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Introduction: The aim of this survey was to assess psychometric properties of GHQ-28 in Iranian psychiatric population and appropriating it as a screening instrument for assessing general health in this population. Method and Materials: This was a psychometric study executed on 80 psychiatric patients and 80 matched normal participants. The assessments consisted of a psychiatrist’s interview based on DSM.IV criteria, and administration of GHQ-28 and a demographic questionnaire. Data was analyzed using factor, discrimination and regression analysis methods, as well as Pearson’s correlation co-efficient, Spearman- Brown’s and Guttmann’s split tests.  Findings: Four factors were extracted from the GHQ-28, of which the first three explained the most percenttage of variance. Clinical cut-off point, sensitivity, specificity and classification error were found to be 24, 0.80, 0.99, 0.10 respectively. Criterion validity Chronbach's alpha and split reliability co-efficient were found to be 0.78, 0.97 and 0.90 respectively.  Discussion: Factor analysis revealed that the four factors which are the basics in this questionnaire have a high internal consistency. The calculated optimal clinical cut-off point for screening general health in Iranian population was 24 which ensure optimal psychometric indices. Coefficients of criterion validity, structural validity and reliability showed that GHQ-28 is one of the most valid instruments for screening general health. 

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Background and Aim: Psychological scales are increasingly used as important tools for assessment of intelligence, talents, academic achievement and personality characteristics and as a help in diagnosis of mental or personality disorders. Besides other methods of studying behaviors, these tools can be used for such purposes in schools, industrial and commercial organizations, public offices, universities and medical centers. This study aimed to assess psychometric properties of Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale(DASS-42) in a sample of high school students in Kermanshah. Method and Materials: This was a psychometric study executed on Kermanshah high school students in 2003-2004 academic year. A total number of 400 students were selected through multi-stage cluster sampling. In addition to DASS-44, other scales used in this study include: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Zung Anxiety Scale (ZAS) and Studets’ Stress Scale (SSS).Data were analysed running SPSS-10 software. Findings: The depression subscale of DASS-42 showed a high correlation (0.849) with the BDI in a 0.01 level of statistical significance. The stress subscale of DASS-42 was also found to have a 0.757 correlation co-efficient with SSS, again statistically significant at a 0.01 level. The rates of Chronbach alpha for the depression, anxiety and Stress subscales of DASS-42 were found to be 0.94, 0.85 and 0.87 respectively. The KMO rate for the present study was 0.88 which indicates a large-enough sample size for factor analysis. The Cruet-Bartlett’s test also showed a chi-square rate of 0.794 with a degree of freedom equal to 861, which was again significant at a 0.01 alpha level.  Discussion: After factor analysis, the factors which showed high specificity measures were compared with those introduced by the original authors. Hence this study identified a three factor model which can be regarded as identical with the model introduced by the original authors. 

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Aim and Background: Self-handicapping has been defined as a strategic manipulation of a situation in a way that an individual can claim that obstacles to his/her performance account for a possible failure. Research has shown that some people behave in a way to create impediments to successful achievement, especially when this is important to them. To the best knowledge of authors only one validated scale is developed for measurement of this behavior and that its psychometric properties have not been examined in Iran. As such, the aim of this study is to introduce the scale and evaluate its psychometric properties. Method and Materials: This research is a descriptive-correlational study with a cluster random sample of 650 undergraduate students from Shahid Beheshti University. Original SH scale (25 items) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Inventory (10 items) were administered. Collected data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, Chronbach Alpha, and exploratory factor analysis. Findings: Exploratory factor analysis supported a 3-factor (23 items from 25 original items) solution named as "negative mood" (NM), "effort" (E), and "excuse making" (EM). Base on the theory, sum score of "negative mood" & recoded "effort" composes behavioral self-handicapping, and sum score of "negative mood" and "excuse making" reflexes claimed self-handicapping. Chronbach’s Alpha for the factors ranged from 0.60 to 0.72 and was 0.77 for the total scoreale. Test retest reliability was 0.84, supporting the reliability of the scale. Correlation between self-handicapping & self-esteem inventory was found to be -0.54 which provides further support for the validity of the scale. Conclusions: A 23-item self-handicapping scale was psychometrically evaluated in a student population. This version of the scale called "SHS-IR", shows satisfactory psychometric properties. Further research is needed to examine its application in different populations.

