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Background Several studies have demonstrated the importance of sense of coherence (SOC), neuroticism (N), extraversion (E), and general self-efficacy (GSE) for health, yet the unique utility of these overlapping constructs remains uncertain. The present research aims at exploring incremental validity when predicting (1) substance use specifically and (2) mental health generally among adolescents. Methods A prospective and longitudinal design was used to predict (1) initial substance use nine years into the future and (2) mental health one year and four years into the future. Participants were 318 adolescents (age 14 to 15 at the beginning of the study). Results Structural equation modeling revealed (1) that SOC had long-term incremental validity over N, E, and GSE for tobacco use and alcohol use, whereas cannabis use was predicted by E and GSE; and (2) that long-term mental health after four years was only predicted by SOC. Conclusions Two studies provide further evidence for the importance of considering salutogenic factors when forecasting mental health and health-related behavior beyond classical constructs such as N, E, and GSE. Differences in criterion validity reveal that SOC cannot be equated with reversed neuroticism.

Though conceptually distinct, mindfulness and sense of coherence (SOC) are empirically related aspects that promote health and wellbeing. The present research explored uniqueness by investigating criterion validity and incremental validity beyond the Big Five personality traits when predicting psychological distress, life satisfaction, and burnout. N = 1033 participated in a cross-sectional study. We used multiple regression analysis to examine the incremental validity of mindfulness (CHIME) and SOC (SOC-13) for psychological distress (SCL-K-9), life satisfaction (SWLS), and burnout (MBI-GS scales: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, personal accomplishment). Mindfulness and SOC had incremental validity over the Big Five traits. Despite a strong overlap (45% shared variance) between mindfulness and SOC, SOC was always the stronger predictor: psychological distress (β = −.52), life satisfaction (β = .57), emotional exhaustion (β = −.23), cynicism (β = −.40), and personal accomplishment (β = −.30). For psychological distress, life satisfaction, and cynicism, SOC statistically explained almost all the criterion validity of mindfulness. The clinical utility of mindfulness for predicting psychological health appears to be of minor importance relative to SOC, regardless whether meditators or non-meditators, who differed in mindfulness, were analyzed. Western approaches to assessing mindfulness may lack crucial social and existential dimensions.

Uses the Supernatural Belief Scale SBS) to present a primer on how to verify the strong assumptions of measurement invariance required in research on religion. Compares two independent samples, Croatians and New Zealanders, to show that, despite a sophisticated psychometric model, measurement invariance could be demonstrated for the SBS except for two noninvariant intercepts. Presents a new approach for inspecting measurement invariance across self- and peer-reports as two dependent samples. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.

When designing the journal and its different article types, we were convinced that outcomes of well-planned—but unfortunately often only small—scientific meetings are highly relevant for a broader audience. [...]we designed the article category Meeting Report, which is also fully peer-reviewed. [...]yet importantly, the success would not be possible without the valued support from our editorial board members, some of which have accompanied the founding stages, while others have just recently gotten aboard (https://measurementinstrumentssocialscience.biomedcentral.com/about/editorial-board). [...]our journal tackles an important topic that is not well covered in the area of the social sciences. While progress to major journal indexing systems may feel slow at times, consistency in supplying high-quality articles—and regularly so—will help to get the message across and obtain an impact factor considered crucial by many submitting authors who face conventional evaluation criteria at various stages of their career.

We present three datasets from a project about the relationship between death anxiety and religiosity. These include data from 1,838 individuals in the United States (n = 813), Brazil (n = 800), Russia (n = 800), the Philippines (n = 200), South Korea (n = 200), and Japan (n = 219). Measures were largely consistent across samples: they include measures of death anxiety, experience of and exposure to death, religious belief, religious behaviour, religious experience, and demographic information. Responses have also been back-translated into English where necessary, though original untranslated data are also included.Design Type(s)crowd-sourcing design • data integration objective • subject-based data analysis objectiveMeasurement Type(s)anxietyTechnology Type(s)survey methodFactor Type(s)sex • geographic location • Marital Status • Ethnic Group • ageSample Characteristic(s)Homo sapiens • United States of America • Brazil • Russia • The Philippines • South Korea • JapanMachine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data (ISA-Tab format)

