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The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B) was developed with the aim of examining variations in healthy trait schizotypy, as well as latent vulnerability to psychotic-spectrum disorders. No previous study has studied the cross-cultural validity of the SPQ-B in a large cross-national sample. The main goal of the present study was to analyze the reliability and the internal structure of SPQ-B scores in a multinational sample of 28,426 participants recruited from 14 countries. The mean age was 22.63years (SD=7.08; range 16-68years), 37.7% (n=10,711) were men. The omega coefficients were high, ranging from 0.86 to 0.92 for the total sample. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that SPQ-B items were grouped either in a theoretical structure of three first-order factors (Cognitive-Perceptual, Interpersonal, and Disorganized) or in a bifactor model (three first-order factors plus a general factor of schizotypal personality). In addition, the results supported configural but not strong measurement invariance of SPQ-B scores across samples. These findings provide new information about the factor structure of schizotypal personality, and support the validity and utility of the SPQ-B, a brief and easy tool for assessing self-reported schizotypal traits, in cross-national research. Theoretical and clinical implications for diagnostic systems, psychosis models, and cross-national mental health strategies are derived from these results., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In today's world, researchers frequently utilize indirect measures of implicit (i.e., automatic, spontaneous) evaluations. The results of several studies have supported the usefulness of these measures in predicting behavior, as compared to utilizing direct measures of explicit (i.e., purposeful, deliberate) evaluations. A current, under-debate issue concerns the origin of these implicit evaluations. The present genetically sensitive multi-group study analyzed data from 223 twin pairs and 222 biological core families to estimate possible genetic and environmental sources of individual differences in implicit and explicit self-esteem and affect. The results show that implicit self-esteem and affect maintain a substantial genetic basis, but demonstrate little influence from the shared environment by siblings (e.g., shared familial socialization in childhood). A bivariate analysis found that implicit and explicit evaluations of the same construct share a common genetic core which aligns with the motivation and opportunity as determinants (MODE) model.

The Empathy (E) scale has been proposed as a theoretically and psychometrically more satisfying alternative to existing self-report measures of empathy. Its four scales (facets) cover both components (cognitive vs. emotional) and both reality statuses (fictitious vs. real-life) of empathy in pairwise combinations. Confirmatory factor analyses of the E-scale in an Austrian community sample (N = 794) suggested that one prior assumption, namely the mutual orthogonality of these facets, may partly need revision; particularly, the E-scale facets seemed to reflect more strongly differences in the reality statuses than in the components of empathy. Utilizing numerous informative psychological traits, the scale's convergent and discriminant validity were examined. E-scale scores were consistently predicted by sex-related and relationship-related constructs and measures of antisocial attitudes and behavior. Among the Big Five personality dimensions, openness emerged as a major positive correlate of empathy. Sex and age were demographic correlates of E-scale scores (higher in women and the younger). Findings were discussed with regards to the definition and measurement of empathy.

Stöber's Social Desirability Scale (SDS-17) was examined psychometrically in 5 samples (N=2817) from Austria, Canada, and the U.S.A. Rasch and Mokken scaling analyses attested the SDS-17 is not strictly unidimensional. Age, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were notable positive correlates of SDS-17 scores. There were signs of non-normal score distributions, acquiescence bias, and sex and country differences (higher scores among Austrians than North Americans). Items with higher ratings of social desirability according to previous research were particularly prone to show sex effects. The SDS-17 appears suitable in cross-cultural settings, but may benefit from substituting its true-false response format with a rating-scale format. A formative-indicators view regarding the social desirability construct and the SDS-17 is discussed.

Psychometric properties and demographic correlates of a German form of R. W. Hubbard and J. L. McIntosh's (1992) Revised Facts on Suicide Quiz (RFOS), an inventory for assessing overall knowledge about suicide, were investigated in a sample of 1,093 Austrian medical and psychology students. Internal consistency of the RFOS was weak, as were many of the item-total correlations, indicating a fair amount of item-content heterogeneity. Demographic variables (sex, age, field of study, and study level) were significant predictors of RFOS scores and item responses. On the whole, women, advanced, older, and medical students outperformed men, junior, younger, and psychology students. Various directions for further inquiry are discussed

The Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) has recently been developed as a more complete measure for the assessment of molar subjective happiness. In the present study, we report on the translation and validation of German and Tagalog versions of the SHS and conduct an initial cross-cultural examination of subjective happiness. In Study 1, 960 participants in Austria completed a German version of the SHS, which showed a unidimensional structure, good internal consistency, and good convergent validity with other measures of subjective well-being. In Study 2, 182 participants in the Philippines completed a Tagalog version of the scale, which likewise had a unidimensional structure, high internal consistency, and good convergent validity. Finally, the results of Study 3 indicate that there were significant cross-cultural differences in subjective happiness. Specifically, participants in individualist Austria and Britain had higher SHS scores than their counterparts in collectivist Malaysia and the Philippines. Limitations of these studies are discussed.

