{"title":"Modern Psychometric Analysis of the Muscle Strengthening Activity Scale (MSAS) Using Item Response Theory","authors":"P. Hart","doi":"10.12691/rpbs-7-1-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12691/rpbs-7-1-4","url":null,"abstract":"Background: With the growing need to promote muscle strengthening activity (MSA) for improved health-related quality of life (HRQOL) comes the growing need for proper measurement of MSA behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine test and item functioning of the MSA scale (MSAS) using item response theory (IRT). Methods: The current research fit data from a sample of N = 400 respondents to two different graded response models (GRMs), a three-item muscular strength scale and a three-item muscular endurance scale. For each GRM, model-data fit was examined and IRT assumptions assessed. Results: An unconstrained GRM was found to fit the data better than the constrained model (Δ G2Strength = 10.3, p = .006, RMSEA = .043 & Δ G2Endurance = 7.0, p = .031, RMSEA = .021). GRM boundary location parameters covered the latent trait scale well for both strength (bs: -4.26 to 2.58) and endurance (bs: -3.86 to 1.79) scales with each item showing adequate fit to the data (all RMSEAs strength) and 93.5% (endurance). Only 2.3 and 1.5% of persons misfit the strength and endurance GRMs, respectively. Conclusion: The MSAS has shown to be a valid tool for measuring MSA behavior in adults using modern psychometric theory.","PeriodicalId":314729,"journal":{"name":"Research in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences","volume":"92 ","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133455552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Gibbs, S. Cooper, Victoria Robertson, Brandi M. Billingsley, C. Landry
{"title":"Predicament of Services: An Independent Survey of New Orleans Mental Healthcare System","authors":"S. Gibbs, S. Cooper, Victoria Robertson, Brandi M. Billingsley, C. Landry","doi":"10.12691/rpbs-7-1-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12691/rpbs-7-1-3","url":null,"abstract":"In the city of New Orleans, a number of social, cultural, economic, and historical factors have affected the availability and accessibility of mental health services. To assist individuals suffering from mental illness in the city of New Orleans, various agencies, programs and databases have been implemented to promote easy access to the available mental health services. This study explores the ease of accessing available mental health services through telephone contact. The telephone was used as the main source of contact in this study to emulate the experience that a potential mental health client would undergo when trying to find treatment. National, state, and local mental health provider databases were used to compose a list of mental health agencies in the New Orleans area. One hundred and twenty-seven facilities were identified as mental health treatment agencies. Each agency was contacted by phone and requested to participate in the study by completing a 15-item questionnaire regarding the availability and accessibility of mental health services. Seventy-nine percent [n= 101] of the agencies contacted by phone did not answer or had an automated voicemail service. Descriptive information regarding the availability and accessibility of mental health services, types of services, and treatment populations are reported and discussed. This research addresses the disparities between the burden of mental disorders, resources and accessibility.","PeriodicalId":314729,"journal":{"name":"Research in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences","volume":"52 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115864595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kory Floyd, Colter D. Ray, L. V. Raalte, James B. Stein, Mark A. Generous
{"title":"Interpersonal Touch Buffers Pain Sensitivity in Romantic Relationships but Heightens Sensitivity between Strangers and Friends","authors":"Kory Floyd, Colter D. Ray, L. V. Raalte, James B. Stein, Mark A. Generous","doi":"10.12691/RPBS-6-1-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.12691/RPBS-6-1-4","url":null,"abstract":"A variety of evidence suggests that interpersonal behaviors such as touch can have pain-alleviating effects on recipients. Less well understood is how touch affects sensitivity to pain in the first place, and whether its effects depend on the nature of the relationship in which it occurs. In the present experiment, 55 adults who had not been diagnosed with a pain disorder were exposed to a cold pressor pain induction with an opposite-sex stranger, platonic friend, or romantic partner who either touched their shoulders, was present in the room without touching them, or was absent during the cold pressor. The outcome variable was the self-reported level of pain induced by the stimulus at the moment when the stimulus became painful (i.e., pain sensitivity). Compared to presence or absence, touch dampened pain sensitivity for romantic partners, allowing them to tolerate more intensity before the stimulus became painful. Touch had the opposite effect for friends and strangers, heightening their sensitivity to pain.","PeriodicalId":314729,"journal":{"name":"Research in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences","volume":"99 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122561103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}