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The Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale (SCBCS) is a brief measure of compassion, created in English and translated into Brazilian Portuguese. Nonetheless, to date, no study has assessed the psychometric evidence of its Spanish translation. This study examines the evidence of validity, reliability, and factorial invariance according to the gender of a Spanish version of the SCBCS. Participants included 273 Peruvian university students (50.9% women) with an average age of 21.23 years (SD = 3.24); divided into two groups of men and women to conduct the invariance factor analysis. Other measures of mindfulness, well-being, empathy, and anxiety were applied along with the SCBCS. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated that a unifactorial model adjusted significantly to the data ([chi]2 = 12,127, df = 5, p = .033, [chi].sup.2 /df = 2.42, CFI = .998, RMSEA = .072 [CI90% .019, .125]; SRMR = .030, WRMR = .551) and presented good reliability ([alpha] = .90 [95% .88-.92]; [omega] = .91). Moreover, correlations between the SCBCS and other measures of mindfulness (r = .53, p < .05, cognitive empathy (r = 55; p < .05), affective empathy (r = .56, p < .05), well-being (r = .55, p < .05), and anxiety (r = -.46; p < .05) supported the convergent and discriminant validity. Likewise, the multiple-group CFA supported the factorial invariance according to the gender of the SCBCS. Results indicate that the SCBCS possesses evidence of validity, reliability, and invariance between men and women for measuring compassion toward others in Peruvian undergraduate students. SCBCS is expected to be used by researchers, healthcare professionals, teachers, and others as a useful measure of compassion in college students., Author(s): Tomás Caycho-Rodríguez [sup.1] , Lindsey W. Vilca [sup.2] , Thomas G. Plante [sup.3] , Carlos Carbajal-León [sup.1] , Isabel Cabrera-Orosco [sup.4] , Cirilo H. García Cadena [sup.5] , Mario [...]

Deaths from COVID-19 have exceeded 6.5 million people globally. Although many people are mourning the loss of loved ones to this deadly disease, little is known about the validity of measuring coronavirus-related anxiety with this particular group of people. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine if the coronavirus anxiety scale (CAS) measures the coronaphobia construct the same way for mourners with and without dysfunctional levels of grief. The results indicated that the four-item version of the CAS has acceptable fit indices and is partially invariant between people with dysfunctional and non-dysfunctional grief. Moreover, the CAS demonstrated adequate criterion validity and reliability with this group of bereaved adults. In conclusion, the CAS can be used to measure anxiety due to COVID-19 in people who are going through dysfunctional and non-dysfunctional grieving processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relationship maintenance has shifted from understudied to extensively researched in the past two decades due to its close association with satisfaction. This study aimed to validate the Relationship Maintenance Scale (EMP) in a sample of young adults in Lima. The sample included 899 participants aged 18–25 (Mean = 20.67, SD = 2.54); 690 females (76.80%) and 209 males (23.20%), all in relationships of at least three months (Mean = 22.05, SD = 19.95). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used to determine the EMP's structure, with Omega coefficient (ω) estimating reliability. Results indicated a four-factor structure for EMP, removing items 8, 9, 12, and 14, demonstrating good fit (SRMR =.043; CFI =.977; TLI =.971; RMSEA =.058). EMP showed acceptable reliability across factors: Companionship (ω =.78), Affectivity (ω =.83), Complementarity (ω =.77), and Shared interaction (ω =.70), with the latter being less stable. EMP correlated as expected with relationship satisfaction (r ≥.50). In conclusion, EMP is a valid and reliable instrument for future Spanish studies, with further research on psychometric properties recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University students may encounter situations where they perform poorly in a course and contemplate dropping out. This intention to drop out of a course manifests not only in thoughts or ideas but also in a cognitive self-evaluation of their performance and skills, enabling them to reflect on the possibility of dropping out. In this sense, there is a shortage of instruments that evaluate the intention to drop out of a course, so the aim was to develop and validate the Course Dropout Intention Scale (CDIS). Data from two samples (N1 = 198; N2 = 675) were used; the first was for the EFA, and the second was for the CFA, GRM, and SEM. The one-factor model was derived from the EFA and confirmed in the second sample, exhibiting appropriate goodness-of-fit indices. Similarly, the GRM obtained adequate fit indices; all items discriminated adequately, and the difficulty parameter had a monotonic increase. The SEM model of the effect of satisfaction with studies on the CDIS showed a negative and statistically significant effect. Thus, it was demonstrated that the CDIS is a robust instrument in its psychometric properties and empirical evidence