Psychometric properties and demographic correlates of a German form of R. W. Hubbard and J. L. McIntosh's (1992) Revised Facts on Suicide Quiz (RFOS), an inventory for assessing overall knowledge about suicide, were investigated in a sample of 1,093 Austrian medical and psychology students. Internal consistency of the RFOS was weak, as were many of the item-total correlations, indicating a fair amount of item-content heterogeneity. Demographic variables (sex, age, field of study, and study level) were significant predictors of RFOS scores and item responses. On the whole, women, advanced, older, and medical students outperformed men, junior, younger, and psychology students. Various directions for further inquiry are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

Although distributional inequality and concentration are important statistical concepts in many research fields (including economics, political and social science, information theory, and biology and ecology), they rarely are considered in psychological science. This practical primer familiarizes with the concepts of statistical inequality and concentration and presents an overview of more than a dozen useful, popular measures of inequality (including the Gini, Hoover, Rosenbluth, Herfindahl-Hirschman, Simpson, Shannon, generalized entropy, and Atkinson indices, and tail ratios). Additionally, an interactive web application (R Shiny) for calculating and visualizing these measures, with downloadable output, is described. This companion Shiny app provides brief introductory vignettes to this suite of measures, along with easy-to-understand user guidance. The Shiny app can readily be used as an intuitively accessible, interactive learning and demonstration environment for teaching and exploring these methods. We provide various examples for the application of measures of inequality and concentration in psychological science and discuss venues for further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological measurement and theories face a constant proliferation of allegedly new constructs and scales, leading to numerous semantic overlaps between these. Additionally, common-method variance can be responsible for construct overlap, which itself can be influenced by respondents' affectivity and mood. The construct of mindfulness may also be affected by such phenomena, as its boundaries are not yet clearly defined and because it shows noticeable conceptual overlap with other constructs, like the Big Five, emotion regulation, or mental health. This study examined semantic and sentiment similarities between widely used scales assessing mindfulness (FFMQ, FFMQ-S, KIMS, MAAS), the Big Five (NEO-PI-R, NEO-FFI, BFI), emotion regulation (ERQ, CERQ, PANRS), and mental health (SCL-90, BSI-53, BSI-18, STAI, PANAS, BDI-2, PSS, PSWQ). Construct overlap was assessed via latent semantic analysis, sentiment analysis, and a qualitative content analysis. Mindfulness scales showed high construct overlap among each other (semantic and sentiment similarity: 0.93 and 0.63) and the Big Five (0.85 and 0.64), as well as substantial construct overlap with emotion regulation (0.84 and 0.51) and mental health scales (0.74 and 0.42). These findings suggest that semantic and sentiment similarities contribute to the high correlations of mindfulness measures with these other measures observed in extant research. • Mindfulness shows conceptual overlap with other constructs. • Semantic and sentiment similarities of item content may be responsible for this. • Similarities are high with Big Five, emotion regulation, and mental health scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The initial preference task (IPT) is an implicit measure that has featured prominently in the literature and enjoys high popularity because it offers to provide an unobtrusive and objective assessment of self-esteem that is easy to administer. However, its use for self-esteem assessment may be limited because of weak associations with direct personality measures. Moreover, moderator effects of sample- and study-related variables need investigation to determine the value of IPT-based assessments of self-esteem. Methods: Conventional and grey-literature database searches, as well as screening of reference lists of obtained articles, yielded a total of 105 independent healthy adult samples (N = 17,777) originating from 60 studies. Summary effect estimates and subgroup analyses for potential effect moderators (e.g., administration order, algorithm, rating type) were calculated by means of meta-analytic random- and mixed-effects models. Moreover, we accounted for potential influences of publication year, publication status (published vs. not), and participant sex in a weighted stepwise hierarchical multiple meta-regression. We tested for dissemination bias through six methods. Results: There was no noteworthy correlation between IPT-based implicit and explicit self-esteem (r = .102), indicating conceptual independence of these two constructs. Effects were stronger when the B-algorithm was used for calculation of IPT-scores and the IPT was administered only once, whilst all other moderators did not show significant influences. Regression analyses revealed a somewhat stronger (albeit non-significant) effect for men. Moreover, there was no evidence for dissemination bias or a decline effect, although effects from published studies were numerically somewhat stronger than unpublished effects. Discussion: We show that there is no noteworthy association between IPT-based implicit and explicit self-esteem, which is broadly consistent with dual-process models of implicit and explicit evaluations on the one hand, but also casts