Assessment, Statistics, and Research

  Factor Analysis and Assessment In testing, factor analysis is a mathematical strategy to analyze groups of items within a large test to see how well they relate to each other. The goal will be to reduce the large number of items to a set of factors that appear to measure different but related constructs; hence, factor analysis is a method of data reduction. (Sutton, 2020) A large test of various abilities may be analyzed for ways to group different abilities. Short tests of vocabulary, verbal analogies, and synonyms might form a factor that a researcher could label as "Verbal Abilities." A factor is a group of variables that are highly correlated with each other and, although different, they appear to have something in common. Researchers choose names for groups of variables based on the content of the variables in the factor. In large research projects, each participant may have scores on a large number of variables. Factor analysis can be used to identify patterns amo

  Scale name: Attitudes to Disability Scale (ADS) Scale overview: The Attitudes to Disability Scale (ADS) is a 16-item rating scale designed to measure attitudes toward disability. The ADS was translated into multiple languages.   Response Type: Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale of agreement.   Scale items = 16      Scale subscales = 4 Using factor analysis, the authors identified four factors in the 16-item Attitudes to Disability Scale: Inclusion, Discrimination, Gains, and Prospects. Inclusion People with a disability find it harder than others to make new friends Discrimination People often make fun of disabilities Gains Having a disability can make someone a stronger person Prospects People with a disability have less to look forward to than others   Reliability: The authors reported ADS  Cronbach’s alpha values of.795 and .764 in two samples. Validity: The authors examined the structure of the scale using Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

  Scale name: Attitudes Toward Abortion Scale Scale overview: The Attitudes Toward Abortion Scale is a 12-item, four-choice agreement rating scale. Authors: Michael Taylor and George Whitehead Response Type: Items are rated on a scale of agreement: strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree. Subscales = 2 with sample item Moral/Legality 1. Abortion is not acceptable under any circumstances. External Influence 10. Abortions should be partially covered by insurance companies.   Reliability: Cronbach’s alpha = .92 in the scale development sample. Validity: The scale was significantly correlated with the Hess & Rueb abortion scale and the James religiosity scale. The results of a factor analysis yielded two factors.   Availability: The scale is available online in the article at https://scholar.utc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1339&context=mps Reference for the scale Taylor, M. G. and Whitehead, G. I. (2014) "The measurement of a

  Scale name: Attitudes Toward Abortion Questionnaire Scale overview: The Attitudes Toward Abortion Questionnaire is a 4-item scale of attitudes toward abortion. Author(s) Matthew Feinberg et al. (See references below). Response Type: Items are rated on a 7-point scale of attitudes: 1 = Should definitely be illegal 4 = Unsure 7 = Should definitely be legal Sample item If the woman’s own health is seriously endangered by the pregnancy.   Reliability:   Cronbach’s alpha was . 87 in study 1 of the research article (Feinberg et al. 2014). Validity: Correlations with other scales are included in the research article. Availability: The full set of items can be found in the PsycTESTS reference.   Permission Test content may be reproduced and used for non-commercial research and educational purposes without seeking written permission. Distribution must be controlled, meaning only to the participants engaged in the research or enrolled in the educational a

  Scale name: POST ABORTION QUESTIONNAIRE PAQ Scale overview: The Post-Abortion Questionnaire (PAQ) has 4-items designed to identify the treatment preferences of college women following an abortion.   Response Type: Checklist and fill in the blank Partial example The following topics are suggested areas for post-abortion psychological support. Please indicate all areas that may be of interest to you by marking an X. ____Assist with grief and loss issues associated with abortion ____Assist with improving coping skills after abortion ____Assist with addressing guilt associated with abortion ____Assist with addressing spiritual issues associated with abortion [See the reference for the full PAQ.   Notes The authors used the PAQ in a study, which included measures of anxiety and depression, and grief. See the Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology reference for the results and discussion.   NOTICE : The information about scales and measures is provid