Assessment, Statistics, and Research

Woman with Bowed Head AI image  Assessment name: Conditional-Unconditional Divine Forgiveness Scale (CUDFS) Scale overview: The author created two three-item measures of conditional and unconditional aspects of divine forgiveness considering items used on previous measures of conditionality in interpersonal forgiveness. Author : Frank D. Fincham Scale items:  There are six items. Three items measure Conditional and three measure Unconditional Divine Forgiveness. Psychometric properties Fincham (2024) reported the results of three studies. A two-factor solution reflecting the two dimensions of conditional (CF) and unconditional (UF) divine forgiveness were supported by factor analyses. In study one, alpha CF = .82 and UF =.73. Tables include means and standard deviations. Tables provide evidence supporting convergent and divergent validity. For example, a measure of Divine Forgiveness was positively correlated with both CF and UF in study one. And neither subscale was signifi...

AI image of a person taking a Polygraph test   Researchers have long investigated the validity and reliability of polygraph tests as tools for detecting deception. These tests work by measuring physiological indicators—such as blood pressure, respiration, and skin conductivity—that are thought to correlate with the emotional arousal often associated with lying. However, a substantial body of research has revealed that these responses are not uniquely linked to deception; they can also be triggered by stress, anxiety, or other emotional states not related to dishonesty (National Research Council, 2003). In controlled laboratory settings, polygraph tests have sometimes demonstrated moderate levels of accuracy, suggesting that under ideal circumstances they might differentiate between truth-telling and lying to some degree better than chance. Nonetheless, when these tests are applied in real-world or forensic settings, their accuracy tends to diminish markedly. Factors such as th...