doubt on the suitability of the IPT for the assessment of implicit self-esteem on the other hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ratio of index finger length to ring finger length (2D:4D) is considered to be a putative biomarker of prenatal androgen exposure (PAE), with previous research suggesting that 2D:4D is associated with human behaviors, especially sex-typical behaviors. This study empirically examines the relationship between 2D:4D and individual competitiveness, a behavioral trait that is found to be sexually dimorphic.We employ two related, but distinct, measures of competitiveness, namely behavioral measures obtained from economic experiments and psychometric self-reported measures. Our analyses are based on two independent data sets obtained from surveys and economic experiments with 461 visitors of a shopping mall (Study I) and 617 university students (Study II). The correlation between behavior in the economic experiment and digit ratios of both hands is not statistically significant in either study. In contrast, we find a negative and statistically significant relationship between psychometric self-reportedmeasures of competitiveness and right hand digit ratios (R2D:4D) in both studies. This relationship is especially strong for younger people. Hence, this study provides some robust empirical evidence for a negative association between R2D:4D and self-reported competitiveness. We discuss potential reasons why digit ratio may relate differently to behaviors in specific economics experiments and to self-reported general competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simpson and Gangestad's (1991) Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI) is pivotal in Schmitt's cross-national study on sociosexuality. Here I elaborate on psychometric shortcomings of the SOI that are crucial in this research context.

A number scales have been developed to measure conspiracist ideation, but little attention has been paid to the factorial validity of these scales. We reassessed the psychometric properties of four widely-used scales, namely the Belief in Conspiracy Theories Inventory (BCTI), the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire (CMQ), the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (GCBS), and the One-Item Conspiracy Measure (OICM). Eight-hundred-and-three U.S. adults completed all measures, along with measures of endorsement of 9/11 and anti-vaccination conspiracy theories. Through both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, we found that only the BCTI had acceptable factorial validity. We failed to confirm the factor structures of the CMQ and the GBCS, suggesting these measures had poor factorial validity. Indices of convergent validity were acceptable for the BCTI, but weaker for the other measures. Based on these findings, we provide suggestions for the future refinement in the measurement of conspiracist ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research from various countries consistently reported an advantage of boys over girls in general knowledge and was also suggestive of some overall trends regarding specific domains of general knowledge that were speculated to stem from biologically differentiated interests. However, results were heterogeneous and, as of yet, had not been evaluated meta-analytically. Moreover, previous research drew on overly homogeneous high-school or undergraduate samples whose representativeness appears problematic; mostly, likely moderators, such as school type, student age or parental education, were also not directly investigated or controlled for. We provide a meta-analytical aggregation of available results regarding sex differences in general knowledge and present new data, investigating the psychometric properties of the General Knowledge Test (GKT), on which previous research primarily relied, and explored sex differences in a large and heterogeneous Austrian high-school student sample (N = 1088). The aggregated sex effect in general knowledge was of medium size in previous research, but differences in specific domains were heterogeneous across countries and only modest at best. Large sex differences in our data could be explained to a large part by school-related moderators (school type, school, student age, parental education) and selection processes. Boys had a remaining advantage over girls that was only small in size and that was consistent with the magnitude of sex differences in general intelligence. Analysis of the GKT yielded no evidence of biologically differentiated interests, but of a specific interest in the humanities among girls. In conclusion, previous research likely overestimated sex differences in general knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across 177 countries around the world, the Failed State Index, a measure of state vulnerability, was reliably negatively associated with the estimates of national intelligence. Psychometric analysis of the Failed State Index, compounded of 12 social, economic, and political indicators, suggested factorial unidimensionality of this index. The observed correspondence of higher national intelligence figures to lower state vulnerability might arise through these two macro-level variables possibly being proxies of even more pervasive historical and societal background variables that affect both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about suicide postvention ( KSPV) is an important distal outcome in the evaluation of suicide prevention programs that focus on the bereaved. However, most scales are specifically tailored to the evaluation study in question and psychometric properties are often unsatisfactory. Therefore, we