Romantic Duration, Relationship Quality, and Attachment Insecurity among Dating Couples.

For many young adults today dating is not taken as a path to marriage, but as a relationship to be considered on its own terms with a beginning, middle, and end. Yet, research has not kept pace as most studies that look at relationships over time focus on marriages. In the present study, we look at individual differences and normative patterns of dating relationship quality over time. We tested a path model of associations between relationship duration, attachment insecurity, and four relationship quality domains (sexual frequency, commitment, satisfaction, and companionship) among a large sample of dating young adults (N = 1345). Based on a conceptual model of romantic relationship development, results supported expectations that dating trajectories are curvilinear, with unique patterns of accent, peak, and decent for each relationship domain. Dating duration also moderated the relationship between dating quality and attachment insecurity with anxious attachment becoming a more salient predictor of lower satisfaction and lower commitment in long-term versus short-term relationships. A quadratic interaction with sexual frequency indicated that insecurity predicted less sexual activity in new relationships, more activity among relationships between two and four years, but then less again in longer-term relationships. Findings suggest patterns of stability and change in dating relationships during emerging adulthood that complement those observed from the marriage literature.

Conducting Psychoeducational Assessments During the COVID-19 Crisis: the Danger of Good Intentions.

Decision-makers in school psychology are presently engaged in the process of determining how to, if possible, move forward with conducting mandated psychoeducational evaluations of students in schools during the pandemic. Whereas prominent organizations within the profession (e.g., American Psychological Association, National Association of School Psychologists) have issued guidance and encouraged practitioners to delay testing, it is not clear whether that is a viable option in every jurisdiction. Accordingly, professionals are now considering the potential use of telehealth platforms to conduct assessments, in some form, as we move forward and deal with this crisis. The goal of this brief commentary is to raise some provisional limitations associated with the use of telehealth to conduct psychological assessments that we believe will have to be considered as use of these platforms is debated. Recommendations for professional practice are also provided.

Burnout and Substance Use in Collegiate Athletic Trainers.

CONTEXT: The Smith Cognitive-Affective Model of Athletic Burnout suggests that athletic trainers (ATs) suffering from burnout may engage in substance use as a coping behavior. Increases in self-reported burnout symptoms are often associated with increases in heavy episodic drinking and tobacco use among various health care providers. However, this relationship has not been examined thoroughly. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of substance use in ATs and identify relationships between symptoms of burnout and substance use among ATs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Web-based survey. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: A total of 783 certified ATs working full time in the collegiate or university setting were sampled for this study. Graduate assistant and other part-time ATs were excluded. The survey was distributed via the National Athletic Trainers' Association membership directory e-mail broadcast service. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): A 100-item online questionnaire consisting of items from previously used scales was used for this study. The survey included the Maslach Burnout Inventory and questions on substance use from the Monitoring the Future study. Multiple regression analyses were performed to analyze the survey data. All independent (Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales) and dependent (use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana) variables were mapped to the Smith Cognitive-Affective Model of Athletic Burnout to determine which dimensions of burnout altered the odds of self-reported substance use. RESULTS: Almost half (46.3%) of participants admitted to at least 1 binge-drinking episode. However, the use of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, marijuana, and energy drinks during the previous month was less pronounced in the sample. Emotional exhaustion (B = 0.008, P = .023) and personal accomplishment (B = -0.016, P = .02) were significantly correlated with binge drinking. Emotional exhaustion (Exp[B] = 1.017, P < .001) was also significantly positively correlated with energy-drink consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Some ATs engaged in heavy episodic drinking. Emotional exhaustion and a decreased sense of personal accomplishment were significantly correlated with this behavior.

A national survey of school psychologists' practices in identifying specific learning disabilities.

This study examined the identification frameworks, specific models, and assessment practices used by school psychologists to identify students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in public schools in the United States. We surveyed school psychologist practitioners using an online survey, conducted a review of state regulations addressing SLD, and evaluated the effects of state-level policies and school psychologists' characteristics on identification practices. Responses from more than 1,300 school psychologists revealed that multiple SLD identification frameworks are utilized and that state regulations generally have stronger effects on identification practices than do characteristics such as school psychologists' age, highest degree obtained, and years of experience. Frameworks with well-known psychometric limitations, such as those employing intelligence-achievement discrepancy formulas, remain commonly employed. We encourage more and better scientific research into both the conceptual and psychometric outcomes associated with SLD identification frameworks and urge application of evidence-based practices in the assessment and treatment of academic deficits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Test use and assessment practices of school psychologists in the United States: Findings from the 2017 National Survey.

Although several studies have examined the specific instruments and procedures used by school psychologists when conducting comprehensive psychoeducational evaluations, the last one was published over 20 years ago (viz., Wilson & Reschly, 1996). Given the substantial theoretical and practical advances in assessment since then, the purpose of the current study was to examine the test use and assessment practices of contemporary school psychologists in the United States. Data from the 2017 National Survey of Assessment Practices in School Psychology revealed that test use and assessment practices have evolved significantly. Much of this change consists of the substitution of tests and practices with limited reliability and validity with those with greater psychometric support. Results of this study also indicate that school psychologists regularly conduct multi-method assessments to prevent, identify, monitor, and remediate child and adolescent learning difficulties and other presenting problems in the schools.