The prediction of voting behavior of undecided voters poses a challenge to psychologists and pollsters. Recently, researchers argued that implicit attitudes would predict voting behavior particularly for undecided voters whereas explicit attitudes would predict voting behavior particularly for decided voters. We tested this assumption in two studies in two countries with distinct political systems in the context of real political elections. Results revealed that (a) explicit attitudes predicted voting behavior better than implicit attitudes for both decided and undecided voters, and (b) implicit attitudes predicted voting behavior better for decided than undecided voters. We propose that greater elaboration of attitudes produces stronger convergence between implicit and explicit attitudes resulting in better predictive validity of both, and less incremental validity of implicit over explicit attitudes for the prediction of voting behavior. However, greater incremental predictive validity of implicit over explicit attitudes may be associated with less elaboration.

We present two datasets from a project about the relationship between traumatic life experiences and religiosity. These include data from 1,754 individuals in the United States (n = 322), Brazil (n = 205), China (n = 202), India (n = 205), Indonesia (n = 205), Russia (n = 205), Thailand (n = 205), and Turkey (n = 205). Surveys were consistent across samples: they include measures of traumatic life experiences, negative affective traits, existential security, life satisfaction, death anxiety, and various religious beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours. Psychometric evaluations of measures of supernatural belief and death anxiety were conducted.Measurement(s)response to trauma exposure • religiosityTechnology Type(s)survey methodFactor Type(s)sex • age • ethnicity • marital status • employment status • socioeconomic statusSample Characteristic - OrganismHomo sapiensSample Characteristic - LocationUnited States of America • Brazil • China • India • Indonesia • Russia • Thailand • TurkeyMachine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12173592

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

[...]multiple measures for the same construct exist, rendering comparisons—for instance, across disciplines—difficult. [...]researchers’ conclusions do not always live up to scrutiny. Journal development When we at GESIS-Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences—pondered the launch of a new open access journal—we discovered that the scientific community was open to the idea of a new journal specifically devoted to Measurement Instruments in the Social Sciences (MISS). Six types of articles are acceptable for publication, which may further evolve in the future (for details, see the journal submission guidelines: https://measurementinstrumentssocialscience.biomedcentral.com/submission-guidelines): 1) New measurement instruments present an instrument that may either be completely new or offer a better version of existing measurement approaches. 2) International adaptations of measurement instruments present a tool (e.g., a questionnaire) in different languages to foster the international harmonization of measurement instruments. 3) Validation of measurement instruments presents validation studies on established questionnaires or tests, enhancing what has been known and tested about their psychometric properties. 4) Advances in methodology portray best practice in social-scientific measurement or describe recommended changes in testing and analytical procedures on the basis of scientific evidence. 5) Test reviews focus on a standardized evaluation of a measurement instrument’s characteristics and its materials as well as current evidence of psychometric quality in line with established test criteria and guidelines (e.g., international test commissions).

Measures of cognitive or socio-emotional skills from large-scale assessments surveys (LSAS) are often based on advanced statistical models and scoring techniques unfamiliar to applied researchers. Consequently, applied researchers working with data from LSAS may be uncertain about the assumptions and computational details of these statistical models and scoring techniques and about how to best incorporate the resulting skill measures in secondary analyses. The present paper is intended as a primer for applied researchers. After a brief introduction to the key properties of skill assessments, we give an overview over the three principal methods with which secondary analysts can incorporate skill measures from LSAS in their analyses: (1) as test scores (i.e., point estimates of individual ability), (2) through structural equation modeling (SEM), and (3) in the form of plausible values (PVs). We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method based on three criteria: fallibility (i.e., control for measurement error and unbiasedness), usability (i.e., ease of use in secondary analyses), and immutability (i.e., consistency of test scores, PVs, or measurement model parameters across different analyses and analysts). We show that although none of the methods are optimal under all criteria, methods that result in a single point estimate of each respondent’s ability (i.e., all types of “test scores”) are rarely optimal for research purposes. Instead, approaches that avoid or correct for measurement error—especially PV methodology—stand out as the method of choice. We conclude with practical recommendations for secondary analysts and data-producing organizations.