developed the KSPV scale. Scale properties were investigated with Rasch trees, a newly developed method in the framework of item response theory. Additionally, we provide cues for convergent validity. In summary, the scale shows satisfactory properties for assessing KSPV and could be used to evaluate suicide postvention programs more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attitudes toward suicide are often investigated by means of questionnaires, most of which are overly long or of low psychometric quality. Eskin's (2004) Attitudes Towards Suicide Scale is short and first investigations suggest good psychometric properties, but its factor structure has scarcely been explored. Hence, we examined this instrument by a data-analytic approach that combines Mokken scaling and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results revealed 6 factors, of which 1 possessed only weak measurement properties. CFAs indicated only borderline fit of models found in prior research, but adequate fit for the scale structures revealed by Mokken scaling. Psychometric properties of these scales were satisfactory. Both the instrument as well as the methodological approach presented here can be recommended for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have not fully investigated the psychometric properties of the Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS). In 2 studies, we report on the test–retest reliability and convergent validity of ratings derived from the PFRS. In Study 1, 322 female university students in Britain provided self-ratings on the PFRS and objectively measured body mass index (BMI); a subsample of 132 women also completed the task after 5 weeks. In Study 2, 243 women from the community in Austria completed the PFRS along with a battery of other body image scales. Results of Study 1 showed that ratings on the PFRS had good test–retest reliability (all rs > .87) and good convergent validity in relation to BMI. Results of Study 2 showed that PFRS-derived body dissatisfaction scores were significantly correlated with a range of body image variables. These results provide evidence for the convergent validity and good test–retest reliability of the PFRS. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Preliminary evidence suggests that within-sex individual variation in the length ratio of the index finger to the ring finger (2D:4D), a putative marker of prenatal androgen levels, may be more strongly or consistently related to implicit measures (Implicit Association Test, IAT) than to corresponding explicit (self-report) measures of candidate personality traits. The underlying logic is that the non-introspective TAT may reflect earlier and inaccessible experiences, whereas introspective self-reports reflect more recent and necessarily accessible experiences. Associations of 2D:4D and absolute finger length (a marker of pubertal-adolescent androgen levels) with implicit versus explicit aggression measures (TAT vs. Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and a feeling thermometer) were examined in two samples with identical procedures (Ns= 244 and 233). Attesting to procedural validity and data typicality, several experiments of related research were replicated in both samples, including sex differences in 2D:4D and theory compliant interrelations among psychometric measures. However, no theory compliant, reliable, or replicable associations of 2D:4D or finger length with implicit or explicit aggression measures resulted. These nil findings cast doubt on hypothesized advantages of implicitly (over explicitly) measured target traits for 2D:4D research. More generally, they add to a growing number of replication failures in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonpaternity (i.e., discrepant biological versus social fatherhood) affects many issues of interests to psychologists, including familial dynamics, interpersonal relationships, sexuality, and fertility, and therefore represents an important topic for psychological research. The advent of modern contraceptive methods, particularly the market launch of the birth-control pill in the early 1960s and its increased use ever since, should have affected rates of nonpaternity (i.e., discrepant genetic and social fatherhood). This cross-temporal mets-analysis investigated whether there has been a recent decline in nonpaternity rates in the western industrialized nations. The eligible database comprised 32 published samples unbiased towards nonpaternity for which nonoverlapping data from more than 24,000 subjects from nine (mostly Anglo-Saxon heritage) countries with primarily Caucasian populations are reported. Publication years ranged from 1932 to 1999, and estimated years of the reported nonpaternity events (i.e., the temporal occurrence of nonpaternity) ranged from 1895 to 1993. In support of the hypothesis, weighted meta-regression models showed a significant decrease (r=-.4 1) of log-transformed nonpaternity rates with publication years and also a decrease, albeit not significant (r=-.17), with estimated years of nonpaternity events. These results transform into an estimated absolute decline in untransformed nonpaternity rates of 0.83% and 0.91% per decade, respectively. Across studies, the mean (and median) nonpaternity rate was 3.1% (2.1%). This estimate is consistent with estimates of 2 to 3% from recent reviews on the topic that were based on fewer primary studies. This estimate also rebuts the beliefs and hearsay data widespread among both the public and researchers which contend nonpaternity rates in modern populations might be as high as about 10%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic contributions to suicide