Challenges for Behavioral Assessment in Brazilian Schools / Desafios para avaliação comportamental nas escolas brasileiras

In this article we begin by providing an overview of the need to increase the frequency with which behavioral assessment is used in Brazilian schools. We then describe various methods of behavioral assessment. Next, we discuss various purposes for assessing behavior in school settings. We then discuss general challenges that impact the assessment of behavior. Finally, we conclude by discussing the importance of identifying psychological and social concerns early in childhood and call for the development of additional evidence-based assessment tools that are appropriate for use in Brazilian schools.

Neste artigo, iniciamos com uma visão geral da necessidade de aumentar a frequência com qual avaliações de comportamento são utilizadas nas escolas brasileiras. Daí, descrevemos vários métodos de avaliações de comportamento. Próximo, discutimos os vários propósitos da avaliação do comportamento no ambiente escolar. Nós discutimos os desafios gerais que influenciam a avaliação do comportamento. Finalmente, concluímos com uma discussão sobre a importância da identificação de problemas psicológicos e sociais cedo durante a infância, e realçamos a necessidade do desenvolvimento de avaliações e ferramentas adicionais baseadas em evidências, que seriam apropriadas para uso nas escolas brasileiras

Revisiting Carroll's survey of factor-analytic studies: Implications for the clinical assessment of intelligence.

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 30(8) of Psychological Assessment (see record 2018-37729-003). In the article "Revisiting Carroll's Survey of Factor-Analytic Studies: Implications for the Clinical Assessment of Intelligence," by Nicholas F. Benson, A. Alexander Beaujean, Ryan J. McGill, and Stefan C. Dombrowski (Psychological Assessment, Advance online publication, May 24, 2018, http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pas0000556), the majority of values in the ωH and ωHS columns of Table 4 were incorrect and have been amended. These revisions required text in the fourth paragraph of the Results section to be changed from "Moreover, the ωHS value for Gs is relatively high and very close to the and ωH values for g" to "Moreover, the ωHS values for Gs and Gv are relatively high, exceeding the ω and ωH values for g." All versions of this article have been corrected.] John Carroll's three-stratum theory (and the decades of research behind its development) is foundational to the contemporary practice of intellectual assessment. The present study addresses some limitations of Carroll's work: specification, reproducibility with more modern methods, and interpretive relevance. We reanalyzed select data sets from Carroll's survey of factor analytic studies using confirmatory factor analysis as well as modern indices of interpretive relevance. For the majority of data sets, we found that Carroll likely extracted too many factors representing Stratum II abilities. Moreover, almost all factors representing Stratum II abilities had little-to-no interpretive relevance above and beyond that of general intelligence. We conclude by discussing the implications of this research with respect to the interpretive relevance and clinical utility of scores reflecting cognitive abilities at all strata of the three-stratum theory and offer some directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record

A Misuse of IQ Scores: Using the Dual Discrepancy/Consistency Model for Identifying Specific Learning Disabilities.

The purpose of this article is to describe the origins of patterns of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) methods for identifying specific learning disabilities (SLD) and to provide a comprehensive review of the assumptions and evidence supporting the most commonly-used PSW method in the United States: Dual Discrepancy/Consistency (DD/C). Given their use in determining whether students have access to special education and related services, it is important that any method used to identify SLD have supporting evidence. A review of the DD/C evidence indicates it cannot currently be classified as an evidence-based method for identifying individuals with a SLD. We show that the DD/C method is unsound for three major reasons: (a) it requires test scores have properties that they fundamentally lack, (b) lack of experimental utility evidence supporting its use, and (c) evidence supporting the inability of the method to identify SLD accurately.

Examining the integrity of measurement of cognitive abilities in the prediction of achievement: Comparisons and contrasts across variables from higher-order and bifactor models.

Prior research examining cognitive ability and academic achievement relations have been based on different theoretical models, have employed both latent variables as well as observed variables, and have used a variety of analytic methods. Not surprisingly, results have been inconsistent across studies. The aims of this study were to (a) examine how relations between psychometric g, Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) broad abilities, and academic achievement differ across higher-order and bifactor models; (b) examine how well various types of observed scores corresponded with latent variables; and (c) compare two types of observed scores (i.e., refined and non-refined factor scores) as predictors of academic achievement. Results suggest that cognitive-achievement relations vary across theoretical models and that both types of factor scores tend to correspond well with the models on which they are based. However, orthogonal refined factor scores (derived from a bifactor model) have the advantage of controlling for multicollinearity arising from the measurement of psychometric g across all measures of cognitive abilities. Results indicate that the refined factor scores provide more precise representations of their targeted constructs than non-refined factor scores and maintain close correspondence with the cognitive-achievement relations observed for latent variables. Thus, we argue that orthogonal refined factor scores provide more accurate representations of the relations between CHC broad abilities and achievement outcomes than non-refined scores do. Further, the use of refined factor scores addresses calls for the application of scores based on latent variable models.