheses and variables that the study aimed to investigate. From the theoretical framework using a confirmatory approach, a survey was designed that was shared online to available network that the authors had. In summary, 43% of respondents had some sort of managing positions (upper management, manager and project management), 83% were mainly based in Sweden but also in Denmark, Germany, USA etc. and the work experience of the respondents was fairly distributed. Overall, 50% of the firms were between 0 to 30 years (1% did not respond) and more than 50% were considered to be a large firm depending if the classification was based on turnover with 51% as large firms (17% did not respond) or based on the number of employees with 58% as large firms. Data with 200 applicable responses (eight were removed i.e., 3.8%) was collected over four weeks of time. With the use of structural equation modeling and exploratory factor analysis, the collected data could be an

For decades, globalization has introduced both opportunities and pressures for companies around the world by introducing freer trade, increasing foreign direct investment and the international use of intellectual property that boosted the diffusion of knowledge and technology. As a result, the international competition has become more intense for many firms. Hence, putting a good or service into the market has never been as demanding as now and the demand to be early mover and have a low time-to-market is increasingly important for first be successful. This research will focus on determining whether a low time-to-market will contribute to a higher firm performance and what relation the time to market has with a firm’s business model framework and business model openness, preference for external funding and type of innovation. A theoretical framework was created based on relevant literature to be able to reach the objective of this thesis. The conceptual model was created from the literature which consisted of the hypotheses and variables that the study aimed to investigate. From the theoretical framework using a confirmatory approach, a survey was designed that was shared online to available network that the authors had. In summary, 43% of respondents had some sort of managing positions (upper management, manager and project management), 83% were mainly based in Sweden but also in Denmark, Germany, USA etc. and the work experience of the respondents was fairly distributed. Overall, 50% of the firms were between 0 to 30 years (1% did not respond) and more than 50% were considered to be a large firm depending if the classification was based on turnover with 51% as large firms (17% did not respond) or based on the number of employees with 58% as large firms. Data with 200 applicable responses (eight were removed i.e., 3.8%) was collected over four weeks of time. With the use of structural equation modeling and exploratory factor analysis, the collected data could be an

For decades, globalization has introduced both opportunities and pressures for companies around the world by introducing freer trade, increasing foreign direct investment and the international use of intellectual property that boosted the diffusion of knowledge and technology. As a result, the international competition has become more intense for many firms. Hence, putting a good or service into the market has never been as demanding as now and the demand to be early mover and have a low time-to-market is increasingly important for first be successful. This research will focus on determining whether a low time-to-market will contribute to a higher firm performance and what relation the time to market has with a firm’s business model framework and business model openness, preference for external funding and type of innovation. A theoretical framework was created based on relevant literature to be able to reach the objective of this thesis. The conceptual model was created from the literature which consisted of the hypotheses and variables that the study aimed to investigate. From the theoretical framework using a confirmatory approach, a survey was designed that was shared online to available network that the authors had. In summary, 43% of respondents had some sort of managing positions (upper management, manager and project management), 83% were mainly based in Sweden but also in Denmark, Germany, USA etc. and the work experience of the respondents was fairly distributed. Overall, 50% of the firms were between 0 to 30 years (1% did not respond) and more than 50% were considered to be a large firm depending if the classification was based on turnover with 51% as large firms (17% did not respond) or based on the number of employees with 58% as large firms. Data with 200 applicable responses (eight were removed i.e., 3.8%) was collected over four weeks of time. With the use of structural equation modeling and exploratory factor analysis, the collected data could be an

For decades, globalization has introduced both opportunities and pressures for companies around the world by introducing freer trade, increasing foreign direct investment and the international use of intellectual property that boosted the diffusion of knowledge and technology. As a result, the international competition has become more intense for many firms. Hence, putting a good or service into the market has never been as demanding as now and the demand to be early mover and have a low time-to-market is increasingly important for first be successful. This research will focus on determining whether a low time-to-market will contribute to a higher firm performance and what relation the time to market has with a firm’s business model framework and business model openness, preference for external funding and type of innovation. A theoretical framework was created based on relevant literature to be able to reach the objective of this thesis. The conceptual model was created from the literature which consisted of the hypotheses and variables that the study aimed to investigate. From the theoretical framework using a confirmatory approach, a survey was designed that was shared online to available network that the authors had. In summary, 43% of respondents had some sort of managing positions (upper management, manager and project management), 83% were mainly based in Sweden but also in Denmark, Germany, USA etc. and the work experience of the respondents was fairly distributed. Overall, 50% of the firms were between 0 to 30 years (1% did not respond) and more than 50% were considered to be a large firm depending if the classification was based on turnover with 51% as large firms (17% did not respond) or based on the number of employees with 58% as large firms. Data with 200 applicable responses (eight were removed i.e., 3.8%) was collected over four weeks of time. With the use of structural equation modeling and exploratory factor analysis, the collected data could be an

Exploratory graph analysis (EGA) is a commonly applied technique intended to help social scientists discover latent variables. Yet, the results can be influenced by the methodological decisions the researcher makes along the way. In this article, we focus on the choice regarding the number of factors to retain: We compare the performance of the recently developed EGA with various traditional factor retention criteria. We use both continuous and binary data, as evidence regarding the accuracy of such criteria in the latter case is scarce. Simulation results, based on scenarios resulting from varying sample size, communalities from major factors, interfactor correlations, skewness, and correlation measure, show that EGA outperforms the traditional factor retention criteria considered in most cases in terms of bias and accuracy. In addition, we show that factor retention decisions for binary data are preferably made using Pearson, instead of tetrachoric, correlations, which is contradictory to popular belief.