are increasingly recognized. This study further validated the novel 22-item Beliefs in the Inheritance of Risk Factors for Suicide Scale (BIRFSS), which assesses individuals' beliefs about the genetics of suicide. Data from 155 mainly Austrian psychology undergraduates (42 men, 113 women) indicated adequate internal scale consistency and 2-mo. test-retest reliability. Scores were temporally stable and factor analysis of items yielded a dominant first factor. Scores were positively related to general beliefs about genetic determinism and to positive attitudes towards psychiatric genetic research (convergent validity), but unrelated to lay theories of suicide, locus of control, self-reported religiosity and political orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs, and social dominance orientation (discriminant validity). Effects of sex, age, and nationality (Austrian vs other) on scores were negligible. Item Statistics corresponded strongly to those obtained from administering the item sequence in reverse order. Item Statistics were strongly correlated with those observed in two previous validation studies, suggesting cross-sample robustness of the item-performance indicators of this measure. The scale shows potential for basic research and curriculum evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using two new scales, this study examined beliefs in genetic determinism and attitudes towards psychiatric genetic research in student samples from Austria, Malaysia, Romania, and the United Kingdom. For both constructs, effects of culture were detectable, whereas those related to key demographics were either small and inconsistent across samples (political orientation and religiosity) or zero (Sex and age). Judged from factorial dimensionality and internal consistency, the psychometric properties of both scales were satisfactory. Belief in genetic determinism had lower prevalence and corresponded only modestly to positive attitudes towards psychiatric genetic research which had higher prevalence. The correlations of both constructs with a preference of inequality among social groups (social dominance orientation) were modest and inconsistent across samples. Both scales appear appropriate for cross-cultural applications, in particular for research into lay theories and public perceptions regarding genetic vs environmental effects on human behavior, mental disorders, and behavioral and psychiatric genetic research related to these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychometric properties and correlates of the German form of Lester and Bean's 1992 Attribution of Causes to Suicide Scale, of 18 items tapping into lay theories of suicide (intrapsychic problems, interpersonal conflicts, and societal forces as causes), were investigated in a sample of the general population in Austria (n= 156). The three attributional dimensions presented moderate internal consistencies and the 18 items appeared to be factorially orderly, as indicated by exploratory factor analysis. Previous results were replicated, with positive interrelations among all three dimensions, but these were largely confined to men. Societal causes of suicide were significantly less frequently endorsed than intrapsychic or interpersonal causes. Respondents' sex, intelligence, and knowledge about suicide were unrelated, and scores on the Big Five personality factors and social desirability were largely unrelated to the three dimensions. Endorsing intrapsychic causes to suicide was correlated with advanced age, religiosity, and conservative political orientation, and the three dimensions entertained meaningful associations with locus of control (internality, social externality, and fatalistic externality). All observed demographic and attitudinal correlates were, however, of modest magnitude. Implications of the findings and directions for further inquiry are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral preferences are important for the study of cerebral lateralization and may be indicative of neurobehavioral disorders, neurodevelopmental instability, and deficits in lateralization. Previous studies showed that self-reported preferences are also concordantly interrelated, suggesting a common genetic or biological origin, sidedness. However, with regard to the assessment and classification of lateral preferences, there is a dearth of psychometric studies, but a need for psychometrically validated instruments that can be reliably used in applied research. Based on three independent large samples (total N >15,100), this study investigated the psychometric properties of widely-used lateral preference scales of handedness, footedness, eyedness, and earedness. Preferences were consistently and replicably categorical, consisting of right, mixed, and left preferences each, underlining that primarily qualitative, rather than quantitative, differences differentiate lateral preferences. Right-, mixed-, and left-sidedness underlay the individual preferences, but sidedness alone could not fully explain the observed inter-relations. Footedness was the single most important indicator of sidedness. Our data were further consistent with predictions of right shift theory and corroborated a ‘pull-to-concordance’ in hand–foot preferences. We recommend the use of psychometrically validated scales and of a trichotomous classification of lateral preferences in future research, but conclude that handedness may be a biased indicator of underlying sidedness. Footedness needs to be examined more closely with regard to cerebral lateralization, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neurodevelopmental instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]