This column provides a brief synopsis and reference information for select recent journal publications. Note that this is only a short sampling of publications and is not intended as a comprehensive listing.
Development of Measures for the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): A Collaborative Scale Development Project
The HiTOP model has generated a high level of interest in the psychiatric literature, but research applications and clinical translation of the model require measures that are specifically keyed to the model. To that end, the Measures Development Workgroup of HiTOP has been engaged in a collaborative effort to develop both questionnaire and interview methods that are specifically tied to the elements of the HiTOP structure, and provide a means of testing that structure. This report describes Phase 1 of this project, summarizes the methods and results thus far, and discusses the interplay between measurement and HiTOP model revisions. Future phases of the scale development are described as well as the steps being taken to improve clinical utility of the final measures.
Simms, L. J., Wright, A. G. C., Cicero, D., Kotov, R., Mullins-Sweatt, S. N., Sellbom, M., Watson, D., Widiger, T. A., and Zimmermann, J. (2022). Development of Measures for the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP): A Collaborative Scale Development Project. Assessment, 29, 3-16. doi:10.1177/10731911211015309
Global Information for Multidimensional Tests
New measures of test information, termed global information, quantify test information relative to the entire range of the trait being assessed. This study introduces measures of multidimensional global test information and validates them in simulated data. Then, the utility of global test information is tested in neuropsychological data. These measures allow for direct comparison of complex tests calibrated in different samples, facilitating test development and selection.
Jonas, K. G. (2021). Global Information for Multidimensional Tests. Applied Psychological Measurement, 45, 494-517. doi:10.1177/01466216211042803
Qualitative analysis at the interface of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems: the Herringbone stitch model
This article describes the methodological challenges and opportunities of qualitative analysis from a position of critical Indigenous inquiry. It demonstrates a process of critical engagement with different methodologies to realize the most appropriate way to analyze data generated by Indigenous research. The article draws upon multiple knowledge systems for data analysis as a means of producing new knowledge beneficial to Indigenous communities. Linking Western and Indigenous systems of knowledge, the contradictions and congruences of a hermeneutic study are explored as they pertain to the analysis of 15 Indigenous women’s lived experience of family violence. Indigenous methodology, in combination with hermeneutic principles, defined the process of analysis at the interface. A qualitative analytic model was developed and is offered as an innovative example of Indigenous data analysis that maintains Indigenous integrity and sovereignty and facilitates benefit to Indigenous women.
Andrews, S. (2021). Qualitative analysis at the interface of Indigenous and Western knowledge systems: the Herringbone stitch model. Qualitative Research, 21, 939-956. doi:10.1177/1468794120965365
A tutorial on regression-based norming of psychological tests with GAMLSS
Standardized psychological tests are widely used. They are used for purposes as monitoring, selection and diagnosing individuals. High-quality standardized tests have normed scores, like the well-known IQ scores for intelligence tests. This tutorial introduces the reader to a method to compute normed scores that depend on individual characteristic(s), making optimal use of all background knowledge and the scores in the whole normative sample. Therefore, the method yields potentially more realistic norms, and more precise norms than traditional methods, using the same amount of data. This is an important asset, because gathering sufficient data is difficult and costly. In this tutorial, we explain the technical background of the method, called regression-based norming with the generalized additive models for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS), and explain how to apply it based on six steps. The complete R code and data set is provided as online supplemental material, so that test developers can apply the method to derive high-quality norms for their own test.
Timmerman, M. E., Voncken, L., and Albers, C. J. (2021). A tutorial on regression-based norming of psychological tests with GAMLSS. Psychological Methods, 26, 357–373. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000348
Guidelines for the Publication Corner column
Have you seen a recent publication that you think would be of great interest to Div. 5 membership? Please feel free to share suggestions for publications to include in this column. Please send your ideas to The Score Editor Gill Sitarenios. Please be sure to include full reference details and a short synopsis (two to three sentences) of the publication. Use “Publication Corner” in the subject line of the email.