{"title":"Methodological rigour and coherence in the construction of instruments: The emotional social screening tool for school readiness","authors":"E. Munnik, Mario R. Smith","doi":"10.4102/AJOPA.V1I0.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/AJOPA.V1I0.2","url":null,"abstract":"The need for a contextually relevant and empirically grounded measure of emotional social competence in Grade R children was identified in the literature. The aim of this study was to develop a contextually relevant instrument for emotional social competence in preschool children. The study adopted a four-phase approach with each phase using distinct methodological approaches. This article reports on the use of multiple research methods to achieve methodological rigour and coherence in the construction. Phase 1 used systematic review methodology to establish a theoretical foundation for the instrument. The results identified two domains and nine subdomains that formed the theoretical model for the instrument. In phase 2 stakeholder perceptions of emotional and social competence were identified through concept mapping to increase contextual relevance and sensitivity. The results highlighted that early stimulation and contextual factors impacted school readiness and needed to be included. The construction of the instrument incorporated the findings from the first two stages. The draft instrument was presented to a panel of experts, using the Delphi technique, for validation of content and scalar decisions in phase 3. The results supported the proposed format and content of the screening tool. The resulting instrument was piloted in phase 4 with survey research. Good internal consistency was reported and the factor structure supported. The multiphase methodology provided an overarching framework with methodological rigour and coherence. The grounding in the literature, stakeholder consultation and rigorous validation processes enhanced the resultant instrument. The articulation of one phase into the next ensured methodological coherence.","PeriodicalId":34043,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Psychological Assessment","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79772773","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}
{"title":"Measuring cognitive emotion regulation in South Africa using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-short form","authors":"Itai Propheta, C. V. Zyl","doi":"10.4102/AJOPA.V1I0.9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/AJOPA.V1I0.9","url":null,"abstract":"Cognitive emotion regulation plays an important role in how people manage stressful life events. Some strategies are adaptive, while others are maladaptive and linked to several forms of psychopathology. The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ)-short form measures an individual’s proclivity to use different strategies in response to longer term stressors. The CERQ-short was developed in the Netherlands, and although it has been standardised in several countries, it is yet to be validated for use in South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CERQ-short within the South African context. The study was conducted at a large urban university in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The above was considered on the basis of a reliability analysis and an investigation into the confirmatory factor structure of the CERQ-short using data from a group of urban South African university students ( n = 1904). With some exceptions, results indicated acceptable reliability for the scales ranging between 0.58 and 0.82. Confirmatory factor analysis found reasonable support for a basic nine-factor model. The measurement properties of the CERQ-short were found to be weaker in South Africa compared to that reported in its country of origin. But it was nonetheless found to hold promise for use in our multicultural and multilingual context. In particular, it may be useful for research studies where brevity is called for.","PeriodicalId":34043,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Psychological Assessment","volume":"95 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73836145","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}
{"title":"The five-factor model and individualism and collectivism in South Africa: Implications for personality assessment","authors":"S. Laher, S. Dockrat","doi":"10.4102/AJOPA.V1I0.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4102/AJOPA.V1I0.4","url":null,"abstract":"The five-factor model (FFM) of personality is one of the prominent models in contemporary psychology and defines personality in terms of five broad factors, namely Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. Recent research, however, questions the applicability of the FFM in non-Western cultures, suggesting that it is not exhaustive enough and that it does not account for some other personality factors, most notably Individualism and Collectivism. Yet, it remains the gold standard against which all personality instruments are compared. This study investigated whether the FFM of personality is related to Individualism and/or Collectivism in a sample of 272 South Africans from the general Johannesburg area. Individuals completed a questionnaire consisting of a demographic section, the Horizontal–Vertical Individualism/Collectivism scale and the NEO-PI-3. Exploratory factor analysis was used to analyse the data. The results indicated support for an Individualism–Collectivism dimension. These results are discussed within the context of the universal applicability of the FFM.","PeriodicalId":34043,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Psychological Assessment","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77007041","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}