with other variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to evaluate the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS) in ten Latin American countries. A total of 2,321 people who had lost a family member or other loved one due to COVID-19 participated, with a mean age of 34.22 years old (SD = 11.99). In addition to the PGS, a single item of suicidal ideation was applied. The unidimensional model of the PGS had adequate fit in most countries and good reliability estimates. There was evidence of measurement invariance by country and gender. Also, a one-point increase in the PGS was associated with an almost twofold increase in the odds of suicidal ideation. Scores greater than or equal to 4 on the PGS are proposed as a cut off to identify individuals with suicidal ideation. Strong evidence of the cross-cultural validity of the PGS is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored the predictive capacity of fear of COVID-19 on the intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and the influence in this relationship of conspiracy beliefs as a possible mediating psychological variable, in 13 Latin American countries. A total of 5779 people recruited through non-probabilistic convenience sampling participated. To collect information, we used the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Vaccine conspiracy beliefs Scale-COVID-19 and a single item of intention to vaccinate. A full a priori Structural Equation Model was used; whereas, cross-country invariance was performed from increasingly restricted structural models. The results indicated that, fear of COVID-19 positively predicts intention to vaccinate and the presence of conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines. The latter negatively predicted intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. Besides, conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 vaccines had an indirect effect on the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in the 13 countries assessed. Finally, the cross-national similarities of the mediational model among the 13 participating countries are strongly supported. The study is the first to test a cross-national mediational model across variables in a large number of Latin American countries. However, further studies with other countries in other regions of the world are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Social Anomie Brief Scale (SAS10) is a self-report measure of social anomie against new social standards implemented during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the invariance of the cross-cultural measurement of the SAS10 in a sample of 12 Latin American countries. Additionally, the difficulty and discrimination characteristics of the items were evaluated using the IRT and social anomie was compared between the participating countries. A total of 4,911 people from 12 Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela) selected by non-probabilistic snowball sampling participated. The results indicated that the original two-factor model of the SAS10 shows estimation problems and low fit indices in several countries. However, a model of two related dimensions (behavioral and affective) of nine items (SAS-9) presented adequate fit indices in all countries. This model presents adequate estimation of reliability and approximate cross-cultural measurement invariance. Peru was the country with the highest score in the behavioral dimension of social anomie; while Venezuela and Bolivia presented the highest scores in the affective dimension. Mexico was one of the countries with the lowest anomie scores. The results of the IRT would indicate that the characteristics of the SAS-9 items were appropriate. It is concluded that the SAS-9 has shown good psychometric properties when evaluated in 12 Latin American countries and can be used in future studies that compare social anomie cross-culturally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed tourists' thoughts, feelings and ways of travelling. In this regard, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Pandemic Anxiety Travel Scale (PATS) using CTT and IRT. A total of 454 participants, with a mean age of 31.4 years (SD = 15.7), completed the PATS, a sociodemographic questionnaire, a measure of perceived health risk, and the Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale. CFA models, Cronbach's alpha and the Composite Reliability Index coefficients were used to estimate reliability. In addition, Item Response Theory (IRT) methods were employed, specifically, the Graded Response Model. The results of the CFA indicated the presence of a single factor for the PATS and high reliability. The IRT results suggest that the PATS items may significantly differentiate responses based on trait level and that a person with low frequency of travel anxiety symptoms during the pandemic will tend to choose the lower response alternatives. Likewise, age, gender, health risk perception, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors significantly predict travel anxiety. In conclusion, the PATS is a brief and reliable measure that appears to be a valid measure of travel anxiety symptoms in the general Peruvian population during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]