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Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Aim and Background: Through forgiveness the offended person decreases revenge motivations and avoidance from the offender, and is motivated to increase consolation and good will for the offender. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the transgression-related interpersonal motivations inventory (TRIM) in married men and women. Method and Materials: This study was of a correlational type. The participants were 245 males and 247 females selected through a multistage-cluster random sampling among the parents of high school students in Ahvaz. The two scales administrated in this study were: (a) transgression related interpersonal motivations inventory (TRIM) and (b) trait forgivingness scale (TFS). A cronbach’s α was calculated to examine the reliability of the TRIM inventory. moreover the discriminate validity and the principal-components factor analysis were used to examine the validity of the TRIM inventory. Findings: The calculated α for the TRIM inventory was 0.85 and 0.91 for revenge and avoidance dimensions respectively and 0.92 for the whole questionnaire. The validity of the inventory was also examined through correlating it to the TFS, given the values of -0.579 and -0.595 for revenge and avoidance dimensions. A principal components factor analysis extracted two factors for the inventory; two items were also omitted because of communalities. A confirmatory factor-analysis (CFA) indicated that a two-factor structure of this inventory was better than a one factor model (for the two-factor model a RMSEA equal to 0.07 was obtained). Conclusions: The results of the present study revealed that the transgression-related interpersonal motivations inventory (TRIM) is a reliable and valuable instrument in forgiveness related studies in marital relationships.

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Abstract Aim and Background: The Zuckerman &ndash; Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire is an instrument measuring personality traits. It is designed according to Zuckerman&rsquo;s Alternative Five Factor Personality Model (FFM). The present research aimed at investigating the psychometric properties of a version of the Zuckerman &ndash; Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire which contains 50 items. Method and Materials: The research design was descriptive correlational. The sample, including 508 individuals (308 females and 200 males), were selected and tested via stratified random sampling from among the students of Azerbaijan Shahid Madani University. To analyze the factor structure of the questionnaire, exploratory factor analysis method was used and its principal components were examined. Discriminant and Concurrent validity and Test-Retest reliability, Alpha Cronbach, Split-Half and ICC (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient) were&nbsp; also used. &nbsp; Findings: Questionnaire&rsquo;s Test-Retest reliability coefficient&nbsp; proved to be 0.79. Alpha Cronbach, Split-Half coefficient, and ICC proved to be 0.64, 0.68 and 60/0 (p<0.000) respectively. The five following factors were extracted via exploratory factor analysis with Varimax Rotation: Neuroticism &ndash; Anxiety, Sensation Seeking, Activity, Sociability and Aggression &ndash; Hostility. Concurrent Validity of the Questionnaire has been studied through correlational analysis with EPQ. The Results demonstrated a correlation between ZKPQ-50-CC and EPQ. The result of discriminant validity demonstrated that ZKPQ and its factors (except the Activity factor) could thoroughly distinguish those who obtained high mark from those who obtained low mark in N,E,P factors of Eysenck&#039;s questionnaire. Conclusions: The Results indicate that the Zuckerman &ndash; Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ-50-CC) enjoys desirable psychometric properties in Iranian society and can be used in psychological researches.

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Aim and Background: The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of Multiple Sclerosis Self-Efficacy Scale (MSSS) in a sample population of Iranian patients.
Methods and Materials: This research is a descriptive- correlational study with a population of patients afflicted with MS from North Khorasan and Hamedan provinces. A number of 120 patients, who had referred to the North Khorasan and Hamadan MS Associations at an interval of two months, were chosen as the sample population and completed the Multiple Sclerosis Self-Efficacy Scale (MSSS) and Depression, Anxiety, Stress scale (DASS-21). The data collected was analyzed through factor analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha, Guttmann Split half Quotient and Pearson Correlation, in SPSS17.
Findings: The analysis of the main factors with a Promax rotation and a variance of 71.11 supported 3 factors of the main four ones. The negative correlation pattern in the Multiple Sclerosis Self-efficacy dimensions with the sub-scales of Depression and Anxiety at DASS Scale was indicative of divergence validity. Finally, the Cronbach’s Alpha with a range of 0.78- 0.90 for the Multiple Sclerosis Self-efficacy dimensions and the 0.86 quotient for the entire scale indicated the positive reliability of the scale.
Conclusions: The Multiple Sclerosis Self-efficacy Scale (MSSS) enjoyed an appropriate reliability and validity in MS Patients of North Khorasan and Hamedan provinces.