Over the past decades, car ownership in the Netherlands has been on an increase. Besides being an environmental burden, passenger cars also require a lot of space. Mitigating the impact of passenger cars on climate change and public space requires a shift to a more sustainable view of transport, in which neighborhood mobility hubs might play a role. As a relatively new concept, mobility hubs are starting to gain attention in academia and practice. The first findings, however, showed that the adoption rate of mobility hubs might be low and no good image of the user can be formed yet. This research therefore aims to identify which user groups are likely to adopt mobility offered by neighborhood mobility hubs in the Netherlands. To do this, a conceptual model is based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) and subsequently, a survey was distributed in the Netherlands (N=298). After analyzing the data using an Exploratory Factor Analysis, a Latent Class Cluster Analysis was executed in order to find groups in the sample population with similar preferences and socio-economic profiles. By means of the latter, four distinctive groups of travelers are uncovered. Two clusters have intentions to use neighborhood mobility hubs: hub huggers (45%) and hub-ready impacting travelers (25%). The other two clusters, anti-new mobility individuals (22%) and traditional car owners (8%) are not yet ready to use neighborhood mobility hubs. There are some determinants that are likely to play a role in future mobility hub usage: people with prior experience with shared transport and households who do not own a car are more likely to use neighborhood mobility hubs in the future. People who currently use a sustainable travel mode (train or (e-)bike) to reach their work and/or study are more likely to be the adapters of neighborhood mobility hubs. This also holds for people who have a social and environmental responsibility, innovative mindset and clearly see the, Transport, Infrastructure and Logistics

Nowadays, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses are two important consecutive steps in an overall analysis process. The overall analysis should start with an exploratory factor analysis that explores the data and establishes a hypothesis for the factor model in the population. Then, the analysis process should be continued with a confirmatory factor analysis to assess whether the hypothesis proposed in the exploratory step is plausible in the population. To carry out the analysis, researchers usually collect a single sample, and then split it into two halves. As no specific splitting methods have been proposed to date in the context of factor analysis, researchers use a random split approach. In this paper we propose a method to split samples into equivalent subsamples similar to one that has already been proposed in the context of multivariate regression analysis. The method was tested in simulation studies and in real datasets.

In the classical exploratory factor analysis (EFA) model, residuals are constrained to be uncorrelated. However, since the 1960s, extensions of the classical model that allow correlated residuals to be modeled exist. Furthermore, in many EFA applications (especially those intended for item analysis) it is highly relevant to decide whether an extended solution is more appropriate than the simpler classical solution. This decision, in turn, requires effective and powerful methods for detecting correlated residuals (doublets) when they are really present to be available. This paper discusses two existing detection approaches in the EFA context, and proposes a third, new procedure. Reference values, based on the concept of parallel analysis, are proposed for deciding the relevance of the flagged doublets in all the considered procedures. The functioning of the three procedures is assessed by using simulation, and illustrated with an illustrative example. The proposal, finally, has been implemented in a well-known noncommercial EFA program, and an implementation in R is being developed.

The purpose of this study was to present a method of sports facility management by structuralizing the sports behavior of sports facility users and examining whether their behavior changes depending on their at-tributes. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 1156 sports facility users, and 396 people who answered all questionnaire items appropriately were included in the analysis.The findings of this study can be summarized as follows:(1) A factor analysis of the sports behavior of sports facility users derived five factors: “trendiness,” “satisfaction with community life,” “spectator sports,” “individualization,” and “continuation of exercise and sports.”(2) “Continuation of exercise and sports” had the highest factor score, followed by “satisfaction with community life,” while “trendiness” had the lowest factor score.(3) Comparisons of the factors and gender revealed that men had significantly higher values in “spectator sports” and “individualization” than women.(4) Comparisons of the factors with age revealed that subjects in their “30s or younger” had significantly higher values in “individualization” than those in their “40s or older.”(5) In terms of the purpose of using sports facilities, the highest values were found in the following order: “phys-ical fitness and health,” “overcoming physical inactivity,” “enjoyment and distraction,” “beauty and over-coming obesity,” “interaction with family,” “improvement of personal records and abilities,” “interaction with friends and peers,” and “spiritual cultivation.”, 本研究はスポーツ施設利用者のスポーツ行動の構造化を試みた。さらに，スポーツ行動は属性によって変化が生じるのか検証するため属性比較を実施しスポーツ施設マネジメント手法の一助を目指すことを目的とした。調査対象者は，スポーツ施設利用者1156名を対象に質問紙調査を実施し，質問紙に誤答や無回答が無かった396名を分析対象とした。分析の結果，本研究で明らかとなったことは以下に集約される。（1）スポーツ施設利用者のスポーツ行動について因子分析した結果，「流行志向」「地域生活満足」「みるスポーツ」「個性化」「運動・スポーツ継続」の5因子が抽出された。（2）因子得点で最も高い値を示したのは，「運動・スポーツ継続」であり，次いで「地域生活満足」であった。最も低い値を示したのは「流行志向」であった。（3）因子と性別を比較した結果，「男性」が「女性」より「みるスポーツ」「個性化」の因子において有意に高い値を示した。（4）因子と年代を比較した結果，「30代以下」が「40代以上」より「個性化」の因子において有意に高い値を示した。（5）スポーツ施設を利用する目的は，「体力・健康づくり」「運動不足の解消」「楽しみ・気晴らし」「美容や肥満の解消」「家族とのふれあい」「自己の記録や能力の向上」「友人・仲間との交流」「精神修養」の順に高い値を示した。